On February 16, 2022, Jared Bridegan got ambushed and shot many times in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. This happened not long after he left his older twins at their mother Shanna Gardner-Fernandez’s house.
He had his two years old in the backseat when he stopped to move a tire that was put there, a trick to get him out of his vehicle. When he tried to clear the road, Henry Tenón shot him four times; this person has now pleaded guilty as the one who pulled the trigger.
Prosecutors have compared the murder to a complicated plan for hire killing, planned by Gardner and her present husband Mario Fernandez.
Shanna Gardner’s Motive
The prosecutors say that Shanna Gardner-Fernandez stood to benefit the most from Jared Bridegan’s murder because it would have resolved various ongoing legal issues and given her control over a substantial trust fund.
The court has shown evidence that Gardner’s parents made a trust for her and her children, with one condition being she could only get the money if she had no more legal connections to Bridegan.
The money motive, along with the disagreement-filled context of their divorce and child custody fights, implies that Gardner could have viewed Bridegan’s death as a way to solve her monetary and personal problems..
Incriminating Text Messages
In the court’s procedure, prosecutors brought out text messages from the year 2015 where shanna gardner-fernandez expresses her wish that Jared Bridegan should “disappear.” These messages have a secret code where she talks about Bridegan as being “stupid” and how they require a “magician” for doing activities which are described as “permanent disappearing acts.”
The evidence is showing an ongoing intention to get rid of Bridegan. Gardner had feelings of wanting him gone for some time, even saying she would be happy if he got a deadly injection.
Testimony from Gardner’s Friend
Kim Jensen, a friend of Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, told investigators that Shanna frequently talked about wanting her ex-husband Jared Bridegan to be killed. She discussed these plans with Mario Fernandez, her current husband.
Jensen said Gardner mentioned how capable Fernandez was at closely monitoring Bridegan’s activities and spoke about instances where he could have harmed him; she called these moments “missed opportunities.”
Jensen also said that whenever Gardner expressed annoyance with Bridegan mainly because of custody matters Fernandez would always offer to “handle” him which implied willingness for murder.
Alleged Involvement of Mario Fernandez
The connection between Mario Fernandez and the murder-for-hire plan against Jared Bridegan is claimed by prosecutors. They say that Shanna Gardner-Fernandez’s search for a hitman was stopped when she started going out with Fernandez.
The evidence shows Gardner had tried to find someone who could kill Bridegan before this time, as she used coded language in her messages with friends about wanting him to “disappear.”
After starting a relationship with Fernandez, he supposedly became the possible shooter and said he would be prepared to “take care of” Bridegan.
Lack of Direct Communication with Hitman
The defense for Shanna Gardner-Fernandez has proposed that there is no proof of direct text messages or phone calls between Gardner and the shooter, Henry Tenen. On the other hand, prosecution says that Tenen confessed to agreeing on killing Jared Bridegan in exchange for $150,000.
The defense also asserts that because there are no direct communications shown between Gardner and the shooter, it weakens the case against her. However, prosecution argues back saying that since Tenen himself confessed about being hired as a hitman by Gardner – this provides strong evidence of her involvement in planning this murder-for-hire scheme.
Denial of Bond for Gardner
The refusal of bond for Shanna Gardner-Fernandez by Judge London Kite was based on evidence that demonstrated, without any doubt left, Gardner’s involvement in hiring Henry Tenen to murder her ex-husband Jared Bridegan.
The flight risk of Gardner was one worry for the judge, as she had moved to Washington after the murder and might interfere with the judicial process.
The prosecutors brought forth text messages from 2015 that were very damning. These messages showed Gardner expressing multiple times that he wished Bridegan would “disappear.”
Prosecutors’ Closing Arguments
The prosecutor’s claim is that Shanna Gardner-Fernandez has a lot to gain from her ex-husband’s murder, Jared Bridegan. They say he was killed because it would settle many ongoing legal problems and also allow her access to an extensive trust fund.
The incentive for this act becomes more significant due to the fact that Gardner married Mario Fernandez, accused of being a “hitman” in the murder plan.
It is argued by the prosecution that their relationship made it possible to organize the murder. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez stalked Bridegan and found chances for killing work.
Defense Response
The person defending Shanna Gardner-Fernandez says that a part of the proof brought into court is hearsay, meaning it’s not directly supported and so shouldn’t be seen as trustworthy.
They argue against witness testimonies about talks and plans linked to Gardner, stating they do not offer solid proof she was involved in the murder-for-hire scheme aimed at Jared Bridegan.
Judge’s Ruling
The judge, London Kite, has made a clear decision by refusing bond to Shanna Gardner-Fernandez. The proof against her seems strong enough for the murder of Jared Bridegan and she might have been part in planning it.
The judge was worried that Gardner could run away because she doesn’t have connections with this place and can get big money from her rich family. Kite also pointed out how Gardner has used disposable phones and tried talking with those involved in the case, showing possibilities for interference.
Gardner and Fernandez Facing Death Penalty
The judge, London Kite, has made a clear decision by refusing bond to Shanna Gardner-Fernandez. The proof against her seems strong enough for the murder of Jared Bridegan and she might have been part in planning it.
The judge was worried that Gardner could run away because she doesn’t have connections with this place and can get big money from her rich family. Kite also pointed out how Gardner has used disposable phones and tried talking with those involved in the case, showing possibilities for interference.
The bond refusal highlights the strength of the prosecution’s argument towards Gardner, who, together with her current husband Mario Fernandez-Saldana, confronts first-degree murder accusations in this supposed contract killing plan that ended in Bridegan’s death before his young daughter during February 2022.
The situation of Shanna Gardner-Fernandez and Mario Fernandez-Saldana, who are accused in a murder-for-hire case, is complex. The story involves many twists with personal reasons mixed in along with potential financial benefits from the crime. While the legal procedures proceed, the effects of what they are accused for strike deeply into community and judicial systems alike.
