DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Henry Tenon, the accused gunman in the Jared Bridegan murder‑for‑hire case, has withdrawn a 2023 guilty plea and filed to suppress statements he made to prosecutors during plea negotiations.
Tenon initially pleaded guilty March 16, 2023, to second‑degree murder with a weapon under a deal that required him to testify against alleged co‑conspirators Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez and carried a sentencing range beginning at 15 years.
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He recanted that testimony in January 2025 and later sought new counsel.
On Feb. 17, 2026, Judge London Kite allowed Tenon to withdraw his plea; prosecutors did not oppose the motion. Tenon has since been indicted on first‑degree murder, child abuse and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The defense filed a motion on Thursday seeking suppression of a sworn March 15, 2023, interview at the State Attorney’s Office, arguing the statements were made during active plea negotiations and are inadmissible under Florida law.
Investigators allege Tenon ambushed and killed 33‑year‑old Jared Bridegan in February 2022 as part of a murder‑for‑hire plot. They say Fernandez paid Tenon about $10,000.
Bridegan’s toddler was in the vehicle but unharmed.
Tenon’s pretrial hearing is set for March 23; Gardner and Fernandez remain indicted with jury selection scheduled for Aug. 10.