JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FLORIDA: Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, the ex-wife of a Microsoft executive who was fatally shot in front of his 2-year-old daughter has been taken into custody.
Jared Bridegan was gunned down in Florida in 2022 and more than a year later, his ex-wife is being charged in connection to his tragic death, according to officials, reported New York Post.
What are the charges against Jared Bridegan's ex-wife?
On Thursday morning, August 17, a grand jury handed down Gardner a first-degree murder indictment.
The 33-year-old man was shot to death after he dropped off two of his children at Gardner's upscale suburban home amid their nasty custody battle.
The alleged bitter dispute between the former spouses had escalated, with the Microsoft executive remarrying and the couple having two more young children.
In a tragic turn of events, Bridegan was with his young daughter Bexley when he exited his vehicle to check a tire obstructing the road and he was fatally shot, leaving his child traumatized as she witnessed the violent scene.
Who is Shanna Gardner?
Gardner was long suspected in the murder of her former husband Bridegan. Following her split with Bridegan in 2015, she married Mario Saldana-Fernandez who was also arrested in connection to the brutal murder.
According to police, Saldana conspired with a tenant named Henry Tenon in one of his rental properties to orchestrate the murder.
In January, convicted felon Tenon was arrested. He agreed to cooperate with the murder probe after he admitted to pulling the trigger.
Shortly after the killing, Gardner-Fernandez had moved across the country from Florida to Washington and distanced herself from her ex-husband's widow and the investigators.
What evidence led to Gardener's arrest?
Suspicions surrounding Gardner's involvement in the murder heightened when a tattoo parlor owner came forward and told investigators she once asked about a way to "get rid of" her ex-husband Bridegan.
Despite admitting to a local newspaper that she made the statement, Gardner vehemently denied any involvement in Bridegan's death.
Before the ex-wife's arrest, Bridegan's widow, Kirsten Bridegan openly pointed fingers at Gardner for allegedly plotting the murder.
"This was orchestrated, this was planned and this was specific to Jared," Kirsten said after Tenon was taken into custody.
Talking about her father's death, Bexley who witnessed the horrifying slaying shared she continues to experience the trauma from the sound of the fatal gunshots.
"She heard the noises of the shots that killed her dad, and she was alone wondering what happened to him, and he’s not answering her for minutes — and minutes are an eternity for a child," said Kirsten.
