Man charged in connection with murder of Jared Bridegan appears in court for arraignment

jacksonville, florida – The man arrested in connection with Jared Bridegan’s death appeared in court at 9am Monday morning

Henry Tennon, 61, faces four charges ranging from second-degree murder to child abuse.

Bridegan, 33, was shot last year in Jacksonville Beach while his daughter was in his car.

The arraignment was originally scheduled for Thursday — one year after February 16, 2022, when Bridegan was killed.

more: Conspiracy leading to Jared Bridegan’s murder began just a month before ambush shooting at Jack’s Beach: Court records

News4JAX spoke to a lawyer unrelated to the case.

He said the state of Florida is focused on the victim and puts victims and their families first, so they will vigorously prosecute the case to the end.

Tennon, 61, is expected to plead not guilty to the charges he faced Monday, but may change his plea later. He has been charged with second-degree murder with a weapon, conspiracy to murder, post-mortem conspiracy, and child abuse.

Tennon was arrested last month in connection with Bridegan’s death. Bridegan was shot dead on Jacksonville Beach in February last year. A father of four was ambushed after leaving his twins with his ex-wife.

He was shot when he stopped to move a tire on the road near the Sanctuary District. His toddler was in the backseat of his SUV.

Attorney Randy Leap, who was not involved in the case, said the charges facing Tennon could lead to him spending the rest of his life in prison.

With Tennon facing conspiracy charges, Leap said he could work with the state to provide more information to get other people they’re targeting. Told.

“These charges could yield other information for the state to act on,” Leap said. “To the extent defendants support the government, it may be to their advantage.”

Defense attorney Curtis Fohlgutter, who also wasn’t involved in the case, believes that the most difficult charge for prosecutors to stick to is conspiracy.

“We know the state has sealed the affidavit used to obtain the warrant to arrest him. is investigating those facts,” he said.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson said at a press conference in January:: “We know that Henry Tennon did not act alone.”

News4JAX I-TEAM found records confirming Tenon rented a house owned by Mario Fernandez, who is married to Bridegan’s ex-wife. His home is in northwest Jacksonville, about 25 miles from the Jacksonville Beach shooting site.

Gardner-Fernandez and her second husband have received a lot of public interest. She has declared her innocence in an interview with her other outlet.

Sources say Gardner Fernandez has moved across the country with his children to Benton County, Washington, where the family has a home, while Fernandez remains in Florida.

Neither Gardner-Fernandez nor Fernandez have been charged with any crimes related to this case.