JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Six months after Henry Tenon surprised his own lawyer by mentioning “false testimony” in court, the Public Defender’s Office has stepped away from his case. Tenon had admitted to killing Jared Bridegan.

Judge London Kite accepted Assistant Public Defender Alan Chipperfield’s July 1 request to withdraw due to a conflict of interest, appointing the Office of Regional Conflict to take over. As of July 7, private attorney Julie Schlax is now leading Tenon’s defense.

Tenon pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, to being the triggerman in Bridegan’s ambush shooting a year earlier in Jacksonville Beach. He agreed to testify against Mario Fernandez Saldana, who was arrested in Orlando the same day and is accused or orchestrating the hit along with his wife, Shanna Gardner, Bridegan’s ex.

The change of counsel creates some speculation as to whether Tenon, 64, might change his plea.

During his Jan. 13 hearing where he tried to explain to Kite about false testimony and said he wanted another attorney, she halted the hearing so that he and attorneys from both sides could talk. In a meeting with both the defense and prosecution, he denied being threatened, paid or harassed into his sudden change of heart.

They returned for another hearing in April, and Tenon said everything was fine to continue as planned.

“When we last saw each other, you made a statement in court, I stopped you for you to have an opportunity to talk with your lawyer,” Kite said. “… Have you talked to your lawyer? Is there any need to go any further about his representation, are you satisfied with him?”

Tenon: “No, it’s just that we had a misunderstanding before. We kind of overcame that.”

She emphasized he can talk with her if he has concerns, and she again asked are you satisfied with his legal services.

“Yes, I am,” Tenon replied.

Assistant State Attorney Alan Mizrahi also had outlined the evidence against him, including DNA on the tire that was blocking the road where Bridegan stopped before being shot, video surveillance showing him at the scene and cell data placing him at relevant locations.

In his motion to withdraw, Chipperfield, a well-respected and veteran defense attorney, stated the basis is “miscellaneous conflict, including representation of state witness, employee victim, former client, or adverse relationship.”

“Because of this reason, the Office of the Public Defender cannot counsel defendant without actual conflict or the appearance of impropriety.”

Schlax, Tenon’s new counsel, also is a longtime and well-respected attorney. She has represented the likes of Donald Smith in the Cherish Perrywinkle abduction, rape and murder and the defendants in the “buried alive” case of Reggie and Carol Sumner.

The Times-Union reached out to her, the State Attorney’s Office and attorneys for both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana for possible comment. The State Attorney’s Office responded by deferring to Tenon’s new counsel, and Schlax declined to comment at this time. The others did not respond by 1 p.m.

Gardner and Fernandez Saldana are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. Gardner and Bridegan were mired in a longtime contentious divorce and child custody case.

The defendants are accused of setting up Bridegan, knowing exactly when and where he would be for one of his planned visits with his shared-custody children. He was ambushed shortly after dropping them off at Garnder and Fernandez Saldana’s home in Jacksonville Beach on his way back to St. Augustine.

The state is seeking the death penalty against them, while Tenon ― whose landlord was Fernandez Saldana ― awaits sentencing for his second-degree murder plea, facing at least 15 years in prison and up to life. His next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7.

Editor’s note: This story was first published by our news partners, The Florida Times-Union.