Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, the ex-wife of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, has been arrested for his murder more than 18 months after he was fatally shot in front of his young daughter.
The announcement was made by Melissa Nelson, the state attorney for Jacksonville's Fourth Judicial District, who revealed that Gardner-Fernandez has been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and child endangerment. The press conference was attended by Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith and ATF Special Agent Bob Bryson, along with Jared Bridegan's widow, Kirsten Bridegan, and his brothers, Adam and Justin.
Nelson addressed the media, stating, "This investigation has uncovered the truth. Shanna Gardner's indictment acknowledges her key role in the cold, calculated, and premeditated murder of Jared Bridegan." Kirsten Bridegan, visibly emotional, delivered a brief statement expressing relief that Gardner-Fernandez had been arrested. She also shared her belief that Gardner-Fernandez orchestrated the slaying, saying, "From very, very early on, everything in my soul and body told me that she was behind it."
The nature of the new evidence that led to Gardner-Fernandez's indictment was not disclosed by authorities. Gardner-Fernandez, who shares 10-year-old twins with Bridegan, was taken into custody in West Richland, Washington, where she had been living.
Two other individuals have already been arrested in connection with the case. Mario Fernandez, Gardner-Fernandez's husband, and Henry Tenon, a former tenant, were both indicted for their alleged roles in the killing. Nelson's office is seeking the death penalty for both Gardner-Fernandez and her husband.
Jared Bridegan, a 33-year-old software developer for Microsoft, was shot to death on February 16, 2022, in an affluent suburb of Jacksonville Beach. He was lured out of his car by a strategically placed tire in the middle of the road. As he stepped out to move it, he was repeatedly shot in front of his young daughter, Bexley, who was strapped in her car seat. Court documents allege that several bullets narrowly missed the little girl inside the car.
Bridegan had just dropped off his twins with Gardner-Fernandez at her home and was on his way back to his own house, where his new wife and their infant daughter, London, were waiting for him. Despite divorcing in 2015, Bridegan and Gardner-Fernandez continued to engage in legal battles over finances and custody of their twins.
Following the murder, Gardner-Fernandez hired a prominent criminal defense lawyer. Under intense public scrutiny, she relocated to the Pacific Northwest, specifically West Richland, Washington, and cut off contact between the twins and their half-sisters, Bexley and London. Property records revealed that Gardner-Fernandez's parents, who are prominent members of the Mormon community and own a multimillion-dollar papercraft company, secretly purchased a $1 million home for her through an LLC.
Henry Tenon, 61, was arrested weeks later. It was discovered that he had been living in one of Mario Fernandez's rental properties. Tenon confessed to shooting Bridegan and cooperated with authorities as part of a plea agreement.
The investigation continued to close in on Gardner-Fernandez with the arrest of her estranged husband in Orlando in March. Prosecutors allege that Fernandez conspired with Tenon for at least six weeks to plan the murder, leaving four children without a father.
A staffer at a tattoo parlor claimed that Gardner-Fernandez had asked if he knew anyone who could "shut him [Bridegan] up" shortly before the divorce. Gardner-Fernandez later admitted to making the statement in an interview with a local newspaper but denied any involvement in her ex-husband's death.
Kirsten Bridegan, who shares Bexley and London with Jared, has been relentless in her pursuit of justice for her husband. During the press conference, she pleaded with Gardner-Fernandez's family to allow the twins to reunite with their sisters, stating, "I plead with the Gardners to put the emotional and mental well-being of [the twins] above all else and allow them to reconnect with us. We are their family. We love them. We have prayed for them every single day for 547 days since they were ripped away and isolated from us."
Fernandez is facing charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and child abuse.
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