Man convicted in murder-for-hire killing of Microsoft manager on Florida road

A man accused of arranging the fatal shooting of a Microsoft design manager on a Florida road was convicted Wednesday in a murder-for-hire scheme that followed years of a stormy child custody arrangement between the victim and his wealthy ex-wife.

Jared Bridegan was shot in 2022 after he got out of his SUV to remove a tire from a road in Jacksonville Beach. The attack stumped police for months as they struggled to understand why someone with no apparent enemies would be killed while his daughter sat nearby in her car seat.

Prosecutors believe he was killed because of ongoing strife with his former wife, Shanna Gardner, over the parenting of their twins.

Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, was convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder. He’s married to Gardner, 39, whose trial is set to start in September.

“They wanted a majority of the decision making. They wanted more custody, even 60-40," Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler said during closing arguments Tuesday in Duval County court.

“It doesn’t matter if they were completely right about the situation or completely wrong. What matters is how they fixed it,” Stifler said. “They fixed it by executing a man when they had other alternatives available to them. That’s why we’re here.”

Prosecutors said Fernandez Saldana hired Henry Tenon to carry out the fatal ambush. He had no personal connection to Bridegan, but was a former tenant at Fernandez Saldana’s rental property in Jacksonville. The prosecutor described him as “basically homeless, squatting on people’s couches with overdrawn bank accounts.”

Jurors saw three checks totaling $10,000 written to Tenon after the homicide, marked as payments by Fernandez Saldana for handyman work and a business idea — “good luck!!”

Tenon’s DNA was identified on the rim of the tire that was intentionally placed in the road, police said.

He initially pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Fernandez Saldana but backed out and will stand trial in 2027.

Defense attorney Jesse Dreicer told jurors that Fernandez Saldana had no motive to have Bridegan killed. Fernandez Saldana and Gardner are estranged, and Gardner moved to Washington state after the killing. She was arrested in 2023.

“He certainly gained no benefit from the death of Jared Bridegan,” Dreicer said, noting there was no testimony that Fernandez Saldana told anyone that Bridegan “deserves to die.”

Gardner is the daughter of the co-founder of Stampin’ Up!, an arts-and-crafts company based in Utah.

Bridegan was shot twice when he stopped his Volkswagen Atlas to move the tire out of the way. He had just returned two children to Gardner's home after a meal with the twins. At the time of his death, he was married to Kirsten Bridegan and they had two children.

Kirsten Bridegan told the jury that the post-divorce relationship between her husband and Gardner was “pretty terrible,” adding there was “absolutely no trust.” She said it interfered with the kids' medical appointments and even routine meetings at school.

Bridegan was chief technology officer at Utah-based Clean Simple Eats before working at Microsoft for less than a year before his death, his wife said.

Kirsten Bridegan reacts on the witness stand in the trial of Mario Fernandez Saldana at the Duval County Courthouse, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (Corey Perrine/The Florida Times-Union via AP, Pool)

Defense Attorney Jesse Dreicer gaves the closing arguments for the defense in the the Mario Fernandez Saldana trial Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 at the Duval Count Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/The Florida Times-Union via AP, Pool)

Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler presents her closing arguments during the Mario Fernandez Saldana trial, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 at the Duval Count Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/The Florida Times-Union via AP, Pool)

Defense Attorney James Hill, left walks in his client, defendant Mario Fernandez Saldana, during his trial on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 at the Duval Count Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/The Florida Times-Union via AP, Pool)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Her father may no longer be with her, but Lorita Santos keeps the memories they shared close to her heart.

She was among thousands of Filipinos who flocked to cemeteries across Manila on Sunday to visit the graves of their loved ones, marking All Saints’ Day.

For generations, the tradition known locally as Undas has brought families together to remember and honor their dead. The name derives from the Spanish word “honras,” meaning “honors.”

“Just because they have passed away does not mean we should forget them,” said Santos, who visited the resting places of her father and three other relatives.

Her family marks the occasion by offering flowers and candles. Together, they also pray and share snacks.

The visits are an opportunity to share stories about those who have passed away. Santos fondly remembers how her father would give his children and grandchildren small gifts every payday.

“We will never forget that,” she added.

Santos grew up visiting the graves of her relatives, even outside All Saints’ Day. Now, she is teaching her kids to do the same.

“We pass this on to our children to make sure they are aware of the tradition, so that if something happens to us, they know what to do,” Santos said.

Encompassing All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Nov. 1 and 2, Undas is rooted in Catholic observances but also incorporates beliefs and customs that predate Spanish colonization.

“There is a very long tradition of ancestor worship in the Philippines,” said Nestor Castro, an anthropology lecturer at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Long before the Spanish arrived, Filipinos honored ancestral spirits known as anito by offering food and other gifts to the dead. These practices were not tied to a particular date but formed part of a broader tradition of ancestor veneration, Castro explained.

The tradition evolved after the Spanish arrived in 1565 and introduced Catholicism and new religious practices, some of which may have come from Mexico.

The two countries have historical ties dating back to Spanish colonial rule, when the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade connected them for centuries. Today, they also have similar customs for honoring the dead and remembering loved ones.

In Mexico, many families also honor their departed loved ones by spending a day or night at their graves or setting up altars at home. It is a joyful occasion filled with marigolds, music and food.

Similar customs are observed in other countries with strong Catholic traditions, including Bolivia, Poland and Hungary, where families gather to honor their dead with flowers, candles and prayers.

In Filipino culture, death is not only a time to honor those who have passed away, but also an occasion that brings families together, Castro said.

During funeral wakes, he added, families wait for relatives who live far away to arrive before burying their loved ones. “That’s when family reunions occur. It’s a binding event.”

That sense of togetherness also extends to Undas. Sticky rice cakes are often shared for the occasion, symbolizing the bonds between relatives through their sticky texture.

“These events foster and solidify kinship relationships,” Castro said.

For Mike Mamaril, a 42-year-old school maintenance employee, visiting his parents’ graves is a custom passed down from his grandparents. He said he makes time for the annual visit, even though he rarely gets another opportunity to go.

The gatherings are also a chance to reminisce about his mother and father, including the lighter moments of his childhood.

“We always talk about who among us got scolded the most,” Mamaril said.

Hernández reported from Beijing.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A woman takes photos using her smartphone as they visit their departed at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines while the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

People walk beside apartment-type tombs at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man carries a child and flowers at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man places Philippine flags on soldier's tombs at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man holds a balloon as he walks beside apartment-type tombs at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)