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SALT LAKE CITY — The ex-wife of Jared Bridegan, a former Utah tech executive who was shot and killed in Florida in 2022, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with his death.
Bridegan was driving home in Jacksonville Beach after dropping off his twin children with his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, on Feb. 16, 2022, when he saw a tire in the middle of the road. The Microsoft senior design manager stopped the car and got out to move the tire and was fatally shot four times at close range.
Gardner was indicted by a 4th Judicial Circuit Court grand jury for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit murder and child abuse, Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced during a press conference Thursday.
"We promised at the outset of this investigation we would not relent until we uncovered the truth of of Jared's murder, the whole and entire truth," Nelson said in the press conference.
Gardner was arrested in West Richland, Washington, and will be extradited to Duval County in Florida.
The first arrest in this murder case was Henry Tenon, who was taken into custody in January and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the act of a capital felony and child abuse.
Tenon pleaded guilty in March to shooting Bridegan and said Mario Fernandez, Gardner's husband, had solicited him to commit the crime. An affidavit in the case says Tenon was a tenant in a home owned by Fernandez.
Fernandez was indicted and arrested on March 16 in Orlando for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse related to Bridegan's murder.
According to CNN, prosecutors said Fernandez "was integral to the solicitation, conspiracy and murder of Bridegan."
Nelson said she will be filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty for Gardner, which she said they also did for Fernandez.
"This investigation has uncovered the truth of Jared's murder. Henry Tenon did not act alone, Mario Fernandez did not plan alone, and Shanna Gardner's indictment acknowledges her central and key role in the cold, calculated and premeditated murder of Jared Bridegan," Nelson said.
After the press conference, Bridegan's brother and wife spoke to First Coast News.
Adam Bridegan said he and his family miss Jared Bridegan so much and they are devastated he is gone. "There is a pain in our hearts that will never go away," he said.
Jared Bridegan's widow, Kirsten Bridegan, said she is confident in the ability of the legal system to bring justice for her husband.
"For 547 days, we hoped and prayed this day would come," she said. "Shanna's arrest ends one horrific chapter of our pursuit for justice for Jared. And now we open a new one. This next chapter will be excruciating."
Kirsten Bridegan said she hopes the fullest extent of the law is carried out and mentioned how sad she is that her husband's two oldest children have been kept away from her since their father's death.
"For the past year and a half, Liam and Abby have been isolated and kept away while living with their mother, stepdad and maternal grandparents despite my constant requests to see and speak with them. I will take this opportunity to do it again," she said. "I plead with the Gardners to put the emotional and well-being of Liam and Abby above all else and allow them to reconnect. We are their family, we pray for them."
A statement from Gardner's parent's expressed they are sad about the indictment.
"Words cannot accurately express the depth of our sadness. Family is our top priority. We love our daughter and are focused on supporting her and our entire family as we help our grandchildren navigate this difficult and very confusing time," the statement reads.
"For their sake and all involved, we caution against further speculation and request privacy as the legal process runs its course. In the meantime, we are thankful for the continued support, thoughtfulness and prayers being so generously shared by friends and loved ones," the statement continues.
Bridegan, his widow and Gardner are all from Utah. Bridegan and Gardner had their twins, Liam and Abby, while living in Utah; he and his widow also attended school in Utah County before moving to Florida to be closer to the twins.
Before working for Microsoft, Bridegan worked for the Utah company Clean Simple Eats.
