JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There has been a major development in the high-profile Jared Bridegan murder-for-hire case.
Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her estranged husband, Mario Fernandez, are both under indictment for first-degree murder and other charges in connection with Bridegan’s shooting death in February 2022.
Prosecutors allege the couple orchestrated the death of the 33-year-old father of four because Gardner was tired of sharing custody of her twin children with Bridegan.
Both Gardner and Fernandez have each pleaded not guilty.
Now, Fernandez’s defense team is pushing to get detailed answers from the state’s key witness—before he ever testifies under oath.
Fernandez’s attorneys filed an eight-page motion trying to get answers—on paper—from the man they called “the most crucial State’s witness”: admitted gunman Henry Tenon, who was once one of Fernandez’s tenants.
Tenon has pleaded guilty to shooting the 33-year-old father of four and agreed to testify against Gardner and Fernandez, but earlier this year, he claimed parts of his story were false, putting his credibility front and center.
Even before his deposition, the defense wants Tenon to answer eight multi-part questions, including how much money he was allegedly promised, how any payment was made, and details surrounding his role in the killing.
Gene Nichols, an attorney not involved in the case, said it’s a move usually used in civil cases, and the goal is efficiency—and clarity.
“He’s using the same thought process to say, hey, without having to take too much time in depositions and hearings and the like, let’s hone in on the issues,” Nichols said.
He said Tenon’s answers could narrow down for the defense exactly what Tenon has told prosecutors. He said it’s a strategic play—but one the state is unlikely to welcome.
“I think it’s a smart plan by the defense to try and get these answers before they walk into a deposition,” Nichols said. “(But) the state of Florida is going to object. They’re going to come back and say no. Why will be very interesting. We do not see their why yet, but presumably they are not going to want to have Henry Tenon boxed in with answers prior to his deposition.”
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Nichols said it’s a waiting game to see how the state responds to the motion and how Tenon’s previous claim that his guilty plea was false will factor in.
“This is the attempt for the defense without necessarily sitting down at a deposition to find out exactly what Henry Tenon has told the state,” he said. “There’s no doubt that whether or not he’s withdrawing his plea, if he does or if he doesn’t, this is going to probably bring that to the surface relatively quickly.”
The State Attorney’s Office had not responded to requests for comment on the recent motion.
All this comes as prosecutors have already made a major shift—dropping the death penalty against Fernandez and Gardner, a decision supported by Bridegan’s widow and family.
Several key dates are approaching in the case. Tenon’s next status hearing is set for Jan. 12, followed by a pretrial hearing for Fernandez and Gardner on Feb. 6. The trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 17.
Alleged murder-for-hire scheme
Bridegan was gunned down outside his SUV on Feb. 16, 2022, after he stopped to move a tire that was blocking the road.
He was taking his normal route home after dropping off the twins he shared with Gardner at her Jacksonville Beach home.
In September, the State Attorney’s Office provided new insight into the chaotic moments surrounding Bridegan’s shooting.
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Multiple 911 calls on the night of the shooting captured varying perspectives of the incident, with witnesses reporting gunshots and an SUV stopped in the road with a man lying outside and a young girl inside.
According to police reports, Tenon, fired four shots, two hit Bridegan and two hit the SUV, narrowly missing Bridegan’s daughter, who was a toddler at the time.