In a dramatic turn of events, Henry Tenon, the alleged gunman implicated in the murder-for-hire scheme targeting Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, is attempting to withdraw his guilty plea. Tenon, who had agreed to testify against Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her estranged husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, now claims his previous statements against them were fabricated.
Tenon was initially charged in January 2023 with multiple offenses, including second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact, and child abuse, all related to the brutal killing of Bridegan. The ambush took place on February 16, 2022, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. According to reports from WJXT, Tenon had initially pleaded guilty to the murder charge, aiming to reduce his sentence by cooperating with the prosecution against Gardner and Fernandez Saldana.
However, as early as January 2025, Tenon began to express doubts about his earlier admissions, seeking a new legal representative and now formally requesting to retract his guilty plea prior to sentencing. This legal maneuver introduces new complexities in the case against Gardner and Fernandez Saldana, who face serious charges of first-degree murder among others. Their trial is scheduled to commence with jury selection on August 10.
The chilling details of the crime reveal that Bridegan was lured into stopping his vehicle by a strategically placed tire while en route to his St. Augustine home after visiting his children at Gardner’s residence. As reported by CrimeOnline, Bridegan was shot in the presence of his two-year-old daughter, Bexley, who remained in the car during the horrifying incident.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson highlighted the premeditated nature of the act at a January press conference, stating, “That tire was purposely placed there to make him stop.” She further emphasized the tragic situation, noting the toddler was left in her car seat as the tragedy unfolded.
“That tire was purposely placed there to make him stop,” State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District Melissa Nelson said during a press conference in January. “The toddler remained strapped in the car seat in the back.”
Gardner and Fernandez allegedly offered $150,000 to Fernandez-Saldana’s former tenant, Henry Tenon, to kill Bridegan, investigators said at a bond hearing for Gardner in 2024.
A $5,000 check dated April 4, 2022, was allegedly sent from the defendant to Tenon that read “Kickstarter” and “Good luck!,” according to Jacksonville Beach Police Department Detective Chris Johns, who testified at the hearing.
According to WJXT, the State Attorney’s Office declined comment on Tenon’s motion to withdraw his plea, saying it “would defer comment to next week’s court hearing on the matter.”
