JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Shanna Gardner and her estranged husband, Mario Fernandez, who are accused of plotting to have her ex-husband Jared Bridegan killed in 2022, were back in Duval County court Friday.
Gardner and Fernandez are under indictment for first-degree murder in what prosecutors say was a murder-for-hire plot in the death of Gardner’s ex-husband, 33-year-old Jared Bridegan.
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Judge London Kite went in-depth on Friday on a host of issues, including digital evidence, to move the case forward and get the state and defense teams on the same page. Kite set the next hearing for April 8 at 8 a.m.
Related: Gardner’s attorneys seek sanctions for SAO, say it ‘abused its authority’ in murder-for-hire case | Jared Bridegan’s wife files wrongful death lawsuit against 3 accused in his murder
Bridegan, a 33-year-old father of four, was gunned down outside his SUV on Feb. 16, 2022, after he stopped to move a tire that was blocking the road. He was taking his normal route home after dropping off the twins he shared with Gardner at her Jacksonville Beach home.
According to police reports, the admitted gunman, Henry Tenon, fired four shots, two hit Bridegan and two hit the SUV. Tenon, a former tenant of Fernandez, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Bridegan case and had agreed to testify against the estranged couple.
However, earlier this year, Tenon claimed his testimony was false, according to court documents related to the case. This revelation could impact the case against Fernandez and Gardner, according to a legal analyst.
After Jared Bridegan’s death, courts settled a custody dispute between Gardner’s parents and Bridegan’s parents over the care of the couple’s twins. Full guardianship was granted to Gardner’s parents, who live in Washington state, with visitation rights for the Bridegans, according to sources for the Florida Times-Union.
Gardner’s appearance in court comes a day after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier presented a Back the Blue award to Kirsten Bridegan, Bridegan’s widow, and members of the Bridegan Foundation for its Bexley Box initiative.
Jury selection in the murder-for-hire case trial is scheduled for Oct. 20.