‘Cold, Calculated and Premeditated’: Ex-Wife Charged in Microsoft Exec’s Murder
The ex-wife of a Microsoft executive fatally shot in the middle of a quiet Florida road in front of his toddler has been charged after allegedly planning the brazen 2022 murder with her new spouse, prosecutors announced on Thursday.
The State Attorney’s Office confirmed that Shanna Gardner-Fernandez has been arrested in Washington state and indicted by a grand jury on charges in connection with Jared Bridegan’s February 2022 slaying. The charges come months after Gardner-Fernandez’s husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, was also charged for allegedly enlisting the help of his handyman and tenant, Henry Tenon, to carry out the crime.
“This investigation has uncovered the truth of Jared’s murder,” State Attorney Mellisa Nelson said during a press conference to announce the charges. “Henry Tenon did not act alone. Mario Fernandez did not plan alone, and Shanna Gardner’s indictment acknowledges her central and key role in the cold, calculated, and premeditated murder of Jared Bridegan.”
Prosecutors said Thursday that Gardner-Fernandez and her husband will be prosecuted together. According to Gardner-Fernandez’s indictment, prosecutors allege that she and her husband conspired with others to kill Bridegan. The indictment states that between Nov. 2021 and Feb. 2022 the couple solicited or requited Tenon to murder.
The Mystery Behind the Brazen Execution of a Microsoft Boss
Nelson said that Gardner-Fernandez, who married to Bridegan for six years until 2015, will be extradited to Jacksonville to face charges including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse. Nelson added that her office will seek the death penalty against Gardner-Fernandez and her husband.
Fernandez Saldana has pleaded not guilty and his defense lawyer told The Daily Beast that he is aware of his wife’s indictment. Attorney Jesse Dreicer added that he personally met with Fernandez Saldana “at the jail and updated him” as he would for any update regarding his case. An attorney for Gardner-Fernandez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“He was surprised and saddened by the news and devastated to learn the twins would be without their father and their mother if even only without their mother on a temporary basis,” Dreicer added about his client’s reaction to the arrest.
Nate Sanders, one of Bridegan’s friends and a former co-worker, told The Daily Beast on Thursday that the news of Gardner-Fernandez’s arrest was “absolutely wild.” While he said he never met Gardner-Fernandez, he “saw firsthand the effects of her behavior on Jared.”
“I’m relieved for Jared’s family,” he said. “As I’ve said before, no one who knew how Shanna treated Jared or her character is surprised by this. I’m just thinking about the Bridegans today and how bittersweet this event is.”
The shocking saga captured national attention last year after prosecutors said Bridegan, a father of four, was shot “execution-style” while trying to move a tire from the middle of the road on Feb. 16, 2022.
Police say Bridegan was returning to his St. Augustine home after dropping off his twins at his ex-wife’s house when he came upon a tire in the middle of the road. Having left his 2-year-old daughter in the backseat, Bridegan was shot multiple times “in cold blood” while trying to move the tire. The toddler, who was still in her car seat when someone drove by minutes later, was unharmed.
In March, Tenon, the 61-year-old former tenant of Fernandez Saldana, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and admitted to pulling the trigger. Prosecutors, however, have still not revealed the motivation behind the murder plot, though it came after a contentious divorce between Bridegan and Gardner-Fernandez.
“We promised at the outset of this investigation we would not relent until we uncovered the truth about Jared’s murder, the whole and entire truth,” Nelson said.
As previously reported by The Daily Beast, Bridegan and Garnder-Fernandez had fought in court for years over custody of their twins in a case that included allegations of mental manipulation.
Kirsten Bridegan, the exec’s new wife, previously told The Daily Beast that despite the ongoing battle, Bridegan made it a priority to figure out a schedule with Gardner-Fernandez to ensure that he could see their 10-year-old twins. Part of that agreement, Kirsten said, included a weekly “date night” of dinner and a quick activity. The night Bridegan was murdered was after one of those date nights.
Just days after Bridegan’s death, Gardner-Fernandez emailed Kirsten asking if she could return some library books, Kirsten told The Daily Beast. In another email, Gardner-Fernandez asked for Bridegan’s death certificate.
Amid the media scrutiny over her ex-husband’s death, Gardner-Fernandez and Fernandez Saldana hired a criminal defense attorney. Later, Gardner-Fernandez told Action News Jax that she was shocked and “fell to the floor because I was devastated” when she learned about the murder.
“I wish it weren’t like this,” she said.
Gardner-Fernandez’s parents expressed “the depth of our sadness” over Thursday’s news before stressing that “family is our top priority.” They urged “caution against further speculation and request privacy as the legal process runs its course.”
“We love our daughter and are focused on supporting her and our entire family as we help our grandchildren navigate this difficult and very confusing time,” Shelli and Sterling Gardner said.
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