Star witness recants testimony in Bridegan murder case

A key state witness in the death penalty case against a couple accused of murdering father of four Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach in 2022 told the judge he gave “false testimony.”

Henry Tenon, 62, previously confessed to shooting Bridegan to death and agreed to testify against the couple that prosecutors say arranged the hit: Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her new husband, Mario Fernandez-Saldana. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Tenon appeared to recant his testimony during a routine court hearing Jan. 13 before Circuit Judge London Kite. That information was not disclosed to Saldana’s attorneys until Tuesday, and they now want more information about any steps prosecutors have taken to investigate Tenon’s statement.

The motion, filed in 4th Judicial Circuit Court, noted the delay in being notified.

“Since the time Mr. Tenon has indicated that he has given ‘false testimony,’ it has been over three weeks, and other than the Transcript of the proceedings, the Defense has been provided no additional information,” the motion says.

In the court transcript, the judge initially said she wanted to check in with Tenon because she had not seen him since last year. “I was just making sure everything was okay.”

Moments later, Tenon addressed Kite. Here is a complete transcript:

TENON: Your Honor, may I say something?

THE COURT: Talk to [Tenon’s public defender] Mr. [Al] Chipperfield first. Tell him what you want to tell me. Okay?

TENON: I just want to bring to your attention that my testimony —

THE COURT: No, no, no.

TENON: — false testimony —

THE COURT: No, no, no.

TENON: — false testimony —

THE COURT: Hold on.

CHIPPERFIELD: Mr. Tenon we need to talk about that.

TENON: I need another attorney.

THE COURT: Okay. Let me pass it temporarily. Have a conversation with Mr. Chipperfield, and then I’ll have a conversation with you, Mr. Tenon. Okay?

TENON: Okay.

Tenon exits the courtroom.

THE COURT: All right. On Henry Tenon, we’re not going to bring him back out. I’m going to pass him until next week, January 22nd. January 22nd, 9:00 a.m., status hearing.

CHIPPERFIELD: Thank you.

THE COURT: Thank you.

The murder case, which remained unsolved for months, has drawn considerable local and national attention. 

Bridegan, 33, was driving near the exit of The Sanctuary neighborhood on Feb. 16, 2022, with his 2-year-old daughter in a car seat when he stopped to remove a tire from the road, police said.

Bridegan was shot multiple times in front of his daughter as he exited his vehicle, police said. Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Smith called it “a planned and targeted ambush and murder.”

Tenon agreed to plead guilty to a second-degree murder charge and to testify against Saldana and Gardner. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop three other charges and seek a lesser penalty of 15 years in prison.

According to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, a prosecutor must disclose “as soon as practicable” any information “that tends to negate the guilt of the defendant.” 

“Given the nature and severity of the allegations in this case, the Defense cannot proceed in their preparation of the case without the requested materials,” the motion states.

Jacksonville Today reached out to the State Attorney’s Office and attorneys for all three defendants for comment.

Gardner’s attorney, Jose Baez, responded: “This is just an example of how tenuous this case is and how difficult this investigation has been. It shows that a lot more work needs to be done, and that [prosecutors] put it together too quickly without dotting their ‘I’ s and crossing their ‘T’s.”