JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — The man accused in the "pre-planned" murder of Jared Bridegan, the man who was killed in front of his 2-year-old daughter in Jacksonville Beach, appeared in court Tuesday.
He and his lawyer spoke with the judge for less than a minute, setting the date for his next pre-trial, which will be August 1.
It took nearly a year for prosecutors to charge anyone in the crime, which happened in February 2022.
Mario Fernandez-Saldana is married to Bridegan's ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez. She has not been charged in the case, but both arrest warrants note the couple's "highly acrimonious divorce," something also mentioned by prosecutors when they announced Fernandez-Saldana's arrest.
The state is seeking the death penalty for Fernandez-Saldana.
He is also charged with child abuse, due to Bridegan's daughter witnessing the crime. He has pleaded not guilty in the case. He has waived his right to a speedy trial.
Bridegan's co-defendant, Henry Tenon, 62, confessed to his involvement in the murder in March. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.