JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The attorneys representing an estranged husband and wife accused of orchestrating the ambush murder of Jared Bridegan in 2022 were back in court Monday to check in about the case.
Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez are charged as co-defendants in the murder of Bridegan, Gardner’s ex-husband.
Although they are being tried together, Gardner and Fernandez have separate attorneys. Gardner is represented by high-profile defense attorney Jose Baez, who requested a mountain load of discovery from prosecutors.
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The state handed over discovery documents Monday morning that included a disc and a stack of paper a couple of inches thick, according to Fernandez’s attorney.
Both Fernandez and Gardner waived their appearances in court Monday. They will be back in court for a pretrial hearing at 9 a.m. Feb. 2, 2024.
Gardner and Fernandez are each facing charges of first-degree murder, solicitation to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child abuse in connection with Bridegan’s death.
Bridegan was shot multiple times at close range in February 2022 after dropping his older two children off at Gardner’s house. Police said he was ambushed with his toddler daughter in the backseat of his SUV after someone left a tire blocking the road.
Along with Gardner and Fernandez, Henry Tenon, who once rented a home from Fernandez, is charged in the conspiracy to kill the father of four in Jacksonville Beach. Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and has agreed to testify against others involved in the case.
Gardner and Fernandez both face the death penalty if they’re convicted.