Woman Arrested for Murdering Ex-Husband

[BensAllergies]

This case is absolutely wild (and heartbreaking) the more the details come out. I had heard of it briefly when the murder occurred 18 months ago, but it became national news when the victim’s ex-wife Shanna Gardner was arrested this month.

From day 1, Jared Bridegan’s wife and his family have said that they believe Shanna was behind the targeted killing. His wife Kirsten Bridegan has been particularly outspoken and ran a public page from her Facebook account to garner awareness of her husband’s murder. However, her account has gone private since the most recent arrest (the Justice for Jared B pages are still public). I won’t go into detail regarding her now private posts, but she wrote often about her daughter’s ongoing trauma and how she has clung to her faith to carry on fighting for justice. Her oldest daughter, then 2, was in the car and witnessed her father’s death, which was caused by several close-range gunshots.

Both families are mainstream Mormon, although Shanna has not followed it for several years. Her parents founded and own a multi-million dollar craft company based out of Utah. Her mom has publicly stayed by her daughter’s side and now has temporary guardianship over Jared’s and Shanna’s twins, who are at least 10 years old.

Shanna, her second husband Mario, and the man who confessed to being hired as the gunman, are all now in jail on charges such as first degree murder, conspiracy to murder, and child abuse. Shanna is in Washington state and has a hearing in September regarding an extradition to Florida.

A more detailed timeline is in the spoiler below.

Spoiler

Jared Bridegan's death: Here's what we know about the fatal shooting in Jacksonville Beach

Scott Butler

On the evening of Feb. 16, 2022, Jared Brideganhad just dropped off his 9-year-old twin son and daughter to his ex-wife's home in Jacksonville Beach and was headed back to St. Augustine where he lived. With his 2-year-old daughter in the car, he stopped because of a tire on the road near the exit of The Sanctuary neighborhood.

In what police believe was a planned attack, he was shot multiple times as he apparently attempted to move the tire. His vehicle's hazard lights were still blinking with his daughter sitting in her car seat unharmed.

Rewards for leads as to who was responsible for the execution quickly soared to $55,000. And soon it became a global whodunit that captured the media's attention.

Who was Jared Bridegan?

He was a 33-year-old Microsoft executive and father of four. He had two children with ex-wife Shanna Gardner-Fernandez who lived in Jacksonville Beach and two with current wife Kirsten Bridegan in St. Augustine.

How did Jared Bridegan die?

He was ambushed during his regular routine when it was time for him to drop off the two children he shared with his ex-wife. He was driving back home with one of his other young daughters in the back seat when he came across a tire on the road. When he got out, he was gunned down at close range. Police said nothing appeared to have been stolen and his wife had just spoken with him and said nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Have there been any arrests?

On Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, Jacksonville Beach Police Department Chief Gene Paul Smith and State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced the arrest of Henry Arthur Tenon, then-61, on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse.

Tenon pleaded guilty on March 16 and agreed to testify against Mario Fernandez Saldana, who was arrested that same day in Orlando. The 34-year-old husband of Jared Bridegan's ex-wife is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.

On Aug. 17, 2023, Bridegan's ex-wife, Shanna Lee Gardner, was indicted on the same charges. She was arrested in the state of Washington where she was living. Nelson said prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against her and Fernandez Saldana.

Who is Henry Tenon?

Tenon has nine arrests in Jacksonville on minor offenses, according to jail records. He was already in jail awaiting trial for Aug. 18 charges of possession of a weapon by a felon and driving with a suspended or revoked license on a third or subsequent conviction. That arrest report stated he had a shotgun in the trunk during a traffic stop.

He had rented a home in the 5200 block of Potomac Avenue from Fernandez Saldana, the State Attorney's Office confirmed.

Was someone else involved in the death of Jared Bridegan?

State Attorney Melissa Nelson said Tenon did not act alone in the death of Jared Bridegan. Neither she nor Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith offered any hint as to a motive or who else might be involved, even after announcing the second arrest of Fernandez Saldana. But the latest arrest warrant states "the investigation into Bridegan’s background revealed a highly acrimonious divorce from his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and a contentious relationship with both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana."

Nelson reiterated early on that this remains an active case but initially would not say whether they believed Gardner was a suspect or knew about any of it.

What other details have been released in the case?

“This was a planned and target ambush and murder," Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said in announcing the arrest of Tenon, saying that a tire was placed in the road that Bridegan regularly traveled to visit his two children and that he was shot when he stopped to apparently remove the road hazard.

What other clues have police released?

After checking security video from homes and businesses in the area that night, Jacksonville Beach investigators determined a dark-colored Ford F-150 with tan or brown running boards, likely a 2004 to 2008 model, with a silver toolbox in the back, may have been involved.

Who is Shanna Gardner-Fernandez?

Gardner-Fernandez, 35, is Bridegan's ex-wife. She drew immediate scrutiny due to the couple's ugly divorce and not attending his funeral or initially speaking out. She and Bridegan were married in 2010 and divorced in 2015. They shared custody of the twins. She married second husband Mario Fernandez Saldana in 2018 and runs a baking company beachbaked904.

"I feel for Jared's family and what they are going through. I can't even imagine," she told the Times-Union in June. "I have tried to be respectful. I have tried to give them space."

Why did Shanna Gardner-Fernandez hire an attorney?

Early on, she hired prominent Jacksonville defense attorney Hank Coxe to help protect her family from the publicity and sensationalism that included invasive photos of her and her children at a local park and implications she was involved in the shooting.

She said the intense media coverage has "become very loud," and it made her children feel unsafe. "My kids are 10. They understand everything that is going on," she told the Times-Union. "They see this and they are scared, terrified and struggling."

Who are Shanna Gardner-Fernandez's parents?

Her parents are Sterling and Shelli Gardner, co-founders of the highly successful Stampin’ Up! arts and crafts company and fixtures in the Mormon community in Utah.

What happened in the divorce between Jared Bridegan and Shanna Gardner-Fernandez?

Gardner-Fernandez is from Utah and met Bridegan while visiting a friend in Florida in 2009. They married in 2010 in Salt Lake City. At some point, they moved to Connecticut and started having trouble involving her and her personal trainer, according to Fox News, although she denied to the Times-Union that she had an affair. She filed for divorce in February 2015 and sought primary custody of their twin children.

The court file has about 300 entries and motions. Gardner-Fernandez accused Bridegan of "disturbing and abusive behavior" toward their children, and he accused her of spying on him and treating him "in a disparaging manner in front of the children."

She declined to comment on the details of the divorce with the Times-Union, explaining that "I don't see any good in airing our dirty laundry. ... Our relationship was pretty complicated and remained pretty complicated."

Who is Mario Fernandez Saldana?

Gardner-Fernandez told the Times-Union in June that her husband manages rental properties and has been a big supporter during the ordeal.

Fernandez Saldana and Gardner met at CrossFit gym in 2018, where he was a maintenance man, according to an arrest warrant.

He also was the subject of a Jacksonville Beach incident because a neighbor felt he was intimidating her because she feeds stray cats that he didn't like. She said he intentionally walked his pit bull right up to where she was feeding them, according to the 2018 incident report.

He said he was just walking his dog and it was nothing malicious. The officer advised him about the municipal ordinances involving dangerous dogs and suggested he contact animal control if he has a problem with feral cats. Fox News also reported other run-ins and threats involving Fernandez Saldana over the cats.

Where is Shanna Gardner-Fernandez now?

Property records show the couple still own their Marsh Inlet Court home in Jacksonville Beach. But it also had been up for sale at some point.

Before her husband's arrest, Action News Jacksonville, citing Fox News Digital, reportedGardner-Fernandez quietly moved across the country with the twins to a home recently purchased by her parents in West Richland, Wash. They noted it was not with her husband. She also now goes by Gardner, according to her publicist.

She's now in jail following her arrest.

Who is Kirsten Bridegan?

Kirsten Bridegan, who has two young children with Jared as his 31-year-old widow, previously was an account manager before taking on the role of full-time mom.

She has been proactive in trying to make sure Jared's story isn't forgotten, creating the Instagram account "JusticeForJaredB" and the Bridegan Foundation but also is sometimes fearful for her and her family's safety.

She also is determined to help children who are taken to law enforcement under these circumstances awaiting for family to arrive. She created "The Bexley Box" and is working on getting them into local police stations and sheriff's offices. The Bexley Box will be filled with diapers, sippy cups, snacks, toys, blankets, stuffed animals and pre-mixed formula. 

She told First Coast News in her rush to get to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department that night, she didn't think about what to bring and not knowing the hours they'd be there.

What did Kirsten Bridegan say about the arrest and did she know Henry Tenon?

Kirsten Bridegan told WJXT TV-4 it is "pretty clear that someone knew his route, his schedule. I have felt since the beginning that this was planned, this was thought out, and this was specific to Jared. So I’m not surprised that they announced that Henry Tenon — someone that we have never heard of, that Jared did not know — wasn’t alone in this.”

What did Jared Bridegan's brother have to say about what happened?

“I won’t get into specifics, but I did have several conversations with Jared, where he did express concerns that something like this could happen to him,” Adam Bridegan told WJXT TV-4. “He did have concerns on his life.”

Was/is there a reward for information leading to an arrest in Jared Bridegan's death?

The reward is up to at least $55,000. Anyone with information in the case can contact the Jacksonville Beach Police Department at (904) 270-1661, First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-8477 (TIPS) or the ATF at Tampatips@atf.gov.

What happened at Henry Tenon's arraignment and how did he plea?

Tenon pleaded not guilty to all counts on Feb. 13, just three days shy of the anniversary of Bridegan's death. Bridegan's widow was there and saw him in person for the first time. She said she is praying for his family and urged him to cooperate.

"Henry, if you get to hear this, please choose now to do the right thing," Kirsten Bridegan said. "Please help us to receive justice sooner rather than later and allow us and your own family to move forward and focus on healing as quickly as possible. Please help us in this nightmare that we are living every single day."

How many years in prison does Henry Tenon face?

By agreeing to plead guilty to second-degree murder, Tenon will be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison and up to life, according to the plea agreement.

In accepting the March 16 guilty plea for second-degree murder with a weapon, the "state waives the sentencing guidelines, defendant agrees to testify truthfully against any co-defendants, state will drop counts 2, 3 and 4 at the time of the sentencing," the agreement reads. Those counts were for charges of conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse.

"Both parties acknowledge that the sentencing court will give weight to the defendant's life expectancy, his early and continuing cooperation in the prosecution of co-defendants and will hear all parties, including members of the victim's family in considering the appropriate sentence," the agreement reads.

How did Mario Fernandez Saldana plea?

On April 4 he pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Does Mario Fernandez Saldana face the death penalty?

On May 3 Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler gave notice that the prosecution is seeking the death penalty against Fernandez Saldana.

What did Kirsten Bridegan say on 'Dr. Phil' about Jared Bridegan's ex?

When asked on "Dr. Phil" what she thinks about Gardner-Fernandez, who has publicly said she had nothing do with the attack or knows what Jared may have been involved with, Kirsten Bridegan was uncomplimentary.

“I have never found Shanna to be a truthful person," she said, according to Action News Jax. "So I don’t put a lot of weight into what she said. But I’m glad that she is on camera stating some things. The fact that she seems to me to be trying to be emotional, there’s no tears, there’s no real emotion there, doesn’t come across as genuine to me.”

 

[BensAllergies]

A few days ago, body cam footage was released off Shanna’s arrest in Washington. I am absolutely chilled by how calm and polite she was throughout the whole thing.

Spoiler

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/bodycam-shows-arrest-of-ex-wife-of-slain-microsoft-executive-in-execution-style-murder/amp/

 

[BensAllergies]

Shanna has been extradited to Florida, and her mugshot has been released by Duval County. She and Mario will be tried together, so the fact that she is now in Florida means that his case is no longer on hold. The next appearance is Nov 3rd.

Spoiler

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/10/21/woman-accused-of-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-her-ex-husband-now-booked-in-duval-county-jail/

The article says that her indictment includes her intent to murder Jared as far back as May 2015, in the months following the divorce filing.

More personal info in the spoiler.

Spoiler

My husband and I were acquaintances with the Bridegans when they were still married, back in 2014. We are the same age and attended the same ward/congregation, but we weren’t friends. They moved to Florida that summer and we never had contact with either of them again. However, the picture they presented before the move was beautiful, happy Mormon family. Maybe our mutual friends had a better idea but the ones I’m still in touch with are keeping quiet. It’s a little shocking because no doubt they were having marital problems in mid-2014 if by Feb 2015 Shanna was filing for divorce and then in May 2015 there is evidence she wanted to murder her ex. I can see why other mainstream Mormon couples can fly under the radar in their congregations but have skeletons in the closet. There have been so many in the news lately.