Attorneys representing Mario Fernandez-Saldana have requested the opportunity to pose questions to Henry Tenon, a self-confessed hitman, due to discrepancies in his earlier testimonies.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — During a court session in the widely-followed Jared Bridegan murder-for-hire case, a judge dismissed a motion by one of the accused and postponed another for further consideration.
The session was primarily about determining the future course of the case. Mario Fernandez-Saldana, one of the three individuals charged with Bridegan’s murder, had his defense team insist that prosecutors specify the timeline and scope of the alleged conspiracies, along with identifying any additional parties involved.
Jared Bridegan, a father of four from St. Johns County, was killed on February 16, 2022, in what authorities have termed a “murder-for-hire plot” supposedly masterminded by his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her current husband, Fernandez-Saldana. Both Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana have entered not guilty pleas concerning their involvement in Bridegan’s death.
On Thursday, Fernandez-Saldana’s legal representatives contended that the existing timelines, particularly those concerning Gardner, are overly vague, complicating their trial preparations. Prosecutors countered this argument, stating that conspiracy cases do not rely on a single incident and that the discovery process is still active. Judge London Kite deferred her decision on the matter, indicating the need for more time to examine the legal nuances.
The defense also questioned the reliability of Henry Tenon, the admitted hitman, referencing inconsistencies in his prior accounts. They requested court approval to submit written questions to Tenon to establish the consistency of his narrative before finalizing his deposition.
The judge expressed ethical concerns with the approach and suggested a longer, multi-day deposition instead. According to court records, this motion to issue Tenon “interrogatories” has been denied.
Both Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana are due back in court on Feb. 6 at 9 a.m., court records show. Jury selection for the trial is set to begin on Aug. 10, 2026, with a selection of 250 prospective jurors per defendant. The trial is scheduled to last from Aug. 17 through Aug. 28.
