Jared Bridegan Case Files
Henry Tenon
Tenon was born in 1961 in Hawkinsville, Georgia, in Pulaski County in the central part of the state and north of Macon. He went to Vienna High School and notes on one of his Facebook accounts that he studied at Middle Georgia Technical College.
It is unclear when he moved to Jacksonville, but Duval County court records document him there as far back as 1991.
Henry Tenon
Jared Bridegan Case Files
Henry Tenon
Murder of Jared Bridegan
Henry Arthur Tenon Biography
- Henry Arthur Tenon was born in 1961 in Hawkinsville, Georgia.
- He attended Vienna High School in Vienna, Georgia.
- Tenon stated on a social-media profile that he studied at Middle Georgia Technical College. This is self-reported information, and a degree or graduation date has not been independently documented.
- Duval County court records place Tenon in the Jacksonville area by at least 1991.
- Tenon’s daughter stated in January 2023 that he had lived in Jacksonville for more than 20 years. Source
- Tenon was described in his 2023 arrest-warrant affidavit as a Black male, approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 259 pounds.
- The affidavit documented a criminal history in Georgia and Florida that included felony convictions involving habitual driving with a suspended license, burglary, grand theft, and unlawful possession of firearms. Source
- Before Bridegan’s murder, Tenon performed maintenance, construction or handyman work in the Jacksonville area.
- Tenon rented the residence at 5239 Potomac Avenue from Mario Fernandez Saldana and reportedly performed work for Fernandez Saldana at different properties.
- Tenon’s roommate told investigators that their lease at the Potomac Avenue property ended in February 2022.
- The landlord and tenant relationship between Tenon and Fernandez Saldana became the initial documented connection between Tenon and the people prosecutors allege arranged Bridegan’s murder. Source
- Tenon was 61 when authorities announced his arrest in the Bridegan case on January 25, 2023.
- He was initially charged with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse.
- Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in March 2023 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, but he was never sentenced under that agreement.
- He withdrew the guilty plea in February 2026 and returned to a not-guilty plea.
- A grand jury subsequently indicted him on first-degree murder, child abuse and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- As of September 2026, Tenon remains in custody awaiting trial and is presumed innocent of the pending charges unless proven guilty. Source
- Offense: Driving with license suspended or revoked
- Outcome: Not specified
- Offense(s):
- Trespass in structure or conveyance, occupied
- Battery
- Criminal mischief, $200 to $1,000 damage
- Plea: No contest
- Sentence: 25 days in jail
- Offense: Operating a motor vehicle with suspended license as a habitual traffic offender
- Outcome: Not specified
- Offense: Worthless check / obtaining property under $150
- Plea: Guilty
- Sentence: 2 days in jail
- Offense #1: Domestic battery
- Plea: No contest
- Sentence: 1 day in jail, 12 months probation
- Offense #2: Operating a motor vehicle with suspended license as a habitual traffic offender
- Offense(s):
- Operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license
- Leaving the scene of an accident with property damage
- Outcome: Not specified
- Offense #1: Domestic battery, hit girlfriend several times in the face
- Plea: No contest
- Sentence: 60 days in jail, 12 months probation
- Note: Girlfriend filed an injunction for protection
- Offense #2: Driving under the influence
- Offense: Driving under the influence
- Outcome: Not specified
- Offense(s):
- Driving with license suspended or revoked
- Careless driving
- Outcome: Not specified
- Offense: Leaving the scene of an accident with property damage
- Outcome: Not specified
Jared Bridegan Murder Jared Bridegan, a 33-year-old Microsoft executive and father of four, was tragically murdered on February 16, 2022, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. After dropping off his twin children at his ex-wife’s residence, he encountered a tire obstructing the road. When he exited his vehicle to remove it, he was ambushed and shot multiple times at close range. His 2-year-old daughter was in the backseat but was unharmed. Source
2010 to 2021, Background and Early Connections
- Tenon works various handyman and construction jobs throughout Jacksonville.
- He develops a long-term connection to Mario Fernandez Saldana through property work and rental arrangements.
- He begins renting the home at 5239 Potomac Avenue, which is owned by Fernandez Saldana.
- He continues to struggle financially, frequently overdrawing his account and carrying balances under $400.
- Communication between Tenon and Fernandez becomes more consistent.
- Fernandez retains control over Tenon’s housing and access to property resources.
- Investigators later interpret this relationship as positioning Tenon for recruitment into a violent criminal plan.
January 4, 2022
- Prosecutors allege Henry Tenon joined the conspiracy to murder Jared Bridegan on or about this date.
- Charging documents later alleged that the conspiracy continued through Bridegan’s killing. Source
- Location data shows Tenon driving a route that closely matches the ambush route Bridegan later took.
- The route includes movements near Sanctuary Boulevard and the neighborhoods relevant to Bridegan’s custody exchanges.
- Investigators identify this as a potential preparatory run.
- Biggerstaff performs online searches for a 10mm Glock pistol and other handguns.
- Although this was Biggerstaff’s activity, investigators later evaluated whether Tenon had access to or knowledge of this weapon type.
- Second practice run observed.
- Similar route toward Sanctuary Boulevard.
- Tenon was living at 5239 Potomac Avenue in Jacksonville, a rental property owned by Mario Fernandez Saldana.
- Tenon later told investigators that his lease ended during February and denied having regular contact with Fernandez Saldana afterward.
- Telephone records cited in the arrest affidavit showed approximately 35 contacts between Tenon and Fernandez Saldana during February. Source
- Prosecutors allege Tenon was solicited by Mario Fernandez Saldana to kill Jared Bridegan.
- Preparation: Tenon allegedly learned Jared’s routine and route, specifically his regular Wednesday night visit to drop off the twins at Shanna’s home.
- Bridegan spent the evening having dinner and ice cream with his 9-year-old twins and his 2-year-old daughter. Source
- After dinner, he returned the twins to Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s Jacksonville Beach residence.
- Bridegan then began driving home with his 2-year-old daughter secured in her car seat.
- 6:00 p.m., Tenon’s phones stopped communicating with the cellular network.
- Investigators believed the phones were turned off or placed in airplane mode.
- Tenon was known to carry two phones, and investigators considered the loss of network activity a departure from his normal usage.
- 6:25:33 p.m. Surveillance captured Tenon’s blue 2004 Ford F-150 traveling east on Beach Boulevard.
- The truck was approximately 0.45 miles from the residence where Bridegan would return the twins.
- 6:42:01 p.m. The Ford traveled south on America Avenue, approximately 0.19 miles from the future crime scene.
- 6:43:06 p.m. The Ford traveled south on Sanctuary Parkway and slowed to a stop near the location where Bridegan would later be killed.
- The truck continued south, made a U-turn, and slowed again near the same location.
- Investigators believed the driver might have been examining or practicing the route.
- 6:44:59 p.m. The truck traveled east on Jacksonville Drive, then turned north onto South Beach Parkway.
- 6:52:48 p.m. The Ford traveled toward Shetter Avenue and parked in a cul-de-sac approximately 0.20 miles from Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s residence.
- The truck remained there for approximately 19 minutes.
- 7:30 p.m. Bridegan dropped off his twins at Gardner’s home.
- Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s residence was the last place Bridegan was seen alive before the shooting.
- 7:50 p.m. Surveillance captured the Ford traveling directly in front of Bridegan’s vehicle.
- The Ford appeared to be tailgating an unidentified white truck.
- Investigators believed the maneuver was intended to create distance between the Ford and Bridegan’s vehicle so the tire would stop Bridegan without obstructing another driver.
- 7:52:52 p.m., Bridegan encountered a tire blocking Sanctuary Boulevard.
- He stopped his vehicle, activated his hazard lights, and exited to move the tire.
- Bridegan was shot multiple times at close range.
- His 2-year-old daughter witnessed the shooting from her car seat.
- Bullets struck the vehicle’s interior within inches of the child, but she was not physically injured.
- Bridegan’s personal property remained untouched, and investigators found no evidence that robbery was the motive.
- Surveillance captured a person walking south moments after the final shot before beginning to run.
- 7:53:40 p.m. Approximately one minute after the shooting, the Ford was captured traveling east on Jacksonville Drive.
- 7:56:41 p.m. An unidentified Black man was seen walking north toward Jacksonville Drive and Grande Boulevard.
- The man wore dark pants, a tan shirt, boots and a light-colored hat.
- Investigators believed the person was Tenon.
- 8:00:09 p.m. actual time, 8:17:09 p.m. surveillance timestamp The Ford entered the cul-de-sac on Shetter Avenue, immediately turned around and left.
- Investigators determined that Tenon and the truck had separated after the shooting.
- They believed another person was driving the truck while Tenon traveled through the area on foot.
- 8:13:33 p.m. A man believed to be Tenon was captured walking north on South Beach Parkway near Rip Tide Boulevard.
- One of Tenon’s phones reconnected to the cellular network near Beaches Baptist Hospital, approximately 1.4 miles from the crime scene.
- Location data indicated that one phone was traveling with Tenon while the other remained inside the Ford.
- The devices attempted to contact each other, confirming that they had been physically separated.
- The tire recovered from Sanctuary Boulevard belonged to a 2004 Ford F-150 Lariat.
- Tenon drove a blue 2004 Ford F-150 Lariat.
- Tenon’s DNA was identified on the tire.
- When shown a photograph, Tenon acknowledged that the tire belonged to him.
- Surveillance footage taken before the shooting showed a spare tire in the bed of Tenon’s truck.
- Tenon confirmed that the blue truck captured near the crime scene was his vehicle.
- Call activity resumes between Tenon and Fernandez.
- Investigators see a pattern of sudden and increased communication compared to the six weeks before the killing.
- Kirsten Bridegan spoke with the twins.
- During the conversation, the twins asked whether Bridegan had a will.
- Kirsten later told investigators that she found the question highly unusual.
- One week after Bridegan’s murder and exactly seven years after Gardner filed for divorce, a Suggestion of Death was filed in the former couple’s dissolution case.
- Bridegan’s death eliminated the restriction preventing Gardner from permanently relocating with the twins without his agreement or a court order.
- Investigators also examined language in Gardner’s family trust stating that she could elect to serve as trustee once she had no further legal entanglements with Bridegan.
- Gardner subsequently moved to Washington with the twins.
- 12:56 p.m., detectives spoke by telephone with Michael Kayle Abernathy after another neighborhood resident recommended that investigators contact him about Mario Fernandez Saldana.
- Abernathy described himself and Fernandez Saldana as casual friends. He confirmed reports that Fernandez Saldana had shot stray cats with a pellet gun and said he had seen the pellet gun in Fernandez Saldana’s garage. Abernathy said he never saw Fernandez Saldana with a firearm or heard him discuss owning one. Source
- Abernathy said Fernandez Saldana occasionally complained that Jared Bridegan would not cooperate with scheduling involving the children, disrupting vacation plans for Fernandez Saldana and Shanna Gardner.
- Without being asked, Abernathy told detectives that several neighbors believed Fernandez Saldana was responsible for Bridegan’s death. Abernathy said he did not believe Fernandez Saldana personally killed Bridegan but believed he could have been responsible for planning the murder. He described Fernandez Saldana as “a guy with short temper.”
- 5:30 p.m., Allison Anne Preslar met with investigators and provided additional details about what she saw and heard on the night Bridegan was killed. Source
- Preslar said she was walking east on Jacksonville Drive and had passed the intersection with Sanctuary Boulevard without seeing any vehicles stopped in the roadway. When she reached the intersection of Jacksonville Drive and America Avenue, she heard four gunshots.
- Preslar turned around and began walking west toward Sanctuary Way. When she reached the center of the Jacksonville Drive and Sanctuary Boulevard intersection, she saw an older blue truck with silver trim turning around on Sanctuary Boulevard. She estimated that she saw the truck approximately one minute after hearing the gunshots. Source
- Preslar said the truck backed up, made a three-point turn and traveled north in the southbound lane of Sanctuary Boulevard before turning east onto Jacksonville Drive. She saw what appeared to be two large black trash bags in the truck bed. The driver’s window was down, and the driver stared at her as the truck passed. Source
- Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from Jacksonville Drive and America Avenue and identified only two trucks leaving the area during the relevant period. One appeared to be a smaller Toyota Tacoma traveling north on America Avenue. The second traveled east on Jacksonville Drive approximately one minute after the final gunshot and appeared to match the previously identified vehicle of interest.
- 11:13 a.m., investigators requested a subpoena for all past and current Farm Bureau insurance policies involving Bridegan.
- 3:25 p.m., John Scott Currie participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview at the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. Currie said he had served as bishop of Gardner’s local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Currie described a confrontation with Bridegan several years earlier after Gardner asked Currie to counsel the children about hairstyles Bridegan had characterized as sinful. Currie told the children that describing the hairstyles as sinful was “silly,” but that they still needed to honor their parent’s decisions.
- Currie said Bridegan objected to the counseling session and to Currie speaking with Gardner because she was no longer a member of the church. Currie told Bridegan that it was his congregation and Bridegan could not dictate whom he was permitted to minister to.
- Currie said Bridegan appeared to want to take the confrontation into the parking lot and fight. Currie threatened to call police and remove Bridegan if he refused to leave. Bridegan eventually left without police being called.
- Currie contacted the church’s legal department after the confrontation. He said his wife began carrying a concealed weapon because she felt threatened by Bridegan.
- Currie said Abigail Bridegan had recently expressed an interest in being baptized. Gardner approached Currie about counseling involving Currie and Bridegan’s bishop. Currie contacted Bridegan’s bishop because he expected Bridegan to object and explained that he had experienced a previous conflict with him.
- 2:40 p.m., detectives faxed the signed insurance-records subpoena to Farm Bureau.
- 3:50 p.m., Justin Bridegan participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview after remembering an incident involving his brother and one of Fernandez Saldana’s relatives.
- Justin said that while sitting in his office two days after his brother’s murder, three phrases came to mind: “blue truck, ice cream and redneck.” He initially did not consider the memory important but reported it after police released information about the vehicle of interest.
- Justin recalled a birthday party Bridegan held for Abigail and Liam at Adventure Landing several years earlier. One of Fernandez Saldana’s relatives was present, and Bridegan became upset because he believed he was being followed.
- Justin said Bridegan previously told him that Gardner had placed a “bug” in his vehicle to monitor him during the divorce.
- Justin recalled Fernandez Saldana and Gardner arriving unannounced at his home with a birthday present for his child. Justin described Fernandez Saldana as intense while discussing his military service and telling “war stories.”
- Justin believed Gardner and Bridegan were engaged in a continuing “tit for tat” conflict. He believed Gardner may have viewed Bridegan’s religious instruction of the children as indoctrination and may have complained about it to Fernandez Saldana.
- Justin theorized that Fernandez Saldana could have involved friends in doing something about the conflict and believed at least two people would have been required to plan and carry out the murder.
- At approximately 11:00 a.m., detectives requested telephone toll records for Gardner, Fernandez Saldana, John Biggerstaff, Justin Bridegan, Kirsten Bridegan, Jeremy Ordway and several other people connected to the investigation.
- Investigators examined the spare tire recovered from the roadway near Bridegan’s body. Three areas resembling passive drops of an unidentified liquid were found on the tire’s outer rim and marked for possible DNA collection.
- The tire was rewrapped in brown paper and resealed to preserve it as evidence. Its original wrapping was separately preserved and submitted to the police property room.
- At approximately 5:00 p.m., investigators received records for six 10 mm pistol transactions conducted through Beaches Pawn. Database checks showed that none of the purchasers was registered to a Ford truck matching the vehicle of interest.
- At 3:30 p.m., investigators conducted additional forensic testing on the spare tire recovered from the crime scene. The tire was photographed with and without measurement scales before testing began.
- Investigators used alternate light sources to search the tire for evidence not visible to the unaided eye but found nothing of evidentiary value through that process.
- Investigators discovered a repair plug in the tire, photographed it and removed it with pliers before placing it in an evidence envelope.
- Investigators identified an area that appeared to contain a possible fingerprint. An attempt to recover it with fingerprint powder was unsuccessful because the mark was dry, so the area was swabbed for possible residual DNA.
- Five areas of the tire were swabbed for DNA and labeled S1 through S5. Investigators also collected a control swab, the tire plug, the valve-stem cap, the disposable fingerprint brush, the fingerprint powder and the tire’s packaging. Gloves were changed between each swab to prevent cross-contamination.
- Photographs of the tire were copied to a DVD, and all collected items were submitted to the police property room as evidence.
- Investigators received JPMorgan Chase records for Bridegan and Navy Federal Credit Union records for Fernandez Saldana and Gardner. Each return was saved to a disc and submitted to the police property room.
- Detectives contacted a former girlfriend of Fernandez Saldana who described what she characterized as an abusive relationship with him. She agreed to participate in a recorded interview at a later time.
- Investigators collected elimination cheek swabs from law-enforcement officers who had been involved at the crime scene. Gloves were changed between collections to prevent cross-contamination, and the swabs were submitted to the police property room.
- At 11:30 a.m., Cody Sammons participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview at Jacksonville Beach Police headquarters.
- Cody said he met Gardner and Fernandez Saldana at Black Hive gym in 2017 before they began dating. Gardner worked out at the gym, while Fernandez Saldana performed handyman work there.
- Cody described Fernandez Saldana as “sketchy” and said he made unusual comments and bragged about the amount of military disability income he received.
- Cody said Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s relationship developed unusually quickly. They began dating and married approximately six to eight months later but reportedly kept the marriage secret from Fernandez Saldana’s family.
- Cody said Gardner and Fernandez Saldana withdrew from their group of friends after marrying. When he saw Gardner at a wedding on New Year’s Day 2022, she appeared exhausted and “dragged down.” He believed Fernandez Saldana was controlling and did not want Gardner socializing with other people.
- Cody described an incident after a 2018 or 2019 Christmas party in which his sister, Chelsea Sammons, became severely incapacitated while out with friends. Cody received a message from Chelsea’s telephone, written by Gardner, stating that Chelsea was “pretty messed up” and that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana were taking her home.
- Cody went to Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s house and found Chelsea naked in a bathroom with her eyes rolling back. He took her to Baptist Medical Center Beaches.
- Cody said Fernandez Saldana joked about having videos of Chelsea naked on his cellphone. Gardner explained that Chelsea was naked because they were “just trying to get her to feel better.”
- Cody said Fernandez Saldana was highly opinionated and could never admit that he was wrong. He also described John Biggerstaff as a worker Fernandez Saldana brought to a house-flipping project. Biggerstaff performed approximately $12,000 in work but was dismissed after allegedly drinking and storing beer at the job site.
- At 1:00 p.m., Chelsea Sammons participated in a separate audio- and video-recorded interview.
- Chelsea said Fernandez Saldana regularly offered to stretch women or give them massages at Black Hive gym. She considered him “a little bit of a weirdo,” although she did not initially view him as threatening.
- Chelsea recalled going from a Christmas party to Brix in Jacksonville Beach in 2018 or 2019. She remembered arriving at Brix but remembered nothing else until awakening in a hospital. She was told that Fernandez Saldana unexpectedly appeared at the bar and took her to his and Gardner’s home.
- Chelsea said the hospital attributed her condition to excessive alcohol consumption, but she believed it was not caused by alcohol alone. A friend who was with her also believed he might have been drugged but did not seek hospital treatment.
- Chelsea said Fernandez Saldana texted her the following day and told her she should visit the house to watch videos he had recorded of her. He refused to send the videos and told her she would have to watch them at the house.
- Chelsea told Gardner that she felt as though she had been drugged. Gardner responded, “No, that’s not what happened. You just drank too much.”
- Chelsea said another woman, Madison Shire, believed Fernandez Saldana might have drugged her at V Pizza on an earlier occasion. Shire reportedly locked herself in the restaurant bathroom, preventing anything further from occurring.
- Chelsea said people around the gym suspected Fernandez Saldana in Bridegan’s murder because they considered him “creepy.” She said her initial thought was that Fernandez Saldana was involved but later considered whether Gardner, who hated sharing custody with Bridegan, could have hired someone to “do this.”
- Investigators received subscriber information associated with device identifiers detected through a Google geofence warrant covering the area near the crime scene from 6:40 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. on February 16, 2022. The return identified three local subscribers.
- Google reported that it found no responsive device information for the geofence covering Cradle Creek Preserve.
- At 10:29 a.m., detectives conducted an audio-recorded interview at the residence of a former girlfriend of Fernandez Saldana. The report redacted her identity.
- The woman said she met Fernandez Saldana through Tinder around July 2017 and moved into his residence after they dated for about one month. She lived there with Fernandez Saldana and two other people until approximately November 2017.
- The woman characterized Fernandez Saldana as sexually abusive and described an incident in which she said he raped her in a shower after she told him to stop. She also described occasions when he initiated sex while she was sleeping. The witness reported these allegations during the interview, and the document does not indicate that charges resulted from them.
- The woman said she was experiencing financial hardship and believed she had to tolerate Fernandez Saldana’s conduct because she had nowhere else to live. She said his behavior toward her changed after another roommate moved out and she assumed responsibility for that person’s share of the rent.
- Investigators obtained judicial signatures for completed Google geofence warrant returns covering the crime scene from 7:50 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the area before the shooting from 6:40 p.m. to 6:50 p.m., and Cradle Creek Preserve. Investigators added the warrant materials and Google’s returns to the case report.
- Investigators collected elimination DNA swabs from law-enforcement personnel who were inside the immediate crime scene. Investigators collected additional elimination swabs from another officer on March 23 and submitted all samples to the police property room.
- Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler approved a new cellular tower-dump search warrant covering the crime scene and Gardner’s residence on the date of the murder.
- Judge Meredith Charbula signed the cellular tower-dump warrant covering the crime scene and Gardner’s residence. Investigators served the warrant on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
- Investigators prepared another warrant directing Google to disclose subscriber information associated with the remaining device identifiers produced by the geofence warrants.
- Elimination cheek swabs were collected from Detective Steven Currier. Investigators took separate samples from his left and right cheeks and submitted them as evidence. Source
- Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler approved the Google device-identifier warrant, and Judge Jake Schermer signed it. Investigators said the warrant would unmask the remaining device identifiers and disclose the associated cellphone subscribers.
- Investigators served the warrant through Google’s law-enforcement portal under reference number 13931711.
- Investigators collected elimination cheek swabs from six Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel assigned to Station 60. Investigators collected separate samples from each cheek, changed gloves between individuals, and submitted the sealed samples as evidence.
March 28, 2022
- Tenon deposited a $2,000 check written from an account connected to Fernandez Saldana and First Choice Home Rentals.
- A second check for $3,000 was dated March 28, although investigative records indicate it was deposited the following day.
- Investigators described the payments as unusual because Tenon’s account generally contained less than $400 and was frequently overdrawn.
- Fernandez Saldana’s defense later maintained that the checks paid Tenon for legitimate maintenance and handyman work. Source
March 29, 2022
- Tenon deposited the $3,000 check dated March 28.
- The deposit brought the documented payments to Tenon after Bridegan’s killing to $5,000. Source
April 4, 2022
- Tenon deposited another $5,000 check.
- The three checks deposited between March 28 and April 4 totaled $10,000.
- Prosecutors characterize the money as payment for Bridegan’s murder, while Fernandez Saldana’s defense has characterized it as payment for work Tenon performed. Source
- Tenon creates an audio recording discussing a five-thousand-dollar payment clearing at the bank.
- This recording occurs two days after Fernandez’s final check.
- Investigators later use this recording as direct financial evidence of motive and payment.
- Telephone records showed approximately five to seven contacts per month between Tenon and Fernandez Saldana.
- Tenon had reportedly told investigators that he remembered only one contact with Fernandez Saldana after ending the lease. Source
- Fernandez Saldana contacted investigators and said he wanted to speak with them.
- 3:00 p.m., Fernandez Saldana participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview at the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.
- Fernandez Saldana said he and Gardner were experiencing public “backlash” because of Kirsten Bridegan’s media appearances. He said the attention was affecting Gardner’s parents’ business and Gardner’s bakery.
- Fernandez Saldana said people were beginning to accuse Gardner of involvement in the murder.
- “The problem is, I am running out of fucks to give, and I am very petty,” Fernandez Saldana told detectives.
- Fernandez Saldana said he planned to use Facebook Live to “let her have it” because he wanted Kirsten to “shut up.” He said he and Gardner also planned to seek legal counsel.
- Fernandez Saldana asked detectives whether police were directing Kirsten’s public statements.
- Fernandez Saldana said Kirsten was “painting a pretty picture” of her marriage to Bridegan and claimed she was telling people that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana committed the murder and that Gardner’s wealthy parents paid for it.
- Fernandez Saldana said that before Bridegan’s death, Bridegan had a say in decisions involving the children, “but that is over,” and they now only had to deal with Kirsten.
- Fernandez Saldana confirmed that he and Gardner planned to divorce. He said they had married so he could help Gardner care for the children while they were dating.
- Fernandez Saldana said he and Gardner began counseling approximately one year earlier but had different parenting styles.
- Fernandez Saldana said he and Gardner had hoped Bridegan would “push the issue with the therapist” and that “we are just going to shit on him in court so Shanna could gain more time with the kids.”
- When asked whether gaining greater custody would have improved his marriage to Gardner, Fernandez Saldana said, “Not necessarily,” but added that “Jared would have lost his mind.”
- Fernandez Saldana said he would have paid to see Bridegan’s reaction, particularly if Bridegan had been restricted to supervised visitation.
- Fernandez Saldana said the children were “mourning” but not grieving. He said they were doing better because they no longer moved between the two households, although news coverage upset them.
- Fernandez Saldana voluntarily provided a DNA sample and signed a consent form. Investigators collected the buccal swab and submitted it as evidence.
- Gardner arrived at the police department shortly afterward and participated in a separate audio- and video-recorded interview.
- Gardner said she came to provide a DNA sample and wanted to speak with detectives before making any public statement because she did not want to interfere with the investigation.
- Gardner said she wanted privacy and protection for the children and believed much of the public attention was being directed toward her.
- Gardner said Abigail missed her siblings but claimed Kirsten was making communication difficult. Gardner said she was trying to establish boundaries for the children and believed everyone needed to leave the past behind.
- Gardner said she believed Kirsten was attacking her on social media and that negative comments had also been posted on her mother’s blog.
- Gardner said she and Fernandez Saldana decided while in Hawaii to divorce. They planned to wait until summer so the children could finish the school year without another disruption.
- Gardner said Fernandez Saldana would probably remain in the house until July.
- Gardner said the conflict with Bridegan did not cause her planned divorce from Fernandez Saldana. She said they had always been very different and had different parenting styles.
- Gardner said she and Fernandez Saldana married quickly because he offered to help with the children while she worked. She believed Bridegan would not allow Fernandez Saldana around the children unless they were married.
- Gardner said her mother suggested the marriage during a trip to Utah. Shelli Gardner later denied telling Gardner to marry Fernandez Saldana.
- Gardner described the planned divorce as mutual and rational rather than motivated by hatred. She said her parents loved Fernandez Saldana but understood the decision.
- Gardner said Bridegan emptied financial accounts while they were still attempting to repair their marriage. She said the divorce became contentious after he involved her parents.
- Gardner said Bridegan received a substantial amount of money from her family and attempted to obtain part of her inheritance.
- When asked whether her parents resented the money Bridegan received, Gardner replied, “They hated it.” She said her parents believed Bridegan felt entitled to their money.
- Gardner said the financial conflict changed how the prenuptial agreements involving Fernandez Saldana and her sister were drafted.
- Gardner said her parents disliked Bridegan because he hurt her but would never have wanted him killed. She said they were willing to help support Kirsten.
- When asked what she believed happened to Bridegan, Gardner said she did not know. She added that she could not help wondering whether Kirsten had something to do with it.
- Gardner voluntarily signed a consent form and provided buccal swabs, which investigators submitted as evidence.
- Investigators determined from John Biggerstaff’s telephone records that he traveled to Outdoor Adventures at Naval Station Mayport at approximately 1:52 p.m. on February 17, 2022, the day after Bridegan’s murder.
- 12:00 p.m., investigators visited Outdoor Adventures and located Biggerstaff’s sales receipt.
- The receipt showed Biggerstaff rented 40 chairs, five tables, one canopy, four canopy sides and one cooler.
- Investigators removed the DNA samples belonging to Gardner, Fernandez Saldana and Kirsten Bridegan from the police property room and transferred them to ATF Special Agent Mark Mutz for laboratory comparison.
- 1:00 p.m., Lauren Lee John participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview about the children and the co-parenting relationship between Bridegan and Gardner.
- John said she had known the children for approximately four years and that Gardner had placed them in private therapy.
- John said the children attended therapy more frequently than the typical Discovery School student.
- John said the children had spoken very little about the night of the murder. They described the evening as “date night” and said it had been pleasant.
- John said the children had been instructed to keep journals documenting incidents that occurred at Bridegan’s house for their therapist.
- John described Bridegan as the stricter parent.
- John said both households wanted full custody of the children. Bridegan wanted them to attend school in St. Johns County instead of the Discovery School.
- John said both parents complained about the other parent’s parenting style.
- John described Gardner as an “over sharer” and said she did not believe Gardner was involved in Bridegan’s murder.
- John described Fernandez Saldana as reserved and less involved in parent-teacher meetings. She described Bridegan as quiet but condescending during those meetings.
- John said Gardner and Fernandez Saldana had attended couples therapy but were moving forward with their divorce.
- John said Gardner was concerned about how the divorce might affect custody of the children.
- 9:00 a.m., investigators submitted subpoenas concerning Fernandez Saldana, Gardner, Kirsten Bridegan, Jared Bridegan and Biggerstaff.
- 10:30 a.m., Gardner’s longtime friend Kim Jensen arrived at the Jacksonville Beach Police Department for an interview.
- Jensen said she had known Bridegan and his family through church for approximately 20 years but had only known them from a distance before becoming friends with Gardner.
- Jensen said she remained close to Gardner throughout Gardner’s divorce from Bridegan.
- Jensen portrayed Bridegan as reclusive during the marriage and said he rarely interacted with the family when she visited the home.
- Jensen claimed Bridegan quit jobs whenever Gardner sought child support. She said he communicated with Gardner only by text or email after the divorce.
- Jensen said Gardner worked three jobs after her parents stopped financially supporting her.
- Jensen said Bridegan used approximately $150,000 from Gardner’s trust to develop an application and received another $150,000 from Gardner’s parents. She said the application was unsuccessful.
- Jensen said Bridegan continued trying to control Gardner after their divorce and characterized him as a narcissist.
- Jensen said she initially believed Gardner did not need another relationship. She thought Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s quick marriage was unusual but understood that Gardner believed Bridegan would not allow Fernandez Saldana around the children otherwise.
- Jensen said Fernandez Saldana had “good intentions, but poor execution.”
- Jensen said Gardner did not disparage Bridegan to the children, while she believed Bridegan wanted the children to hate Gardner.
- Jensen said Fernandez Saldana was “not the marrying kind,” did not appear to be in love with Gardner and had “Napoleon syndrome.”
- Jensen said Fernandez Saldana occasionally allowed friends to stay at his home but described him as a homebody who did not regularly socialize with anyone.
- Jensen said Gardner called her the day after the murder and told her Bridegan had been shot.
- Jensen speculated that the murder involved money or Bridegan’s association with the Freemasons. She also speculated about Kirsten and accused her of positioning Gardner for a wrongful-death lawsuit.
- When asked about public accusations against Gardner and Fernandez Saldana, Jensen said, “I don’t see it.”
- Jensen said Fernandez Saldana hated Bridegan but had a “cushy life” and would not sacrifice it by killing him.
- Jensen said Gardner would not have remained with Fernandez Saldana if she learned he had participated in the murder because his actions would have endangered the children.
- Jensen said Gardner called her after speaking with detectives and discussed the interview and providing DNA but said the conversation contained nothing unusual.
- 1:00 p.m., investigators returned Bridegan’s Apple Watch and ring to Kirsten Bridegan.
- Kirsten Bridegan provided investigators with two external hard drives, an Apple MacBook Pro, an Apple desktop computer and the accompanying keyboard.
- Kirsten believed the devices belonged to Bridegan before they met.
- Investigators submitted the devices as evidence for delivery to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Unit.
- Justin Bridegan voluntarily signed a consent form and provided a DNA sample through a buccal swab. Investigators submitted the sample as evidence.
- 11:00 a.m., Gardner’s mother, Shelli Gardner, participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview.
- Shelli described Gardner as a “free spirit” and Bridegan as reserved, rigid and reclusive.
- Shelli said Bridegan wanted Gardner to behave and dress in a particular way. She did not believe he was physically abusive but said he raised his voice at Gardner.
- Shelli recalled Bridegan telling Gardner, “You need to be punished, you get to be married to me,” after Gardner announced that she intended to divorce him.
- Shelli said Sterling Gardner confronted Bridegan after hearing the statement, ending the encounter.
- Shelli said Bridegan generally stayed in his room, rarely interacted with the family and left immediately after family dinners.
- Shelli described Bridegan as believing women should be subservient and treated as property.
- Shelli said Bridegan refused to speak directly with Gardner following the divorce and communicated only through texts and emails.
- Shelli said Bridegan told mutual acquaintances that Gardner’s infidelity caused the divorce.
- Shelli said Bridegan received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Gardner family and later attempted to obtain more money through litigation.
- Shelli acknowledged that Gardner may have resented Bridegan receiving the money but said she and Sterling encouraged Gardner to let it go and offered to help her financially.
- Shelli said Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s marriage appeared more like an arrangement between friends than a conventional marriage.
- Shelli denied telling Gardner to marry Fernandez Saldana, stating, “You can’t ever tell Shanna what to do.”
- Shelli said Gardner would have preferred full custody of the children but did not fight for it. She believed Bridegan would have surrendered custody if the family offered him enough money.
- Shelli said she did not know anyone who wanted Bridegan killed. “I don’t like him, but I wouldn’t want this for him,” she said.
- Shelli questioned how Bridegan had obtained enough money to pay off his house and speculated that he might have been involved in something “sinister.” The report contains no evidence supporting that speculation.
- Shelli said Fernandez Saldana’s criminal history did not initially concern her because she considered herself trusting and forgiving. She acknowledged that she might not have known as much about his history as she believed.
- 12:20 p.m., Gardner’s father, Sterling Gardner, participated in a separate audio- and video-recorded interview.
- Sterling said the family created trusts for their sons-in-law to cover educational and living expenses.
- Sterling claimed Bridegan outsourced school assignments and described him as isolated and preoccupied with money.
- Sterling recalled Bridegan speaking enthusiastically about his Freemason ring despite ordinarily being quiet.
- Sterling also recalled Bridegan telling Gardner, “You need to be punished, you get to be married to me.” Sterling said he confronted Bridegan, who immediately backed down.
- Sterling said he arranged to purchase Bridegan’s half of the marital home and paid him $400,000.
- Sterling said Bridegan later attempted to sue the family, which he believed was an effort to obtain money to maintain the lifestyle the Gardners had provided.
- Sterling said the prenuptial agreement between Gardner and Bridegan was intended to protect the Gardner family business.
- Sterling described continuing disputes about child support, schooling and the parenting agreement.
- Sterling said that during mediation, the mediator offered Gardner full custody in exchange for a payment.
- Sterling said he previously maintained a $100,000 life insurance policy on Bridegan, as he did for all his sons-in-law, but Bridegan’s policy lapsed approximately one year before the murder.
- Investigators delivered Bridegan’s Apple desktop computer, MacBook Pro and two external drives to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Unit for examination.
- 1:23 p.m., Black Hive gym owner Brent Parrish participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview.
- Parrish said he met Fernandez Saldana through another worker and hired him to perform maintenance at the gym.
- Parrish said Gardner and Fernandez Saldana met while both were associated with the gym.
- Parrish described Fernandez Saldana as hardworking and said they worked together while constructing new gym locations.
- Parrish said Fernandez Saldana also worked for a private security company that escorted people arriving in Miami.
- Parrish said he did not initially connect Fernandez Saldana, Gardner and Bridegan. He realized the relationship after a friend asked, “So, do you think Mario did it?”
- Parrish said Fernandez Saldana received military disability benefits and was trying to obtain a 100 percent disability rating.
- Parrish said Fernandez Saldana was also trying to have Gardner designated as his caretaker so she could receive military compensation.
- Parrish believed Gardner and Fernandez Saldana’s marriage was legitimate.
- Investigators served subpoenas seeking Biggerstaff’s financial records from Capital One, Regions Bank, VyStar Credit Union and Navy Federal Credit Union.
- Capital One reported that it could not locate an account belonging to Biggerstaff.
- Investigators photographed the interior and exterior of Bridegan’s 2018 Volkswagen for insurance purposes.
- The photographs were copied to a disc and submitted to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department property room.
- Investigators reviewed Biggerstaff’s Google search history and Chrome activity.
- The records showed that at approximately 1:15 a.m. on January 26, 2022, Biggerstaff searched for a “10mm Glock pistol” and a “9mm S&W pistol.”
- Biggerstaff then visited Guns.com and viewed information about a Glock 20 Gen4, a 10 mm handgun.
- Investigators served Guns.com with a subpoena seeking any purchase history associated with Biggerstaff.
- Investigators reported that media files obtained through the Google warrant appeared to show Fernandez Saldana engaged in sexual activity with Maria Biggerstaff at the Biggerstaff residence.
- Investigators requested GPS records from Michael Swapsy’s court-ordered ankle monitor.
- Investigators received Biggerstaff’s Regions Bank records and added them to the case report.
- Returns from USAA and VyStar Credit Union remained outstanding.
- 8:05 a.m., tattoo-shop owner Bradley Byrd participated in a recorded interview about statements Gardner allegedly made during a 2015 appointment. Source
- Byrd said he became friendly with Gardner through discussions about her Mormon background and his experiences living in Utah. He said Gardner discussed her divorce extensively when she invited several tattoo-shop employees for drinks.
- Byrd said Gardner remarked that her life would be easier if someone “would shut her husband up” and asked whether anyone in the group knew someone who “shuts people up.” Byrd did not interpret the statement as a literal request at the time.
- Byrd described Gardner as emotionless and said he had no contact with her after August 2015. He said there was clear animosity between Gardner and Bridegan involving the children, their divorce and Gardner’s status within the church
- Elizabeth Smith provided an audio-recorded statement to the State Attorney’s Office after previously giving detectives information but asking not to be identified. Source
- Smith said she worked with Gardner at a school in 2015 and developed a close friendship with her. Their families frequently spent time together.
- Smith said Gardner told her that Fernandez Saldana offered to obtain four men who would break into Bridegan’s residence during the night, “take care of him and nobody would ever know.”
- Smith said Fernandez Saldana told her, “You know I’ve killed people before,” during a disagreement about how to handle Smith’s child. Smith interpreted the remark as a threat.
- Smith said Gardner told her that she walked in on Fernandez Saldana taking nude photographs of an unidentified woman and receiving erotic massages.
- Smith said Gardner claimed she married Fernandez Saldana because being married would improve her position in the custody dispute and because her parents would give her more money.
- Investigators documented an unexplained six-day trip Fernandez Saldana took shortly after his first police interview. He left Florida on March 2 and traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia before returning on March 6. Source
- The trip began one day after Fernandez Saldana’s March 1 police interview and continued while Abigail and Liam were interviewed by the Child Protection Team on March 4.
- 5:00 a.m., detectives left Jacksonville Beach to investigate Fernandez Saldana’s trip and a Crime Stoppers tip concerning a blue Ford F-150 in Gaffney, South Carolina.
- 7:30 a.m., detectives visited an Enmarket in Pooler, Georgia, where Fernandez Saldana made a transaction on March 3. Surveillance footage was no longer available.
- 2:00 p.m., detectives located a blue Ford F-150 at Bonnie’s Auto Sales in Gaffney. The truck closely resembled the vehicle of interest, except it did not have a toolbox. It also had a spare tire mounted on the front passenger side.
- 3:00 p.m., the dealership owner provided purchase records showing the truck was acquired at an insurance auction on June 14. Investigators inspected the vehicle and determined it was not the truck used in Bridegan’s murder.
- 7:00 p.m., detectives arrived in Clinton, North Carolina, where Fernandez Saldana had remained from approximately 10:00 a.m. on March 3 until approximately 6:00 a.m. on March 4. Investigators did not locate a hotel transaction for that night.
- 7:50 p.m., Walmart provided a receipt and limited surveillance footage showing Fernandez Saldana purchasing toiletries, including body wash. Most of the store’s footage had been corrupted by a system failure.
- 8:15 p.m., detectives confirmed that Fernandez Saldana made what appeared to be a fuel purchase at the Murphy gas station outside the Clinton Walmart. No surveillance footage remained.
- 8:30 p.m., detectives obtained a Ruby Tuesday receipt showing Fernandez Saldana purchased three separate meals totaling $74.54 during his Clinton stop.
- Investigators searched locations in Clinton connected to Fernandez Saldana’s March trip but were unable to obtain additional surveillance footage from a supermarket or McDonald’s. Source
- 1:23 p.m., detectives interviewed Jorge Cruz at his North Carolina residence. Cruz initially denied knowing Fernandez Saldana but acknowledged recognizing him after detectives showed him a photograph. Source
- Cruz said he met Fernandez Saldana online while playing video games and that Fernandez Saldana helped him purchase a white 2008 Toyota Tundra. Cruz said he had visited Fernandez Saldana’s home several times.
- Cruz denied meeting Fernandez Saldana during the March trip despite telephone calls between them on March 3. He said Fernandez Saldana traveled to North Carolina to conduct a “send off” for the children’s father because Gardner’s family was not invited to Bridegan’s funeral.
- Cruz said he overheard Fernandez Saldana and Gardner discussing police coming to their home to speak about Bridegan’s murder while Cruz and Fernandez Saldana were playing video games. Cruz could not establish whether that conversation occurred one day or one week after the murder.
- Detectives interviewed Taylor Lees, who said she met Fernandez Saldana through ROTC and briefly dated him in college. She described him as funny, somewhat manipulative and appearing more educated than he was.
- Lees said Fernandez Saldana described Bridegan as difficult, frustrating and a “piece of work.” He discussed conflicts involving the children’s health and disputes between the two households.
- Lees said Fernandez Saldana unexpectedly contacted her on February 16 and told her Bridegan had been murdered in Jacksonville Beach. She considered the call random because they had not communicated for several weeks.
- Lees said Fernandez Saldana described Bridegan’s murder as a “hit and run.” She did not know about his March trip to North Carolina and said he did not contact her while he was there.
- Lees said Fernandez Saldana told her in early 2021 that he had entered into a contract through Gardner’s family to marry her. He did not explain its terms. Lees speculated that the arrangement involved protecting Gardner from Bridegan.
- Lees described Fernandez Saldana as aggressive because of his military background and as narcissistic, but said she never witnessed him become violent or heard him threaten Bridegan.
- 2:55 p.m., detectives interviewed Jeremy Ordway at the Potomac Avenue property. About five minutes later, Henry Tenon arrived in an older white Ford Crown Victoria. Source
- Tenon removed a metal bowl from the vehicle, filled it with water and placed it near a BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport LT tire leaning against the house. The tire was a 265/60R18, the same size as the tire recovered from the murder scene.
- Ordway said the tire did not belong to him and claimed he found it near the curb in front of the house. He allowed investigators to take it.
- Tenon told detectives that he had rented the Potomac Avenue residence from Fernandez Saldana and paid the rent in cash. He said Fernandez Saldana visited only to collect rent or address problems with the property.
- Tenon said a maintenance worker named John visited the property approximately three times. He described John as a heavyset, bald white man with a bad knee and thin mustache who drove a white Chevrolet Sierra.
- Tenon said he last spoke with Fernandez Saldana in May and had never seen him act violently or aggressively.
- Investigators compared the tire collected from the Potomac Avenue property with the tire recovered beside Bridegan’s body. Source
- Both tires carried the same partial DOT number, “AP80 2T11,” and the manufacturing code “4718,” showing they were manufactured during the 47th week of 2018. Investigators concluded that the tires appeared to match.
- Investigators received an FBI report concerning a human-trafficking investigation involving Biggerstaff, whom police identified as a close associate of Fernandez Saldana. Detectives planned to review the report for information relevant to Bridegan’s murder. Source
- At approximately 12:00 p.m., detectives interviewed Joshua Nunez about his association with Fernandez Saldana. Source
- Nunez said he met Fernandez Saldana in 2011 and worked with him at Black Hive CrossFit from 2018 through 2019. He described Fernandez Saldana as outgoing and said he never saw him become violent or angry.
- Nunez said he had never seen any Fernandez Saldana associate driving a blue Ford F-150.
- Nunez said Gardner and Fernandez Saldana discussed how Gardner and Bridegan were not compatible but told the children to continue loving Bridegan.
- At 11:00 a.m., an evidence technician processed the second BFGoodrich tire collected from the Potomac Avenue property for possible DNA. Source
- Detective Brett Burrell disclosed that he touched the tire without gloves while retrieving it. Investigators collected his elimination DNA before processing the tire.
- The tire was divided into sections A through D. Investigators collected eight DNA samples from its inside and outside surfaces, along with a control sample, while changing gloves between every collection.
- Detectives returned to the Potomac Avenue property and conducted another recorded interview with Ordway. He voluntarily provided a DNA sample. Source
- Ordway said he knew Fernandez Saldana only as his landlord but became friends with Tenon when Tenon lived at the property.
- Ordway initially claimed he did not know how the BFGoodrich tire reached the side of the house. He then said he moved it there after becoming tired of watching it fill with water in the front yard.
- Ordway said Tenon inherited a blue Ford F-150 from his father. After seeing a photograph of a blue 2004 Ford F-150 Lariat with tan lower trim and a metal toolbox, Ordway replied, “Yea, that’s it.”
- Ordway said the truck stopped running and remained at Twins Food Store for approximately two weeks before being moved to an unidentified nearby repair yard.
- Police identified the vehicle as a blue-and-tan 2004 Ford F-150 Crew Cab registered to Henry Tenon Sr. License-plate-reader photographs and video from the day of the murder appeared to match it to the vehicle of interest.
- Investigators entered the F-150 into state and national databases as a felony vehicle.
- Detectives searched the streets, repair shops, storage facilities and salvage businesses surrounding the Potomac Avenue property but did not locate Tenon’s truck. Source
- At approximately 2:00 p.m., detectives searched the Arbor Place Apartments after cellular-location data showed Fernandez Saldana’s telephone in that area on the day before Bridegan’s murder. Tenon’s truck was not found. Source
- A maintenance employee said he had occasionally seen a truck matching Tenon’s F-150 in the parking lot but did not believe its driver lived at the complex. Police had not identified any case-related person residing there.
- At approximately 10:30 a.m., investigators transferred the recently collected DNA samples to ATF Special Agent Mark Mutz for laboratory testing. Source
- Investigators searched eight locations associated with Tenon but did not find either his blue-and-tan F-150 or the white Crown Victoria he was driving. Source
- 10:00 a.m., investigators met with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection pilot at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Source
- 11:40 a.m., investigators flew by helicopter to the Big Cypress Hunt Club in Fargo, Georgia, to search for Tenon’s blue-and-tan Ford F-150. The truck was not found.
- 12:00 p.m., investigators received T-Mobile location records for Tenon’s telephone covering January 1 through July 27.
- The records showed that Tenon’s telephone received a call from Ordway at 9:18 p.m. on February 16 and another incoming call from an unidentified number at 9:23 p.m. Both calls used a Jacksonville Beach cellular tower.
- Investigators determined that Tenon’s F-150 was recorded by a license-plate reader near 103rd Street and Ricker Road at approximately 4:12 p.m. on April 2. This was the truck’s last known license-plate-reader detection. Source
- 1:06 p.m. that same day, the F-150 was serviced at Discount Tire. Two new tires were installed on the front axle. Tenon retained one removed tire while Discount Tire discarded the other.
- Investigators requested a Customs and Border Protection flyover of another Jacksonville property associated with Tenon to locate the truck.
- 4:20 p.m., investigators obtained Discount Tire records for two vehicles associated with Tenon. Source
- The April 2 receipt documented two new 265/60R18 tires for the 2004 Ford F-150. The store manager said the customer retained the tire removed from the driver’s side.
- A second receipt showed that two new tires were purchased for the white Ford Crown Victoria on April 23.
- Customs and Border Protection conducted a flyover of the Jacksonville property associated with Tenon. No blue-and-tan F-150 was seen at or near the residence. Source
- Investigators discovered that the disc submitted as evidence did not contain Ordway’s July 26 interview recording. Investigators copied the correct recording to a new disc and submitted it to the property room. Source
- 5:30 a.m., detectives contacted Ordway after Tenon was arrested during an unrelated traffic stop. Ordway agreed to take possession of Tenon’s dog. Source
- Detectives told Ordway that Tenon’s truck had been used in Bridegan’s murder. Ordway admitted, “I took Henry to go get that truck when his dad died.”
- Ordway said he gave Tenon $1,000 in March to repair the truck’s blown engine. He said a tow truck later returned the truck to the Potomac Avenue property, and Tenon never repaid him.
- When asked why he had been reluctant to discuss the truck previously, Ordway said he did not want to volunteer someone else’s life story or become involved in the investigation.
- Ordway acknowledged calling Tenon at 9:18 p.m. on the night of the murder but said he could not remember what they discussed.
- Ordway said Tenon usually possessed two cellphones. One of the other lines on Tenon’s plan belonged to Janie Deal, who was listed in Fernandez Saldana’s contacts as “Penut.”
- 7:13 a.m., Tenon participated in an audio- and video-recorded interview after being advised of his Miranda rights.
- Tenon said he inherited the 2004 F-150 from his father, drove it until it stopped working and later sold it for parts in a cash transaction. He could not identify the buyer.
- Tenon initially claimed the truck broke down in February. When shown its April license-plate-reader detection and tire receipt, he acknowledged keeping it until about a month after the new tires were installed.
- Tenon initially said Ordway was the only person permitted to use the truck without Tenon being present. He claimed Ordway borrowed it twice during daytime hours.
- Tenon said he was at a barbecue restaurant near Beach Boulevard after 5:00 p.m. on February 16 but was not inside the truck when it was used near the murder scene.
- When initially asked who possessed the truck during the murder, Tenon said he did not know. He denied that Fernandez Saldana had it and claimed his telephone “must have gone dead.”
- Tenon then claimed a person named “Danny,” who had performed work for Fernandez Saldana, borrowed the truck. Tenon said “Danny” knew a key was ordinarily left in the ignition.
- Tenon said a person in a green SUV later told him where the truck had been left. He claimed he recovered it from a plaza near TacoLu between approximately 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
- Tenon acknowledged that a tire was missing from the truck after it was returned. Referring to the tire found at the murder scene, he said it was one of his rims and tires and described it as “fucked up.”
- Tenon gave differing explanations for why “Danny” borrowed the vehicle, including moving tile or other materials and repossessing a vehicle.
- When asked whether he feared for his children’s and grandchildren’s safety, Tenon answered, “Pretty much, and wellbeing.” He then said, “There ain’t anything else I can give ya, and I think I need an attorney.”
- 7:19 a.m., detectives interviewed Janie Deal, who said she had known Tenon for more than 20 years and previously dated him.
- Deal initially mentioned only Tenon’s Crown Victoria and bicycle. When specifically asked about a truck, she acknowledged that Tenon inherited a blue F-150 from his father.
- Deal said the truck had front-bumper damage that Tenon attributed to hitting a pole. She had seen the truck at Potomac Avenue several times before it stopped running.
- Deal said Tenon allowed other people to borrow the truck but did not know their identities. She said the truck had sentimental value because it belonged to his father and did not believe he would simply discard it.
- Deal said Tenon ordinarily carried two cellphones, one for personal use and one for work.
- 8:45 a.m., Ordway gave investigators the keys to Tenon’s Ford truck. Investigators submitted the truck keys as evidence.
- Investigators obtained a search warrant for Tenon’s cellphone and delivered it to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Laboratory. The laboratory could not download it.
- 8:00 a.m., investigators submitted the plastic restraints Tenon wore during the previous day’s interview and a disposable coffee cup he used as evidence. Source
- Biggerstaff voluntarily provided a DNA sample during his recorded police interview. His two buccal swabs were sealed and submitted as evidence. Source
- Investigators served a warrant for Tenon’s DNA at the Duval County Pretrial Detention Facility. Tenon’s attorney was present, received a copy of the warrant and observed the collection. Source
- 12:30 p.m., detectives interviewed mobile mechanic Alfredo Veguilla Fontanez after finding his business card in Tenon’s possession.
- Veguilla Fontanez said he had not worked on a blue Ford F-150 and did not recognize photographs of Tenon, Biggerstaff, Fernandez Saldana or Daniel Holmes.
- Investigators processed Tenon’s Ford truck keys for touch DNA. Three evidence samples and one control sample were collected and submitted to the property room. Source
- The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Unit completed its examination of Bridegan’s work MacBook. Investigators reported that the keyword search produced nothing connected to the murder investigation. Source
- 5:00 p.m., detectives searched locations identified through Tenon’s T-Mobile location data and contacted mechanic Clarence Broderick. Source
- Broderick recalled working on a blue F-150 belonging to a tall Black man who traveled with a dog and said he inherited the truck from his deceased father in Georgia. The description matched Tenon.
- Broderick said the truck needed a replacement engine, but its owner insisted that replacing the oil pump would solve the problem.
- Broderick said the owner later drove the truck to Twins Food Store, where it remained for an unknown period. He did not know where it went afterward.
- 2:34 p.m., investigators shipped Tenon’s cellphone to Cellebrite Advanced Services in New Jersey because conventional forensic tools could not download it. The signed search warrant accompanied the device. Source
- Investigators received AT&T toll records for Biggerstaff covering June 15 through August 23 and for Ordway covering July 15 through August 23. Source
- First Premier Bank advised investigators that it would not honor the out-of-state subpoena seeking records associated with one of Tenon’s credit cards.
- 12:00 p.m., Judge S. Mitchell signed a warrant authorizing police to search the Potomac Avenue residence formerly occupied by Tenon and then occupied by Ordway and other tenants. Source
- The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office completed a forensic examination of Bridegan’s personal computer and two portable storage devices. Investigators reported that nothing relevant to the murder investigation was found.
- ATF and JBPD executed a search warrant at Tenon’s residence.
- Evidence seized includes:
- Phone labeled as TENON 2
- Work boots matching boots seen on surveillance
- Clothing
- A safe containing two thousand dollars in cash
- Digital download captures conversations about money and payments.
- 3:52 p.m. Detectives initiated a controlled call to Fernandez Saldana. Source
- During the call, he was informed that ATF agents had searched the Potomac Avenue property.
- Fernandez Saldana asked whether the caller had received contact information or a copy of the warrant.
- He also asked what investigators had removed from the residence.
- When asked why the property had been searched, Fernandez Saldana replied that he did not know and said, “It does not make sense.”
- 3:58 p.m. The controlled call ended. Source
- Investigators call Fernandez and inform him of the search.
- Fernandez immediately asks what was taken.
- He says the situation does not make sense and apologizes.
- Call ends after six minutes.
- Forensic evidence, financial transactions, device data, and location mapping all converge.
- Tenon becomes the central physical actor in the murder-for-hire plot.
- Investigators also uncover his role as the shooter.
- 4:00 p.m., investigators received Tenon’s financial records and found a June 8 payment for vehicle transport. Telephone records showed Tenon communicated with Rivers Auto Transport on June 7. Source
- Investigators compared the transport information with Tenon’s cellular-location data and identified a University Street property as a possible location for the missing F-150.
- An ATF agent visited the property and found Tenon’s blue-and-tan 2004 Ford F-150 parked at the rear of the yard. The vehicle and Georgia license plate were visible from the street.
- Detectives obtained a warrant for the property. Resident Jimmy Clay Jones Jr. also consented to officers searching the yard and removing the truck.
- Jones said he and Tenon had been friends for approximately 10 to 15 years. He denied knowing Fernandez Saldana, Ordway or Biggerstaff.
- Jones said Tenon asked to store the F-150 in his yard for several months while saving money for repairs. Tenon picked up Jones in the white Crown Victoria and drove him to an unidentified location where the truck was stored.
- Tenon drove the F-150 while Jones followed in the Crown Victoria. The truck stopped running on Jones’s street, and the men used the Crown Victoria to push it into the yard.
- Jones said he repeatedly called Tenon and asked him to remove the truck, but the calls went to voicemail.
- Evidence technicians photographed the F-150 where it was found. Tall grass around and beneath the tires suggested it had remained there for an extended period.
- The truck was locked and had visible front-bumper damage. Investigators observed two different tire models, a beer can, a kitchen knife and other items in the bed. Tools and a box for steel-toed boots were visible inside the cab.
- Investigators sealed the vehicle before it was towed to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department’s secure property lot for forensic processing.
- Tenon’s PNC Bank records showed three checks from First Choice Home Rentals LLC, a company owned by Fernandez Saldana and Gardner.
- First Choice Home Rentals issued two checks to Tenon dated March 28, one for $2,000 and another for $3,000. A third check for $5,000 was dated April 4. All three checks were deposited into Tenon’s account.
- Investigators began processing Tenon’s recovered Ford F-150 in a secure police property lot. A tarp covered the vehicle, and the evidence tape across its doors remained intact. Source
- The truck’s cab contained numerous boxes, documents, and tools. Investigators divided the interior into numbered sections, photographed the contents and collected items considered potentially relevant.
- Evidence technicians returned to the Ford F-150 to document and collect its spare tire. Source
- The trace-evidence vacuum filters used on the F-150’s front and rear seats were formally submitted to the police property room. Source
- Investigators attached the Potomac Avenue search warrant and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office forensic report concerning Bridegan’s personal computer and external drives to the case record. Source
- Investigators also received a forensic disc containing data from Ordway’s Motorola cellphone, which he had voluntarily authorized police to search.
January 24, 2023
- A judge signed an arrest warrant accusing Tenon of participating in Bridegan’s murder.
- The affidavit identified the blue Ford F-150, Tenon’s connection to Fernandez Saldana, telephone contacts and bank records as evidence supporting probable cause. Source
- Arrest: Henry Tenon, a 61-year-old former tenant of Mario Fernandez Saldana, is arrested.
- Charges: Second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact.
- Breakthrough: Authorities say Tenon’s arrest came after forensic and electronic evidence, combined with witness statements, linked him to the crime.
- Phone and Vehicle Evidence: Phone data allegedly placed Tenon near the crime scene at the time of the murder. He was also seen driving a Ford F-150 truck, later tied to the crime through witness tips and forensic analysis.
January 26, 2023
- Tenon appeared before a judge following the announcement of the murder charges.
- The court ordered him held without bond on the murder charge. Source
- 4:51 p.m. ATF agents, Jacksonville Beach police officers and West Richland police officers executed a federal search warrant at Gardner’s Washington residence.
- The warrant authorized searches of Gardner, her home and her vehicle.
- Investigators detained Gardner while executing the warrant.
- Gardner’s mother, Shelli Gardner, remained in the home’s office with the twins and their dog.
- When an agent said investigators were searching for phones, one of the twins responded, “Like burner phones?”
- The child said Gardner kept her “important” electronics in her bedroom closet and indicated they were stored “up above.”
- Investigators seized a Wingtech Revvl V phone, Acer laptop, tablet, two Apple MacBooks and a T-Mobile SIM card from the residence.
- Investigators seized an Apple iPhone and Apple Watch from Gardner.
- Plea: Tenon pleads guilty to second-degree murder as part of a cooperation agreement with the prosecution.
- Agreement: In exchange for his plea and truthful testimony against Mario Fernandez Saldana and Shanna Gardner, Tenon avoids a possible death sentence.
- Sentence: 15 years to life in prison, with potential leniency based on cooperation.
March 16, 2023
- Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as part of a cooperation agreement with prosecutors.
- He admitted under oath that he was the person who shot Bridegan.
- The agreement required Tenon to provide truthful information and testimony in the prosecutions of Fernandez Saldana and Shanna Gardner.
- Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining counts and not pursue a possible death sentence against him.
- The negotiated sentencing range was 15 years to life, with the final sentence deferred until prosecutors evaluated his cooperation.
- Tenon was not sentenced to 15 years on this date. Source
- Third Arrest: Shanna Gardner, Jared’s ex-wife, is arrested in Washington state after a grand jury indictment.
- Charges: First-degree murder, conspiracy, solicitation, and child abuse.
- Extradition: Gardner is extradited to Florida. Prosecutors also seek the death penalty.
- The court scheduled Gardner and Fernandez Saldana to stand trial together in October 2025.
- Both defendants continued to plead not guilty to the charges.
January 13, 2025
- During a routine hearing before Circuit Judge London Kite, Tenon attempted to discuss his previous testimony.
- Tenon twice used the words “false testimony” and asked for a different attorney.
- Judge Kite stopped him from making additional statements in open court and directed him to speak with his lawyer.
- The remarks raised questions about whether Tenon intended to repudiate his confession or cooperation testimony, but he did not fully explain during the hearing. Source
- Tenon told the court that the testimony he had provided against Gardner and Fernandez Saldana was false.
- He asked the court to appoint a new attorney to represent him.
- Tenon later withdrew his claim that he had provided false testimony, but questions remained about whether he would continue cooperating with prosecutors.
- Recantation: Henry Tenon reportedly recants key parts of his confession, claiming he was pressured into implicating Fernandez and Gardner.
- Impact: Raises significant concerns about the prosecution’s case and credibility of testimony.
- Public Report: Media outlets publish contradictions between Tenon’s sworn statements and the prosecutor’s narrative.
- Legal Uncertainty: Defense motions to dismiss or limit charges increase.
April 16, 2025
- Tenon returned to court approximately three months after making the “false testimony” remarks. Source
- Judge Kite asked whether any issue concerning his attorney or testimony needed to be addressed.
- The hearing did not produce an immediate withdrawal of Tenon’s guilty plea.
- The court postponed the joint trial of Gardner and Fernandez Saldana.
- The court rescheduled the trial for August 2026.
- Trial Start: Jury selection scheduled to begin in the joint capital murder trial of Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez Saldana.
- Prosecutors: Continue to pursue the death penalty for both defendants.
- Henry Tenon: A former tenant of Mario Fernandez Saldana, Tenon was arrested in January 2023. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against the other suspects. Tenon was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- Mario Fernandez Saldana: The husband of Shanna Gardner, Jared’s ex-wife. Arrested in March 2023, he faces charges including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse. He has pleaded not guilty.
- Shanna Gardner: Jared’s ex-wife, arrested in August 2023 and indicted on the same charges as her husband. Prosecutors allege she orchestrated the murder due to a contentious divorce and custody battle. Gardner has pleaded not guilty.
- Recantation Letter: Tenon writes to the court and his attorneys, claiming:
- His confession was made under duress.
- Investigators pressured him to implicate Fernandez and Gardner.
- He did not know them and was not involved in a conspiracy.
- Impact: The recantation raises serious concerns about the credibility of the prosecution’s case and triggers new defense motions.
- Prosecutorial Response: Prosecutors dispute the recantation, suggesting it may be a tactical move or the result of pressure or rethinking. They continue to present circumstantial and financial evidence tying Tenon to the plot.
- Digital Forensics: Cell phone records placing him near the murder scene.
- Vehicle: Eyewitness descriptions and surveillance footage tied his truck to the area.
- Financial Records: Payments from a company linked to Fernandez Saldana.
- Text Messages: While investigators found no direct texts between Tenon and Gardner, they allege Tenon communicated through Fernandez.
- Guilty Plea and Testimony: His initial detailed confession supported prosecutors’ theory of a planned, paid hit.
- Surveillance Footage: Places a vehicle linked to Tenon near the scene.
- Cell Tower Data: Places Tenon’s phone near Jared’s murder scene during the time of the killing.
- Payment Records: Financial transactions from businesses tied to Fernandez were traced to Tenon.
- Witness Statements: Several witnesses allegedly described Tenon discussing the plot beforehand, though this has not been confirmed in court.
February 13, 2026
- Tenon filed a motion asking the court to permit him to withdraw his guilty plea. Source
- The motion stated that he no longer intended to testify against Gardner or Fernandez Saldana.
- Tenon asked to proceed to trial and enter a plea of not guilty.
February 17, 2026
- Tenon told Judge Kite, “I want a trial.” Source
- Judge Kite granted his motion to withdraw the 2023 guilty plea.
- The court record was changed to reflect not-guilty pleas.
- Withdrawal of the plea eliminated the cooperation agreement and reopened Tenon’s case for prosecution.
March 2026
- A Duval County grand jury indicted Tenon on first-degree murder, child abuse and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Source
- The earlier conspiracy and accessory-after-the-fact counts were dropped or abandoned.
- Tenon faced prosecution as an individual defendant rather than as a cooperating witness awaiting sentencing.
March 23, 2026
- Tenon’s defense asked the court to suppress statements he made while negotiating and completing the former plea agreement. Source
- The defense argued that statements connected to plea negotiations could not be introduced against him after the agreement was withdrawn.
- Prosecutors argued that at least one sworn statement was made after the agreement had been finalized and after Tenon waived applicable protections.
May 26, 2026
- Judge Kite ruled that prosecutors could not introduce Tenon’s statements from the preliminary proffer and plea-negotiation stage. Source
- The judge allowed prosecutors to use a separate sworn statement Tenon made under oath at the State Attorney’s Office.
- The court found that Tenon knowingly waived his rights before giving the sworn statement.
- The ruling permits the state to use portions of Tenon’s former account during his trial even though his guilty plea was withdrawn.
June 17, 2026
- Judge Kite initially scheduled Tenon’s jury trial to begin March 29, 2027. Source
- Attorneys estimated the trial would take about one week, although the court reserved two weeks.
- A final pretrial hearing was initially scheduled for March 22, 2027.
August 26, 2026
- A Duval County jury found Fernandez Saldana guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in Bridegan’s killing. Source
- Tenon did not testify at Fernandez Saldana’s trial because he had withdrawn his cooperation plea.
- Prosecutors instead presented the financial, telephone, vehicle, tire, DNA, and surveillance evidence developed during the investigation.
August 27, 2026
- Judge Kite postponed Gardner’s trial and announced that Gardner and Tenon would be tried together in May 2027. Source
- The revised schedule superseded the previously announced March 29, 2027 trial date for Tenon.
- Jury selection is scheduled to begin May 3, 2027, with testimony expected to begin May 10.
- Both defendants maintain not-guilty pleas.
May 3, 2027
- Jury selection is currently scheduled to begin in the joint trial of Henry Tenon and Shanna Gardner. Source
- Tenon is expected to face first-degree murder, child-abuse, and felon-in-possession charges unless the indictment or trial schedule changes before trial.
Records
Records
Case Records
Henry Tenon case records and related files in the Murder of Jared Bridegan
Henry Tenon Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
Henry Tenon Photo Gallery
Case visual records.
