The man charged with murdering Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan in front of his 2-year-old daughter was a regular contractor for his ex-wife’s new hubby, according to the accused killer’s roommate.
Henry Tenon — accused by cops of gunning down the 33-year-old father-of-four — routinely performed work at several rental properties owned by Mario Fernandez, the former roommate told The Post.
Fernandez is now married to Shanna Gardner-Fernandez who had been locked in a bitter divorce and custody dispute with Bridegan since 2016.
Tenon’s former roommate also described Tenon, 61 — a convicted felon — as a quiet and hardworking man who often helped out his ailing father who lived next door before he recently passed away.
“Henry seemed like a quiet guy, up early every morning for work, just doing his thing,” the roommate said.
“I know he did little jobs for Mario here and there when he asked him to.”
Gardner-Fernandez is pictured with her new husband, Mario Fernandez.
Gardner-Fernandez headed to Washington state without her husband.
He recalled four separate police visits to their Jacksonville home after Tenon was arrested on unrelated charges last August.
“They kicked the door down one time,” he said. “They turned the whole place over. They were looking for a gun, his truck, they took all of his clothes.”
What we know about the Jared Bridegan murder case
Software engineer Jared Bridegan was gunned down in front of his 2-year-old daughter in Jacksonville, Florida, on Feb. 16, 2022.
Officers said the 33-year-old was shot several times at close range and are calling the crime a “targeted” murder.
Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, moved 2,800 miles across the country soon after the shooting and “distanced” herself from her second husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana.
She and Saldana remained suspects in the case until March 16, 2023, when Saldana was arrested in connection to the fatal shooting.
Saldana is accused of planning Bridegan’s murder with a former tenant, Henry Tenon, and was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse. Saldana pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Tenon pleaded guilty to charges related to Bridegan’s murder.
Gardner-Fernandez was recently arrested in Washington state and charged in connection to the killing.
She will be extradited to Duval County and also face conspiracy, solicitation and child abuse charges.
“Shanna Gardner’s indictment acknowledges her central and key role in the cold, calculated and premeditated murder of Jared Bridegan,” State Attorney Melissa Nelson said at a press conference after her arrest.
Prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty in the case.
The roommate said he was taken in for questioning and grilled for four hours about any information he had on Tenon’s role in Bridegan’s death.
“I just sat there and told them I have no idea about any of it,” he said. “Henry would just crash on the couch when he needed a place to stay. That’s all I knew. This has all just been crazy.”
Suspect Henry Tenon was apprehended this week. Jacksonville Beach Police DepartmentThe roommate said Tenon was unusually strong for his age and had a local girlfriend who he would dutifully take to a methadone clinic each morning before heading off to work.
Tenon has been behind bars since August after cops found a shotgun in his trunk during a traffic stop.
Tenon was a one-time tenant at a Jacksonville property formerly owned by Fernandez and police have stressed he was part of a larger conspiracy to murder doting dad Bridegan.
Prosecutors charged him with Bridegan’s murder Wednesday and said they are still on the hunt for his conspirators. Fernandez and Gardner-Fernandez remain suspects in the case, according to law enforcement sources.
Bridegan poses with Kirsten and one of their young daughters. Instagram / @justiceforjaredbBridegan, who had two young children with his new wife Kirsten Bridegan, was driving home from dropping off the kids he shared with his ex when he came upon a tire in the middle of the road.
He was immediately shot dead after exiting his vehicle to remove the obstacle, police said.
His 2-year-old, Bexley, sat in a car seat for three minutes after witnessing her father’s execution until a passerby discovered the disturbing scene and called the police.
Gardner-Fernandez has since moved with her two kids to Richland, Washington, according to Fox News. Her husband did not join her in making the cross-country move.
