On a cold February night in 2022, Jared Bridegan, 33, a Microsoft executive and father of four, was driving home from a business trip when he was shot dead by an unknown assailant. His murder sparked a global investigation that spanned three continents and involved multiple agencies, suspects, and motives.
Who killed Jared Bridegan and why? This is the question that haunts his family, friends, and colleagues, as well as the millions of people who followed his case in the media. In this article, we will unravel the mystery of his death, explore the clues and evidence, and reveal the shocking truth behind the mysterious murder of Jared Bridegan.
The Crime Scene
The crime scene was located on a deserted stretch of Highway 101, near the exit of The Sanctuary neighborhood in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Jared Bridegan was driving his black Volkswagen Atlas, which he had rented from a nearby airport. He was returning from a business trip in Seattle, where he had attended a Microsoft conference and met with some potential clients.
After dropping off his 9-year-old twins, Abby and Liam, at his former spouse’s residence in Jacksonville Beach, he was returning to his own home in St. Augustine. His 2-year-old daughter, Bexley, was accompanying him in the car. He was supposed to arrive at his home around 10 p.m., but he never made it.
According to the police report, Jared Bridegan was shot at close range by multiple bullets that hit him in the head and chest. The bullets shattered the passenger window and the windshield. The police found no signs of struggle or robbery, and nothing was missing from the car or the victim. The only clue they had was a tire that was lying on the road, about 50 feet behind the car. The tire had a bullet hole in it, indicating that it was used to stop the car and lure the victim out.
The police also found a witness who was driving behind Jared Bridegan’s car. The witness, a 25-year-old woman named Jessica Lee, told the police that she saw a tire on the road and slowed down to avoid it. She then saw Jared Bridegan’s car pull over to the shoulder and a man get out of the driver’s seat.
She said that she did not see anyone else on the road and that she heard several loud bangs as she passed by the car. She said that she was too scared to stop and check on the victim and that she drove away as fast as she could. She called 911 as soon as she reached a safe place. The police arrived at the scene within 15 minutes of the 911 call, but it was too late. Jared Bridegan was pronounced dead at the scene.
The police cordoned off the area and began their investigation. They collected the tire, the bullets, and the car as evidence. They also interviewed Jessica Lee and checked her phone records and GPS data to verify her story. They found no inconsistencies or contradictions in her account and ruled her out as a suspect. The authorities subsequently made efforts to determine the perpetrator and the reason for the homicide. Various hypotheses were considered, but none of them appeared to align with the evidence.
They wondered if it was a random act of violence, a road rage incident, a professional hit, a personal vendetta, or a corporate conspiracy. They looked into Jared Bridegan’s background, his family, his friends, his enemies, his work, his finances, and his travels. They found nothing that could explain why someone would want him dead. The police were baffled by the case, and so was the public.
The media picked up the story and made it a sensation. Jared Bridegan’s murder became a national and international headline, attracting attention from all over the world. People were fascinated by the mystery and the intrigue and speculated about the possible suspects and motives. Some even came up with their theories and posted them online. The case became a viral phenomenon, and everyone wanted to know the answer to one question: Who killed Jared Bridegan and why?
The Family’s Ordeal
Jared Bridegan’s murder left behind a devastated family that struggled to cope with his loss and find answers. His wife, Kirsten Bridegan, was pregnant with their second child, a girl named London when he was killed. She gave birth in June 2022, four months after his death. She also had to care for their 2-year-old daughter, Bexley, who witnessed the shooting and suffered from trauma.
Kirsten Bridegan told ABC News that Bexley would cry and scream whenever she saw a tire or heard a loud noise. She also said that Bexley would ask for her daddy and wonder why he didn’t come home. Jared Bridegan also left behind two 9-year-old twins, Abby and Liam, from his previous marriage to Shanna Gardner. The twins lived with their mother and her husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, in Jacksonville Beach.
Jared Bridegan had a contentious divorce and custody battle with Gardner and was fighting for more time with his children. Kirsten Bridegan said that Jared Bridegan loved his twins and wanted to be a part of their lives. She said that he was a fun, creative, and loving father who would do anything for his kids. Jared Bridegan’s family and friends held a candlelight vigil for him in April 2022, two months after his murder.
They remembered him as a smart, successful, and generous person who had a bright future ahead of him. Jared Bridegan was a senior manager at Microsoft, where he worked on cloud computing and artificial intelligence projects. He had a strong enthusiasm for technology and innovation, and he continuously sought out fresh challenges and opportunities. In addition to this, he was a deeply religious individual with a steadfast faith and a compassionate nature. He actively participated in his church and local community and generously contributed to various charitable causes.
Jared Bridegan’s family and friends also pleaded for justice and urged anyone with information to come forward. They hoped that the police would find the killer and the motive behind the murder. They wanted to know who killed Jared Bridegan and why. They wanted closure and peace.
The Arrest of the Culprit
After nearly a year of investigation, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department announced a breakthrough in Jared Bridegan’s murder case. On January 25, 2023, they arrested Henry Tenon, a 63-year-old man who lived at a property owned by Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife’s husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana. Tenon has been accused of conspiring to commit murder, committing second-degree murder with a weapon, being an accessory after the fact to a capital felony, and committing child abuse.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson reports that Tenon has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a weapon and has confessed to being responsible for shooting Jared Bridegan multiple times on February 16, 2022. As part of his plea, he has also agreed to assist in the investigation and provide testimony against his co-conspirators. Tenon told the police that he was hired by Mario Fernandez Saldana to kill Jared Bridegan and that he was paid $10,000 for the job. He said that he used a tire to block the road and force Jared Bridegan to stop his car. He then approached him and shot him at close range, while his 2-year-old daughter Bexley was in the back seat. He said that he acted alone and that no one else was present at the scene.
However, the police did not believe that Tenon was the mastermind behind the murder. They suspected that Mario Fernandez Saldana and his wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife, were also involved in the plot. They had a motive to kill Jared Bridegan, as they were engaged in a bitter divorce and custody battle with him over their 9-year-old twins, Abby and Liam. On March 16, 2023, law enforcement officials announced the apprehension of Mario Fernandez Saldana for the homicide of Jared Bridegan.
Saldana was formally charged with first-degree murder by a grand jury and was subsequently detained in Kissimmee, Florida by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The police said that he was the one who planned and orchestrated the murder and that he recruited and paid Tenon to carry it out. They also said that he had a history of domestic violence and criminal activity and that he had threatened Jared Bridegan before.
On August 17, 2023, the police announced the arrest of Shanna Gardner-Fernandez in connection with Jared Bridegan’s murder. Shanna was apprehended in Washington state and is set to be transported to Florida for prosecution. According to State Attorney Melissa Nelson, she was the main participant in a planned and deliberate homicide of Jared Bridegan and worked together with her spouse, Mario Fernandez Saldana, to remove him from their lives.
Bottom Line
The arrests of the three suspects brought some relief and justice to Jared Bridegan’s family, especially his widow, Kirsten Bridegan, and his four children. They had been waiting for answers and closure for more than a year, and they hoped that the culprits would be held accountable for their actions. They also hoped that the truth would come out in the trial and that they would finally know who killed Jared Bridegan and why.
