Florida jury convicts man in ambush killing of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan
A Florida jury on Wednesday convicted Mario Fernandez Saldana of first-degree murder in the 2022 roadside killing of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan. Juro...
A Florida jury on Wednesday convicted Mario Fernandez Saldana of first-degree murder in the 2022 roadside killing of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan. Jurors in Duval County also found him guilty of solicitation to commit a capital felony.
Fernandez Saldana was ordered back to court on Oct. 5, when a sentencing date will be set. He is married to Bridegan’s ex-wife.
Roadside ambush in Jacksonville Beach
Investigators said Bridegan, 33, was shot at close range in February 2022 in Jacksonville Beach after he stopped his car to move a tire from a dark road. His 2-year-old daughter was in the back seat at the time and was not hurt.
The killing jolted a case that prosecutors have described as a targeted ambush. Bridegan was a Microsoft design manager and had been driving home when the tire in the road forced him to get out of his vehicle. The scene was dark. Quiet. And deadly.
What the jury decided
The verdict marks a major step in a case that has stretched on for more than four years. Fernandez Saldana’s conviction follows allegations that Bridegan’s killing was arranged by people close to him, turning a family dispute into a murder investigation with national attention.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the murder was personal and planned, not random. They said the tire was placed to lure Bridegan into stopping on a road where he would be exposed to attack. Fernandez Saldana faced charges tied to both the killing and the planning behind it.
The court had previously set aside time for the next stage of the case after the jury’s decision. On Oct. 5, Fernandez Saldana will return for sentencing scheduling, a step that typically comes after a guilty verdict in a first-degree murder trial.
A case still moving through court
Fernandez Saldana is not the only defendant linked to the killing. Bridegan’s former wife, Shanna Gardner, was arrested in 2023 in Washington and has separately faced charges including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit murder and child abuse. She has pleaded not guilty.
Her trial is set for September, according to reports from the case. The prosecution has tied the killing to years of conflict after the marriage, including disputes over religion and how the children should be raised.
For Bridegan’s family, the verdict on Wednesday brought one courtroom chapter to a close. Another waits just ahead. Oct. 5 is next.
