Shanna Gardner sent chilling text messages revealing desire to watch ex-husband Jared Bridegan 'disappear'
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FLORIDA: Chilling revelations emerged during a bond hearing at the Duval County Courthouse as prosecutors unveiled the extent of Shanna Gardner's sinister plot to eliminate her ex-husband, Jared Bridegan, a former Microsoft executive.
Text messages read in court showcased Gardner expressing to her best friend Kim Jensen that she would "happily" witness her ex-husband be "given a lethal injection" and commemorate his death with a casserole of "funeral potatoes" and frequently inquiring about locating a hitman capable to "do magic" and "make him disappear."
Insights into Jared Bridegan's murder conspiracy
Gardner, 36, stands accused of orchestrating Bridegan's murder in a complex scheme involving her husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, 35, and his former tenant, Henry Tenon, 62. The murder-for-hire plot culminated in his fatal shooting on February 16, 2022.
Lead Detective Chris Johns testified to Gardner's deep-seated animosity toward Bridegan, stemming from their bitter divorce in 2015. This resentment was fueled by her relentless quest for sole custody of their twins and her desire to gain control over a trust fund established by her parents, contingent upon her maintaining "no legal entanglements" with Bridegan.
"This included feeding him things to give him a heart attack. She also said the best time for 'magic' would be when they're amicable," he said.
Shanna Gardner attempted to shift the blame on Kirsten
In a shocking twist, Gardner allegedly attempted to deflect suspicion onto Bridegan's widow, Kirsten, with whom he has two infant daughters, while investigators swiftly narrowed down their list of suspects. Tenon's cooperation with authorities shed light on the sinister plot, he had been offered $150,000 by Fernandez as an incentive and detailed plans for Bridegan's tragic fate.
According to Johns, Tenon initially declined the request but agreed once the amount had been set. "He stated that in exchange for the money, Mr Fernandez would supply a firearm," reported Daily Mail. He informed officers that the initial plan was to abduct Mr Bridegan and transport him to another location for murder.
Timeline of Jared Bridegan's murder
This conversation, according to his statement, occurred in late 2021. However, the detective mentioned, "After returning from a Hawaii trip in February, Mr Fernandez approached Mr Tenon and stated that this needed to happen this week. If he didn't get it done that his marriage was going to end."
Bridegan was killed four days after Gardner and Fernandez returned to Florida. According to the detective, there were instances when Fernandez trailed Bridegan, attempting to pinpoint the 'best moments' to harm him. He recounted Gardner telling Jensen, "There were times Mario was so close to him he could have reached out and grabbed Jared and caused his death."
Bridegan, 33, was shot on February 16, 2022, while his then two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Bexley, sat just feet away in her car seat. He was driving home after dropping his twins from his first marriage at their mother's home in Jacksonville Beach when he stopped to move a tire that, police believe, was deliberately placed on the road to lure him from his vehicle.
He was shot at close range while his infant daughter Bexley – then just two years old and one of two children from his second marriage – was strapped in her child seat in the back of the car. Bridegan was killed in what police described as a 'targeted attack' when taking his usual route home after dropping off the twins he shared with his ex-wife at what was then her home.
As part of the contentious custody agreement following Bridegan and Gardner's divorce in 2016, the exes had a one-week on, one-week off, arrangement with twins, Abbie and Liam, now 10. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both Gardner and Fernandez, who have pleaded not guilty. Tenon is cooperating with prosecutors and facing a sentence of at least 15 years.
