Returning to Jacksonville: Washington governor signs extradition papers for Shanna Gardner

Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
·2 min read
In this video image from an officer's body camera, Shanna Gardner peers up at an officer as he asks her some questions and advises her what's happening during her arrest in Benton County, Wash., on Aug. 17 in her ex-husband Jared Bridegan's murder plot in Jacksonville Beach.
In this video image from an officer's body camera, Shanna Gardner peers up at an officer as he asks her some questions and advises her what's happening during her arrest in Benton County, Wash., on Aug. 17 in her ex-husband Jared Bridegan's murder plot in Jacksonville Beach.

Shanna Lee Gardner is cleared to be returned to Jacksonville to face multiple charges as a co-conspirator in the murder plot of ex-husband Jared Bridegan, according to the State Attorney's Office.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the extradition warrant issued Sept. 13 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following Gardner's move to West Richland, Wash., and her arrest on Aug. 17 on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.

Her husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, faces the same charges after his arrest in Orlando on March 16.

The first person arrested on Jan. 25 was 62-year-old Henry Arthur Tenon, who previously rented a home from Fernandez Saldana. He has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, stating he was the triggerman and agreeing to testify against the others, State Attorney Melissa Nelson previously said.

Mario Fernandez Saldana is arrested by the Orange County Sheriff's Office on March 16 in Orlando in the death of Jared Bridegan.
Mario Fernandez Saldana is arrested by the Orange County Sheriff's Office on March 16 in Orlando in the death of Jared Bridegan.

The State Attorney's Office said there is no official timetable for when Gardner, 36, will be transferred.

Fernandez Saldana, 35, had a pretrial hearing scheduled for Monday that was moved to Oct. 12, according to court records. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana.

Shanna Gardner's husband: Bodycam shows a polite and relaxed Mario Fernandez Saldana during arrest in Bridegan case

Bridegan, 33, was shot on Feb. 16, 2022, after dropping his twin children off at Mario and Shanna's Jacksonville Beach home. He lived in St. Augustine and was on his way there with his 2-year-old daughter when he stopped because of a tire on Sancturay Road, police previously said.

Early in the case, police made it clear they didn't think the tire being there was an accident. It was a dark, residential road that Bridegan routinely took to get to Butler Boulevard. When he turned his hazard lights on and got out to move it, he was immediately gunned down, police said. The toddler was unharmed in her safety seat and nothing appeared to be stolen.

Jared Bridegan and daughter Bexley, who was in their car when he was shot and killed in Jacksonville Beach.
Jared Bridegan and daughter Bexley, who was in their car when he was shot and killed in Jacksonville Beach.

An 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."

The indictment also specifies that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana are accused of conspiring between Nov. 1, 2021, and Feb. 16, 2022, to have Bridegan killed. For Gardner it states her involvement may have gone back as far as May 2015, which is a few months after she filed for divorce.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Shanna Gardner cleared to be extradited back to Jacksonville