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Mario Fernandez Saldana faces new molestation charges as Shanna Gardner's murder trial is delayed until 2027

Mario Fernandez Saldana was recently convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder in a murder-for-hire scheme that resulted in the death of Jared Bridegan. However, new evidence has led to the filing of two charges of lewd and lascivious molestation against Fernandez Saldana. One of these charges involves a victim who was approximately 8 years old at the time of the abuse, which reportedly lasted for several years. These new charges against Fernandez Saldana have prompted a motion for a continuance of the murder trial for Shanna Gardner, who is the ex-wife of the deceased. Judge London Kite granted the motion, pushing the Gardner trial to May 2027. The defense argues that the new molestation charges against Fernandez Saldana provide a potential new motive for the murder, and the attorneys need more time to investigate how these charges might relate to the other crimes. The state plans to join the cases of Gardner and the gunman, Henry Tenon, to be tried together in 2027.

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