DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Henry Tenon, the accused gunman in the Jared Bridegan murder‑for‑hire case, appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing on Monday, his first since withdrawing his 2023 guilty plea.
The newly indicted charge of first-degree murder was read to Tenon, and he pleaded not guilty.
He will return to court on May 4.
Tenon’s attorneys have filed a motion to suppress statements he made to prosecutors during plea negotiations, now that he has recanted and changed his plea to not guilty.
Tenon initially pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, to second‑degree murder with a weapon under a deal that required him to testify against alleged co‑conspirators — Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her now estranged husband, Mario Fernandez. The plea deal carried a sentencing range beginning at 15 years.
Investigators allege Tenon ambushed and killed the 33‑year‑old father of four in February 2022 as part of a murder‑for‑hire plot. They say Fernandez paid Tenon about $10,000.
Tenon initially confessed to being the gunman, according to prosecutors, but later recanted that testimony in January 2025 and sought new counsel.
On Feb. 17, 2026, Judge London Kite allowed Tenon to withdraw his plea; prosecutors did not oppose the motion.
Tenon has since been indicted on first‑degree murder, child abuse and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The child abuse charge is because investigators say Bridegan’s toddler was in the vehicle but unharmed during the shooting.
The defense filed a motion last Thursday seeking to suppress a sworn March 15, 2023, interview at the State Attorney’s Office, arguing the statements were made during active plea negotiations and are inadmissible under Florida law.
Gardner and Fernandez are under indictment for first-degree murder and other charges, with jury selection scheduled for Aug. 10.
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