Mario Fernandez Saldana: Man found guilty of Microsoft manager's Florida murder; could he get death penalty?

A jury has found Mario Fernandez Saldana guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in the shooting death of St. Augustine father of four Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach. Fernandez Saldana is the first of the three defendants in the case to stand trial, First Coast News reported.Mario Fernandez Saldana reacts after the guilty verdict in his trial at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla., on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Corey Perrine/The Florida Times-Union via AP, Pool) (Corey Perrine/Pool The Florida T)Fernandez Saldana, 38, is accused of helping orchestrate the murder of the Microsoft manager. Prosecutors said that Bridegan, 33, was ambushed on a Florida road and shot execution-style.The murderBridegan was killed in Jacksonville Beach in February 2022 while returning home from dropping off his twins at his ex-wife's home, according to prosecutors. He was shot dead after getting out of his vehicle to move a tire that was in the road. His two-year-old daughter he shared with his second wife was in her car seat, per authorities."Truth was seen in that courtroom -- the jury saw that truth and they acted accordingly … and I am grateful for that," Jared Bridegan's widow, Kirsten Bridegan, told reporters after the verdict, according to ABC News."Justice has been served in part, and we look forward to the rest of justice being served," she said.Also Read | Why is Luigi Mangione not facing death penalty for Brian Thompson's murder? The ‘key’ legal twist explainedFernandez Saldana was married to Bridegan's ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, at the time of the murder. He is one of three people charged with the Bridegan's murder. According to prosecutors, he and Gardner were the "architects" of the fatal shooting. They also said that the third person charged – Fernandez-Saldana's former tenant Henry Tenon – fired the gun.According to prosecutors, Fernandez Saldana solicited Tenon to commit the shooting, alleging that he was in frequent contact with Tenon in the months leading up to the shooting and even gave him at least $10,000 afterward. Prosecutors also claimed that Fernandez Saldana helped procure the gun used in the shooting.According to Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler, all the evidence combined suggested that Fernandez Saldana was involved in the murder-for-hire plot, which followed "years of animosity" and a "high-conflict" custody dispute over Bridegan and Gardner's twins. However, defense attorney Jesse Dreicer argued that Fernandez Saldana had no motive."Mario Fernandez had no motive, he had no desire, he had no reason and he certainly gained no benefit from the death of Jared Bridegan," Dreicer said during his closing argument.Also Read | Luigi Mangione update: Could he get life in prison? Does New York allow the death penalty? ExplainedFernandez Saldana pleaded not guilty. He did not testify in his own defense.Could Mario Fernandez Saldana get the death penalty?Since first-degree murder in Florida is a capital felony, it carries a mandatory life sentence or prosecutors can also seek the death penalty. However, the state has not opted for the death penalty in Fernandez Saldana's case, so he is set to receive life in prison. He will be back in court on October 5 at 9 am to receive a sentencing date.Prosecutors told jurors that Tenon, 65, was not available as a witness in the case. Initially, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was listed as a testifying co-defendant in Fernandez Saldana and Gardner's trials. However, he later withdrew his plea and let his counsel know that he will not testify, according to a court filing. He is scheduled to go on trial next year.Gardner, 39, moved to Washington in the wake of the murder. She was arrested in the state in August 2023, and has pleaded not guilty. She is set to go on trial in September.