Shanna Gardner pleads not guilty to charges in ex-husband Jared Bridegan's murder plot
Shanna Lee Gardner, one of three defendants in the plot to rid herself of ex-husband Jared Bridegan, entered a not-guilty plea Friday in her role in his Feb. 16, 2022, ambush attack after leaving her home in Jacksonville Beach.
Gardner, 36, was returned to Jacksonville two weeks ago from Benton County, Wash., where she had moved and was arrested on Aug. 17 on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.
Gardner had been widely speculated to be involved in Bridegan's shooting death but was the last to be arrested after leaving the state with her and Bridegan's twin son and daughter and without current husband Mario Fernandez Saldana.
Bridegan, 33, was gunned down not far from Gardner and Fernandez Saldana's home after stopping his car to move a tire from the middle of the road. He had just dropped off the twins to Gardner and was on his way home to St. Augustine with his 2-year-old daughter when he was ambushed. The child was unharmed, and Jacksonville Beach police were immediately suspicious because nothing appeared to have been stolen and theorized that the tire was purposefully placed there to get Bridegan to stop.
Henry Arthur Tenon, a 62-year-old former tenant of Fernandez Saldana, was the first suspect to be arrested on Jan. 25. On March 16 he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, stating he was the triggerman and agreeing to testify against the others, State Attorney Melissa Nelson previously said.
Jacksonville Beach murder plot: Bodycam video shows Shanna Gardner's arrest in ex-Jared Bridegan's murder plot
It was the same day 35-year-old Fernandez Saldana was arrested in Orlando on the same charges as his wife. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana.
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 documents include evidence of payments made to Tenon by Fernandez Saldana and cellphone communication between the two.
Gardner is being represented by Miami-based private attorney Jose Baez, known for his work in high-profile cases such as Casey Anthony, acquitted in the death of her daughter Caylee Anthony, former NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez and Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Before her arrest, she had hired another notable defense attorney in Jacksonville, Hank Coxe.
Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler is the lead prosecutor in the case. Judge London Kite asked her how many witnesses does she have, and she replied "over a hundred."
Shanna Gardner's husband: Bodycam shows a polite and relaxed Mario Fernandez Saldana during arrest in Bridegan case
Kite scheduled Gardner's next hearing for Dec. 1. Gardner and Fernandez Saldana will be tried together and their future court hearings will be in tandem.
Bridegan's widow, Kirsten, attended the arraignment with other family members. His father, Gaylord, joined by his sister, Ashley, provided the following statement afterward:
"If Jared were here today, he would look out at everyone, smile and express his appreciation to you," the statement read in part. "But, he’s not here today. Almost two years ago, my wife and I lost our youngest son to murder. Our children lost their dear brother. His wife, Kirsten, lost the love of her life. Jared’s children lost their father. His death has impacted many. The outpouring of support for Jared has been overwhelming and heartfelt."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Shanna Gardner pleads not guilty in Jared Bridegan case in Jacksonville
