The murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan continues to unfold with new revelations from court documents. These documents reveal that police investigated at least two additional suspects beyond the three already charged in the meticulously planned murder-for-hire plot. Bridegan was tragically shot and killed on February 16, 2022.
Jared Bridegan, who was killed on February 16, 2022. (Jacksonville Beach Police Department)
Currently, three individuals face charges in connection with Bridegan’s death: his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner; her current husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana; and Henry Tenon, a former tenant of Fernandez Saldana. Tenon has entered a guilty plea and is cooperating with the prosecution. Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty for both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana.
Court documents filed between late January and early February 2023 shed light on the expanding scope of the investigation. These documents detail investigators’ requests for continued wiretap authorization to intercept communications between the alleged co-conspirators. The application for the wiretaps highlights the intricate nature of the case, stating, “In contrast to the stark randomness of the murder, there are relationships, circumstances, and investigative facts and evidence suggesting Bridegan’s murder was anything but random.” Police further emphasized that, “Instead, the investigation reveals Bridegan’s murder is the culmination of events that began on February 23, 2015, when his wife at the time, Shanna Lee Gardner, filed for divorce. For reasons that will be outlined in greater detail, the investigation has identified five people likely involved in a conspiracy to murder Jared Bridegan.”
While the documents name Gardner, Fernandez Saldana, and Tenon, the identities of the other two individuals under investigation remain redacted. However, the documents offer tantalizing clues about one of these unnamed individuals, connecting them to Fernandez Saldana and the murder weapon. The application states, “[redacted] and Fernandez Saldana have known each other for many years. Fernandez Saldana dated [redacted]’s daughter in high school. [Redacted] is a former reserve police officer and convicted felon. [redacted] admitted to law [redacted] he owned a 10mm caliber gun but said he did not know where it was. A 10 mm caliber was used to murder Bridegan.”
Shanna Gardner and her husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, appeared in court together on December 1, 2023. (Court TV)
The investigation reveals a complex web of communication and potential motives. Investigators allege that Gardner employed encryption and other tactics to conceal her conversations from law enforcement. The court documents include redacted conversations that investigators believe show Gardner coordinating with her sister and a friend to relay messages between co-conspirators, attempting to circumvent police surveillance.
The documents also unveil new details regarding the timeline leading up to the murder. Just two weeks before his death, Bridegan reportedly emailed Gardner about his intention to baptize one of their two children in the Mormon church. Both Bridegan and Gardner were members of the Mormon faith during their marriage, but Gardner had reportedly begun to distance herself from the religion during the divorce proceedings in 2015.
Financial motives are also being explored. Investigators highlight a trust fund established by Gardner’s parents, stipulating that Gardner would only gain full access to the funds after she had “no further legal entanglements with her ex-husband, Jared G. Bridegan.” The affidavit reviewed by Court TV notes, “On February 23, 2022, one week after Bridegan’s murder and precisely seven years after she filed for dissolution of their marriage, a suggestion of death [Bridegan’s death] appeared in the records of their dissolution case with the St. Johns County Clerk of Court. By all accounts, in the months and years preceding the murder, Gardner wanted to leave the State of Florida with her children. However, her dissolution decree prevented her from leaving the state permanently with her children without an agreement from Bridegan or a court order. With Bridegan’s death, she became free to leave the state with her children – which she has done. And with no legal entanglements with ‘her ‘ex-husband”, she can now also control her trust funds.”
Police suspect that Gardner provided the funds for Bridegan’s murder to Fernandez Saldana, who then orchestrated the killing. The ongoing investigation continues to piece together the events leading up to Bridegan’s death, seeking justice for the slain Microsoft executive. The investigation into the two unnamed suspects remains active, and the complexities of this case continue to grip public attention. The legal proceedings against Gardner and Fernandez Saldana are expected to be closely watched as more information about this tragic case comes to light.
