JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mario Fernandez-Saldana was sentenced Thursday to spend the rest of his life behind bars for hiring a hitman in the 2022 murder of Jared Bridegan, the ex-husband of his now-estranged wife.
Circuit Judge London Kite delivered the life sentence at the Duval County Courthouse after denying a motion by the defense seeking a new trial.
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Following the denial of that motion, six members of Bridegan’s family delivered victim impact statements inside the courtroom.
Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten Bridegan, spoke emotionally about her late husband and described how their young daughter, who was present when Bridegan was killed, continues to suffer from the traumatic night.
“Even our 7-year-old daughter Bexley has a clear message — he is mean, and he shouldn’t have done it,” Bridegan said during her impact statement.
Bridegan also spoke about the state’s decision to withdraw the death penalty against Fernandez-Saldana and co-defendant Shanna Gardner-Fernandez. She explained that her support for removing capital punishment was motivated entirely by the needs of Bridegan’s surviving children.
“Only reason I supported withdraw of death penalty was for Jared’s children,” Bridegan said, noting that the defendants failed to demonstrate similar empathy toward the family. “Mario and Shanna never showed them the same compassion.”
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