In 2022, Jared Bridegan had just dropped off his twins at his ex-wife Shanna Gardner’s house in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, when he was shot to death. It took police months to locate the suspects, but over a year later, Gardner and her new husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, were arrested for his murder, which allegedly unfolded as a murder-for-hire plot years in the making.
On August 26, a jury found Fernandez guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony. Gardner’s trial is set to begin this fall.
Here’s what we know about the alleged murder-for-hire plot and the trials of Shanna Gardner and her estranged second husband Mario Fernandez.
How Was Jared Bridegan Killed?
Born on June 29, 1988, Jared Bridegan, 33, was a Microsoft executive and father of four. He had twins, a boy and a girl, with his ex-wife Shanna Gardner, and two young children with his wife Kirsten Bridegan.
On February 16, 2022, Bridegan was driving to his home in St. Augustine home after dropping off his then-9-year-old twins when he came across a tire in the road, which he likely stopped to get out and move. It was then that he was shot multiple times, according to NBC News. Officers found Bridegan lying outside of his car, dead from multiple gunshot wounds. His 2-year-old daughter was in the backseat of the car, though she was not injured.
While his wife, Kirsten, said she thought the tire was placed in the road by someone who wanted to target Jared, according to NBC News, it would be months before any suspects were connected to the crime and over a year before Gardner was identified as suspect by authorities.
Why Were Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez Accused of Killing Jared Bridegan?
After five years of marriage, Gardner and Bridegan divorced in 2015, and continued to share custody of their two children. A tattoo parlor staffer who befriended Gardner said, shortly before the divorce, she once asked him if he knew anyone who could “shut him [Bridegan] up,” according to Fox5.
After Bridegan’s murder, Gardner moved to Washington. Her parents, owners of a multimillion-dollar papercraft company, secretly purchased a home for her in West Richland, Washington. She kept the twins from having contact with their half-siblings, according to Fox5.
In January 2023, Henry Tenon, a former tenant of Gardner’s estranged husband Mario Fernandez, was arrested in relation to Bridegan’s murder. The alleged gunman, 64, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and second-degree murder with a weapon, among other charges. Tenon initially pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case, but has since withdrawn his guilty plea. Upon his arrest, State Attorney Melissa Nelson said, “We know Henry did not act alone.”
Gardner and Fernandez have since been implicated in Bridegan’s murder-for-hire plot. In June 2022, a woman who claimed to be Gardner’s former coworker and friend told investigators about conversations she’d had with Gardner in relation to her custody battle with Bridegan and her relationship with Fernandez. The woman alleged Gardner told her that Fernandez had a military background and could get people to break into Bridegan’s house in the middle of the night to “take care of him and no one would ever know,” according to News4Jax.
Fernandez was arrested in connection with Bridegan’s murder in March 2023, and in August 2023, Gardner was arrested in Washington state and extradited to Florida to face charges. “Shanna Gardner’s indictment acknowledges her central and key role in the cold, calculated, and premeditated murder of Jared Bridegan,” Nelson said of her arrest.
Jacksonville Beach Police Detective Christopher Johns testified that during his investigation he discovered text messages that went as far back as 2015, in which Gardner and her friend Kimberly Jensen discussed a potential murder-for-hire plot, according to CourtTV. Johns testified that Jensen reached out to contacts on Gardner’s behalf, asking if they could “do magic” or find “a guy who does a permanent disappearing act,” as evidenced by messages released by the State Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors later alleged in a 2024 hearing that Gardner and Fernandez offered Tenon $150,000 from a trust fund to commit the crime.
What Were Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez Charged With?
Fernandez was indicted with first-degree murder with a weapon, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. In a final pretrial hearing in July 2026, prosecutors dropped the charges for conspiracy to commit murder and child abuse.
Meanwhile, Gardner pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Both originally faced the death penalty, but the state of Florida eventually withdrew it as an option.
Bridegan’s widow wrote in an Instagram post that she supports the state’s decision. “Our decision to support the withdrawal of the death penalty is rooted entirely in our love for Jared’s oldest two children. It is not an act of mercy for those who took Jared’s life; it is an act of mercy for the children who must live with the consequences,” Kirsten wrote in November 2025.
When Do Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez’s Trials Begin?
Initially, Gardner and Fernandez were set to face trial at the same time, but the defense and prosecution agreed they should face separate trials. Fernandez, 38, went on trial first, and on August 26, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder after four hours of deliberation. He will return to court to set his sentencing date on October 5.
Gardner, 39, will soon have her own day in court. Her trial is currently set to begin on September 8.
Check back with Biography.com for updates from the case.
Jordan Smith is a freelance writer, editor, and author with 10 years of experience reporting on health and fitness news and trends. She's also an ISSA certified running coach, and is passionate about making fitness accessible to all. You can find her work in publications including Runner's World, SELF, Prose, Vital Proteins, and more. The Philadelphia-based writer has yet to meet a workout class she doesn't like and can be found exploring the robust Philly food scene, hiking with her three dogs, and chronicling her attempt at tackling her endless TBR.
