WATCH: Jury finds Mario Fernandez Saldana’s guilty in the murder of Jared Bridegan
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JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Courtroom Insider) — Guilty on all counts: that’s the verdict handed down by a Florida jury for Mario Fernandez Saldana in the 2022 shooting death of his estranged wife’s ex-husband.
Jurors took three hours and 52 minutes to find Fernandez guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5.
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The fate of Mario Fernandez Saldana is in the hands of 12 jurors.
After giving final instructions on Wednesday morning, Judge London Kite turned the case over to the jury and sent the remaining members to deliberate. Four alternate jurors who also listened to the trial have been customarily dismissed.
The court is in recess until the jury reaches a verdict. Once they do, Kit will announce a time for the verdict to be read, and we will livestream the reading here.
Fernandez is charged with first-degree murder in the 2022 shooting death of Jared Bridegan, a 33-year-old Microsoft senior design manager and father of four.
Prosecutors allege Fernandez helped orchestrate a murder-for-hire plot targeting Bridegan, and that Henry Tenon, Fernandez’s former tenant and handyman, was the gunman. Bridegan was ambushed and shot in Jacksonville Beach after stopping to move a tire that police say was deliberately placed in the road.
Fernandez has pleaded not guilty. His estranged wife, Shanna Gardner, is also charged with first-degree murder and her trial is scheduled to begin in September. Tenon faces the same charges.
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This story was originally posted at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, and is being updated throughout the day.
