JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Henry Tenon, the man who pleaded guilty to pulling the trigger in the 2022 murder-for-hire killing of Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach, is now seeking to withdraw his guilty plea.
This unexpected move could significantly impact the prosecution’s case against Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez, who are accused of orchestrating the murder.
Tenon submitted a three-page motion to withdraw his plea on Friday morning, but the document offers little explanation beyond his refusal to testify against Gardner and Fernandez. He has not claimed coercion, threats, misunderstanding of his rights, or any other common reasons for reversing a plea.
Instead, Tenon simply stated he no longer wants to participate in the deal he originally entered.
Gene Nichols, an attorney not involved in the case but familiar with legal proceedings, described this development as a major issue for the state of Florida.
“Their key witness is now saying I am not going to get on the stand and I don’t care what happens to me,” Nichols said, explaining that Tenon’s decision to back out of testifying throws a significant wrench into the state’s plans.
“Knowing that Tenon is a huge lynchpin and he is a part of blaming the other two, and if he’s not going to get up on the stand to blame the other, it’s definitely going to cause the state to have to pivot a tremendous amount,” he said.
Under the original plea deal, Tenon faced a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. If the court allows him to withdraw his plea, Nichols noted that Tenon could be exposing himself to a life sentence without the benefit of a deal.
Nichols also offered insight into why defendants sometimes reverse their pleas.
“People don’t want to go to prison when everybody knows that they’ve testified against others. And so that could be one of the reasons. He could have a change of heart. He could have a change of mind. He may have given a statement that wasn’t true in the first place. We just don’t know at this point in time,” Nichols said.
Tenon has yet to sit for a deposition, and defense attorneys are seeking more information from him. The case remains fluid as the court prepares to consider Tenon’s motion.
A status hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17 at 9 a.m. Tenon’s current attorney has not responded to requests for comment, and the state attorney’s office deferred questions about the motion to the upcoming hearing.
The Justice For Jared Bridegan Instagram account posted a series of stories about Tenon’s plea withdrawal, concluding with the message, “We remain unwavering. Be still & know that I am God.”
The account did not respond to interview requests.