A grand jury indicted the ex-wife of a deceased Microsoft executive for murder in connection to his February death, ABC News reported.
The grand jury indicted Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife, for capitol felony, first-degree murder, child abuse and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, ABC News reported. A gunman reportedly shot and killed Bridegan in 2022 in Jacksonville Beach while his daughter sat in the car.
“For 547 days, we hoped and prayed that this day would come,” Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten Bridegan, said. “Shanna’s arrest ends one horrific chapter of our pursuit for justice for Jared and now we opened a new one. This next chapter will be excruciating. We are confident in the ability of the State’s Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to bring truth to light. We expect to see justice carried out to the fullest extent of the law,” Bridegan said, according to News 4.
On the day of his murder, Bridegan was reportedly driving his daughter home after dropping off his other children. He came upon an obstacle in the road and the suspect, believed to be Henry Tenon, allegedly gunned Bridegan down, according to ABC.
Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan’s ex wife — Shanna Gardner — has now been charged with murdering the father of four.
Prosecutors in Florida are seeking the death penalty. pic.twitter.com/DI556RxEkV— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) August 17, 2023
Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, was the third suspect to be arrested in connection to his death. Her current husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, was arrested in March and indicted on a first-degree murder charge, ABC noted. Saldana’s former tenant Henry Tenon, accused of pulling the trigger, was arrested and charged with murder in January,
Authorities arrested Gardner-Fernandez in Washington where she lives with twins she shared with Bridegan, and she will be extradited back to Duval County to face charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child abuse, News 4 reported. (Woman Who Wrote Book On Grieving After Husband’s Death Is Now Charged With His Murder)
Gardner-Fernandez and Bridegan were previously engaged in a heated custody battle over the twins, according to the New York Post (NYP).