Henry Tenon, 65, is poised to stand trial alongside two others—Shanna Gardner, the ex-wife of the victim, and her current husband, Mario Fernandez. These developments come in the case concerning the tragic death of Jared Bridegan, a father of four from St. Augustine, who was murdered four years ago.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a significant turn of events, Henry Tenon, who had previously admitted to the murder of Jared Bridegan, has been granted permission to retract his guilty plea. This decision comes exactly four years and one day after Bridegan’s untimely death.
Appearing in Duval County court on Tuesday morning, Tenon, accompanied by his attorney Julie Schlax, formally requested to withdraw his plea. When Judge London Kite inquired about the rationale behind this request, Schlax stated that there was no impropriety involved and urged the judge to exercise her own judgment regarding the matter.
The murder of Jared Bridegan, which occurred while he was removing a tire from the road in Jacksonville Beach, has been described by authorities as a “murder-for-hire scheme.” The plot is alleged to have been masterminded by his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, along with her current spouse, Mario Fernandez-Saldana. Both Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana have denied any wrongdoing, pleading not guilty to the charges against them.
With Tenon now allowed to withdraw his guilty plea, he will face trial along with Gardner, aged 32, and Fernandez-Saldana, aged 37. Tenon is facing charges that include second-degree murder with a weapon, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact, and child abuse related to the case.
With Tenon’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea now approved, Tenon is set to go on trial along with Gardner, 32, and Fernandez-Saldana, 37. Tenon is charged with second-degree murder with a weapon, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact and child abuse in the case.
Before backing out, as part of Tenon’s plea agreement, prosecutors would have dropped all of his charges except second-degree murder in exchange for him “truthfully” testifying against Gardner and Fernandez.
Tenon is set to be back in court Monday, March 23 at 9 a.m.
The trial for Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana is scheduled to begin on Aug. 10.
