July 22, 2025 • 18 mins
A father is gunned down after pulling over to move a tire. Jared Bridegan had just dropped off his twin children at his ex-wife Shanna Gardner's home when he stopped on a quiet Jacksonville Beach road. His two-year-old daughter was still in the back seat when someone opened fire, killing Jared in what looked like a senseless act of violence. But police quickly realized this was no random attack.
As detectives began to unravel the case, they found themselves drawn into a tangled web of custody disputes, strained relationships, and carefully concealed resentment. What began as a search for a masked gunman soon led investigators to Jared’s past—and raised serious questions about who might have wanted him gone, and why.
Now, with multiple arrests made and a high-stakes trial on the horizon, prosecutors say this was a calculated plot to eliminate a devoted father. But with the case still unfolding, the full truth has yet to be tested in court.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
As detectives began to unravel the case, they found themselves drawn into a tangled web of custody disputes, strained relationships, and carefully concealed resentment. What began as a search for a masked gunman soon led investigators to Jared’s past—and raised serious questions about who might have wanted him gone, and why.
Now, with multiple arrests made and a high-stakes trial on the horizon, prosecutors say this was a calculated plot to eliminate a devoted father. But with the case still unfolding, the full truth has yet to be tested in court.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
February sixteenth, twenty twenty two. A dark and quiet street
in Jacksonville Beach, alone tire rests in the middle of
the road. It's just past eight pm and Jared Bride
Again is driving home after dropping off his nine year
old twin kids, Abby and Liam at his ex wife's house.
(00:20):
His two year old daughter Bexley is strapped in her
car seat in the back. Jared spots the tire and stops.
He gets out of the car to remove the tire
for the next motorist. A flash illuminates the night, followed
by several loud bangs. Jared crumples to the ground as
his daughter watches in horror, and the shooter vanishes into
(00:41):
the night. Abnorbi, Hey, what's up everyone. I'm your host
Mattie and this is Murder You. Thanks for listening last
week and for checking out the new Murder U YouTube channel.
If you haven't yet, smashed that follow and subscribe button
and share the show with your friends. It's the best
way to help us reach even more true crime fans.
(01:03):
Each week, the cases get darker, the truth's more unsettling.
A father is ambushed and executed in front of his
infant daughter, Here's Road to revenge. Welcome to Murder you
an Abnormia original. When the police arrived at the scene,
(01:41):
they found Jared Bridgin dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Some
of the bullets had passed through the car, just inches
away from the tiny passenger he was trying to protect.
There was no robbery or road rage argument, just a
calculated ambush that left the police stunned. What initially appeared
to be a random roadside murder would soon reveal something
(02:03):
even more sinister, a custody battle, a covert plot, and
a trail that led directly back to Jared Bridegin's past.
This is the story of a father shot down in
front of his child and the cast of characters who
wanted him dead. Jared Britgan and Shanna Gardner met in
two thousand and nine through Jared's sister in law, and
(02:25):
the connection was immediate. Jared flew to Utah to take
Shawna on their first date, and within weeks they were engaged.
Both came from religious backgrounds. Jared was a lifelong member
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints
and Shanna was raised Mormon in a well known Utah family.
They were married in April twenty ten at the Salt
(02:46):
Lake City, LDS Temple, a sacred ceremony for devout members
and a sign of shared values. At the time, the
early years of their relationship were full of promise. They
had twins, Abby and Liam, and made multiple cross country
moves to support family needs and Jared's career in digital design.
But over time, differences in lifestyle and religious commitment began
(03:11):
to surface. Shanna gradually stepped away from the l d
S faith, while Jared remained active and deeply rooted in
his beliefs. Their contrasting views on parenting and religion became
flash points during and after the marriage, mainly when it
came to raising the children. While they tried to maintain
their roles as parents, Their disagreements sometimes spilled over into
(03:33):
public spaces, including church settings. There were other issues in
the marriage as well. As the couple drifted apart. Shanna
had an affair with her personal trainer, a betrayal that
almost certainly contributed to the breakdown of the marriage. The
trust between the couple unraveled for good. What began as
a whirlwind romance was falling apart behind closed doors. By
(03:57):
twenty fifteen, they divorced, but the emotional and legal fallout
would last far longer than their marriage. That same year,
Jared remarried, which must have come as a shock to
his newly divorced ex wife. The happy couple soon had
two daughters to raise alongside Jared's twins. Jared Bridegan was
the kind of dad who took part in everything from
(04:19):
school events to bedtime stories and weekends brimming with adventures.
By all accounts, he cherished fatherhood above all else. He
worked as a senior design manager at Microsoft and lived
in Saint Augustine, Florida, with his second wife, Kirsten and
their two young daughters, Bexley and Baby London. However, his
(04:41):
life was becoming complicated. Jared shared custody of his nine
year old twins Abby and Liam with his ex wife,
Shanna Gardner. By twenty twenty two, that relationship had become
deeply strained. After the divorce in twenty fifteen, tensions between
Jared and Shanna never cooled. Custody exchanges were often awkward,
(05:03):
texts went unanswered, and when Jared remarried and built a
new life with Kirsten, things became even more contentious. Still,
he tried to stay involved with the twins, driving long distances,
adjusting schedules, and making the handoffs work even when it
wasn't easy. On the night Jared was murdered, he was
(05:24):
doing just that, driving home after dropping off Abby and Liam,
trying to stick to the routine. He had taken Bexley
with him on the drive, as he often did, and
was heading back towards Saint Augustine when the ambush occurred.
Someone knew that the good Samaritan Jared wouldn't simply drive
around an obstacle in the middle of the road, and
(05:46):
they exploited his kindness and concern for others to set
him up and take his life. The callous killer or
killers showed no regard for the toddler in the back seat,
who nearly became a second murder victim. The community was stunned.
Jared Bridigan wasn't involved in anything shady. He was a
(06:06):
devoted father, gunned down in the dark in what was
supposed to look like a random act of violence. But
almost immediately investigators began to question that theory. Why would
the killer have waited in such a specific spot if
it was random, and why was nothing taken. Detectives concluded
that Jared Bridegin had been deliberately targeted. The planted tire,
(06:30):
the assassin style hit, and the fact that nothing was
stolen all indicated careful planning. Whoever pulled the trigger knew
exactly where Jared would be and when he would stop,
but there were no eye witnesses. Despite canvassing the neighborhood,
investigators found limited physical evidence. Whoever committed this act timed
(06:50):
it perfectly, striking during the brief window between when Jared
dropped off his older children and when he was expected home.
Police began digging into Jared's life at work. There were
no red flags. He had no known enemies, drug connections,
or a hidden life. His colleagues all liked and respected him.
(07:10):
There were no signs of illegal activity. Friends described Jared
Brittigan as kind, devoted, and laser focused on his children.
Investigators interviewed neighbors, examined his phone, and retraced his last steps.
It all led to one conclusion. If this wasn't random,
it had to be personal. But who could possibly want
(07:33):
him dead? Attention soon shifted to Jared's domestic life, specifically
his relationship with his ex wife Shanna Gardner, their divorce
had not been amicable. To put it mildly, According to
those close to the situation, their co parenting arrangement was
tense and marked by years of legal filings, disagreements and accusations.
(07:57):
Communications were filtered through lawyers, and custody of exchanges were strained. Additionally,
Shanna's new husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, rarely spoke to Jared
behind closed doors. The conflict had escalated. Jared's current wife, Kirsten,
later revealed that in the months leading up to his murder,
(08:18):
Jared confided that things were worsening. He worried about the
ongoing custody battle affecting the twins, and was also concerned
for his own personal safety. He had reason to be.
The more investigators examined the situation, the more it appeared
that Jared and Shanna's custody dispute had spiraled far beyond
typical anger and resentment. This wasn't just about legal paperwork
(08:42):
or missed pickups. It involved something deeper and colder. Most
messy divorces don't end in murder, but in this case,
someone allowed their resentment to build into a murderous rage.
In the months following Jared Bryde against murder, investigators faced
a challenging case with limited leads. However, a breakthrough occurred
(09:03):
when surveillance footage captured a blue Ford F one fifty
pickup truck leaving the vicinity of the crime scene around
the time of the shooting. This vehicle became a focal
point in the investigation. Further inquiries revealed that Henry Tennin,
a sixty one year old man with a criminal history,
owned a truck that matched the description. Tennin was also
(09:26):
a former tenant of Mario Fernandez Saldana, the husband of
Jared's ex wife, Shanna Gardner. The connection raised suspicions that
Gardner and Saldana could be behind the murder. Stigators delved
deeper and discovered that Tenant's cell phone records placed him
near the crime scene on the night of the murder. Additionally,
(09:48):
financial records indicated that Tenan had received multiple checks totaling
ten thousand dollars signed by Fernandez Saldana in the weeks
following the murder. The u the findings provided compelling evidence
of Tennan's involvement. In January twenty twenty three, authorities arrested
Henry Tennen and charged him with second degree murder, Facing
(10:12):
the possibility of a life sentence, Tenen agreed to a
plea deal, admitting to being the triggerman in the ambush
of Jared Bridgen. He also agreed to provide information about
the cold blooded conspiracy. Henry Tennen revealed that Mario Fernandez
Saldana hired him to carry out the killing in a
murder for higher plot orchestrated by Jared's ex wife and
(10:35):
her new bo With Henry Tennen now cooperating, investigators moved
swiftly to verify the details he provided. They confirmed that
Mario Fernandez Saldana, Shanna Gardner's second husband, was deeply involved
in the conspiracy. According to Tennin, Fernandez not only orchestrated
the murder, but also made initial contact, discussed logistics, and
(10:59):
n provided the financial compensation. Detectives traced phone records and
text messages between Tenin and Fernandez. They also discovered that
Tenen had conducted surveillance on Jared in the weeks leading
up to the murder. GPS data and cell tower pings
indicated he was near Jared's home and in areas Jared
(11:20):
frequently traveled. Tennan's movements aligned with the planning stages outlined
in his confession. Financial records confirmed that Tenen received payments
associated with Fernandez, including multiple checks from a business controlled
by Fernandez. In March twenty twenty three, Mario Fernandez Saldana
(11:40):
was arrested and charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to
commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse.
Because little Bexley was present in the car during her
father's murder, Saldana was held without bond, but the investigation
didn't stop there. Tenen's statements also implicated Shanna Gardner directly.
(12:02):
According to court records, Gardner wanted to get rid of
Jared Tenant claimed that the custody battle was the motive
for premeditated murder. The communication timeline between her, Fernandez, and
Tenin supported the theory that she was involved in the
plot from the start. After Jared's murder, Shanna Gardner relocated
(12:22):
to Washington State with the twins, a move prosecutors later
deemed suspicious due to its timing and her lack of
cooperation with investigators. It became another data point in what
they described as a long standing pattern of hostility and control.
In August twenty twenty three, Gardner was arrested in West Richland, Washington,
(12:44):
and extradited to Florida. Back in the Sunshine State, Shanna
Gardner was formally charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to
commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder. Prosecutors announced that
they would seek the death penel for both Gardener and Fernandez.
You got to hand it to Florida, they don't mess around.
(13:07):
The case has taken over a year to piece together,
but investigators now believe they will expose every layer of
the conspiracy during the upcoming trials. Prosecutors have compiled a
timeline that spans several years. According to them, this was
a well planned conspiracy and a premeditated murder plot to
remove Jared from their lives. According to Jared's family, the
(13:30):
situation was so contentious that even basic parenting coordination was
sometimes impossible. The state alleges that this growing animosity became
the motive. In early court filings, they described how Fernandez
and Gardner conspired and agreed to execute Jared, citing their
desire to eliminate his involvement with the twins. With Fernandez
(13:52):
and Gardner awaiting trial. Prosecutors announced their intention to try
the cases separately, relying on the same witnesses and evidence.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty. Henry Tennant had already
pleaded guilty to second degree murder and agreed to testify
in the upcoming trials. His cooperation became the foundation for
(14:13):
the prosecution's cases, as he recounted how he was recruited,
the plans for the ambush, and how he was paid
after the killing. Tenant also provided details about the firearm
used and the placement of the tire, which corroborated the
findings from the crime scene. Surveillance footage, cell tower data,
and financial transactions supported his account. While the defense teams
(14:38):
have remained tight lipped, early court filings suggest they may
argue that Tenant's testimony is unreliable and that there is
no direct evidence linking Gardner or Fernandez to the planning
or financing of the murder. Prosecutors are expected to argue
that the cumulative weight of circumstantial evidence, including Tenant's statements,
(15:00):
communication records, and financial transfers, establishes clear intent and proof
of a conspiracy. Pre trial motions and hearings were stretched
over several months, with trial dates anticipated for late twenty
twenty five. Prosecutors indicated that they will pursue the death
penalty for both Fernandez and Gardener, a decision that guarantees
(15:23):
the legal process will be lengthy. Though a conviction has
yet to be handed down for Gardener or Fernandez, the evidence,
along with Tennan's account, remains compelling. A case that once
felt like a mystery that would never yield answers now
looks like a slam dunk case, but it remains to
be seen if a jury agrees. The arrests of the
(15:45):
three suspects brought some measure of relief, but for Jared's family,
justice remains unfinished. Jared's widow, Kirsten Bridegan, has focused her
efforts on advocacy. She created the Bridegin Foundation and the
Bexley Box Initiative to support children affected by violent crimes,
(16:05):
and has become a public figure in the fight for
victim's rights. She continues to raise their two daughters, Bexley
and London. Florida's Attorney General honored her efforts with the
Back the Blue Award. Kirston Bright again has spoken publicly
about the trauma her daughter, Bexley experienced after witnessing her
father's murder. In a series of interviews, Kirston described how
(16:29):
Bexley asked about her father daily and struggled with night terrors.
As legal motions continue, the state's pursuit of the death
penalty has added complexity. Defense teams have requested delays, challenged
testimony admissibility, and raised concerns over venue and jury bias.
Despite the delays, prosecutors remained confident in the case against
(16:51):
Gardner and Fernandez. A trial date was finally set. Jury
selection for both Gardner and Fernandez is scheduled to begin
in Octomer twenty twenty five, with prosecutors seeking the death
penalty for both, but even with that date on the calendar,
delays remain a possibility. With the trial still ahead, the
(17:11):
entire story is still waiting to be tested in court.
For Jared's family, justice means more than a guilty verdict.
It means answers accountability and maybe finally peace. Jared Brydigan
was ambushed and killed on a quiet street in front
of his two year old daughter, just blocks from his
(17:32):
ex wife's house. It wasn't a robbery or random street violence.
It was a calculated setup, allegedly stemming from a bitter
custody battle over Jared's nine year old twins. The callous
crime was planned to the last detail, yet the conspiracy
and cover up were sloppy and led right back to
(17:52):
the only people who had a grudge against the devoted
father of four. Now, Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez are
accused of orchestrating the killing. The trial is only a
few months away, but the verdict remains uncertain. That's it
for this episode. Remember to like, subscribe, hit the Bell,
and follow us on social media for regular updates about
(18:16):
this case and all the most shocking true crime cases.
February sixteenth, twenty twenty two. A dark and quiet street
in Jacksonville Beach, alone tire rests in the middle of
the road. It's just past eight pm and Jared Bride
Again is driving home after dropping off his nine year
old twin kids, Abby and Liam at his ex wife's house.
(00:20):
His two year old daughter Bexley is strapped in her
car seat in the back. Jared spots the tire and stops.
He gets out of the car to remove the tire
for the next motorist. A flash illuminates the night, followed
by several loud bangs. Jared crumples to the ground as
his daughter watches in horror, and the shooter vanishes into
(00:41):
the night. Abnorbi, Hey, what's up everyone. I'm your host
Mattie and this is Murder You. Thanks for listening last
week and for checking out the new Murder U YouTube channel.
If you haven't yet, smashed that follow and subscribe button
and share the show with your friends. It's the best
way to help us reach even more true crime fans.
(01:03):
Each week, the cases get darker, the truth's more unsettling.
A father is ambushed and executed in front of his
infant daughter, Here's Road to revenge. Welcome to Murder you
an Abnormia original. When the police arrived at the scene,
(01:41):
they found Jared Bridgin dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Some
of the bullets had passed through the car, just inches
away from the tiny passenger he was trying to protect.
There was no robbery or road rage argument, just a
calculated ambush that left the police stunned. What initially appeared
to be a random roadside murder would soon reveal something
(02:03):
even more sinister, a custody battle, a covert plot, and
a trail that led directly back to Jared Bridegin's past.
This is the story of a father shot down in
front of his child and the cast of characters who
wanted him dead. Jared Britgan and Shanna Gardner met in
two thousand and nine through Jared's sister in law, and
(02:25):
the connection was immediate. Jared flew to Utah to take
Shawna on their first date, and within weeks they were engaged.
Both came from religious backgrounds. Jared was a lifelong member
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints
and Shanna was raised Mormon in a well known Utah family.
They were married in April twenty ten at the Salt
(02:46):
Lake City, LDS Temple, a sacred ceremony for devout members
and a sign of shared values. At the time, the
early years of their relationship were full of promise. They
had twins, Abby and Liam, and made multiple cross country
moves to support family needs and Jared's career in digital design.
But over time, differences in lifestyle and religious commitment began
(03:11):
to surface. Shanna gradually stepped away from the l d
S faith, while Jared remained active and deeply rooted in
his beliefs. Their contrasting views on parenting and religion became
flash points during and after the marriage, mainly when it
came to raising the children. While they tried to maintain
their roles as parents, Their disagreements sometimes spilled over into
(03:33):
public spaces, including church settings. There were other issues in
the marriage as well. As the couple drifted apart. Shanna
had an affair with her personal trainer, a betrayal that
almost certainly contributed to the breakdown of the marriage. The
trust between the couple unraveled for good. What began as
a whirlwind romance was falling apart behind closed doors. By
(03:57):
twenty fifteen, they divorced, but the emotional and legal fallout
would last far longer than their marriage. That same year,
Jared remarried, which must have come as a shock to
his newly divorced ex wife. The happy couple soon had
two daughters to raise alongside Jared's twins. Jared Bridegan was
the kind of dad who took part in everything from
(04:19):
school events to bedtime stories and weekends brimming with adventures.
By all accounts, he cherished fatherhood above all else. He
worked as a senior design manager at Microsoft and lived
in Saint Augustine, Florida, with his second wife, Kirsten and
their two young daughters, Bexley and Baby London. However, his
(04:41):
life was becoming complicated. Jared shared custody of his nine
year old twins Abby and Liam with his ex wife,
Shanna Gardner. By twenty twenty two, that relationship had become
deeply strained. After the divorce in twenty fifteen, tensions between
Jared and Shanna never cooled. Custody exchanges were often awkward,
(05:03):
texts went unanswered, and when Jared remarried and built a
new life with Kirsten, things became even more contentious. Still,
he tried to stay involved with the twins, driving long distances,
adjusting schedules, and making the handoffs work even when it
wasn't easy. On the night Jared was murdered, he was
(05:24):
doing just that, driving home after dropping off Abby and Liam,
trying to stick to the routine. He had taken Bexley
with him on the drive, as he often did, and
was heading back towards Saint Augustine when the ambush occurred.
Someone knew that the good Samaritan Jared wouldn't simply drive
around an obstacle in the middle of the road, and
(05:46):
they exploited his kindness and concern for others to set
him up and take his life. The callous killer or
killers showed no regard for the toddler in the back seat,
who nearly became a second murder victim. The community was stunned.
Jared Bridigan wasn't involved in anything shady. He was a
(06:06):
devoted father, gunned down in the dark in what was
supposed to look like a random act of violence. But
almost immediately investigators began to question that theory. Why would
the killer have waited in such a specific spot if
it was random, and why was nothing taken. Detectives concluded
that Jared Bridegin had been deliberately targeted. The planted tire,
(06:30):
the assassin style hit, and the fact that nothing was
stolen all indicated careful planning. Whoever pulled the trigger knew
exactly where Jared would be and when he would stop,
but there were no eye witnesses. Despite canvassing the neighborhood,
investigators found limited physical evidence. Whoever committed this act timed
(06:50):
it perfectly, striking during the brief window between when Jared
dropped off his older children and when he was expected home.
Police began digging into Jared's life at work. There were
no red flags. He had no known enemies, drug connections,
or a hidden life. His colleagues all liked and respected him.
(07:10):
There were no signs of illegal activity. Friends described Jared
Brittigan as kind, devoted, and laser focused on his children.
Investigators interviewed neighbors, examined his phone, and retraced his last steps.
It all led to one conclusion. If this wasn't random,
it had to be personal. But who could possibly want
(07:33):
him dead? Attention soon shifted to Jared's domestic life, specifically
his relationship with his ex wife Shanna Gardner, their divorce
had not been amicable. To put it mildly, According to
those close to the situation, their co parenting arrangement was
tense and marked by years of legal filings, disagreements and accusations.
(07:57):
Communications were filtered through lawyers, and custody of exchanges were strained. Additionally,
Shanna's new husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, rarely spoke to Jared
behind closed doors. The conflict had escalated. Jared's current wife, Kirsten,
later revealed that in the months leading up to his murder,
(08:18):
Jared confided that things were worsening. He worried about the
ongoing custody battle affecting the twins, and was also concerned
for his own personal safety. He had reason to be.
The more investigators examined the situation, the more it appeared
that Jared and Shanna's custody dispute had spiraled far beyond
typical anger and resentment. This wasn't just about legal paperwork
(08:42):
or missed pickups. It involved something deeper and colder. Most
messy divorces don't end in murder, but in this case,
someone allowed their resentment to build into a murderous rage.
In the months following Jared Bryde against murder, investigators faced
a challenging case with limited leads. However, a breakthrough occurred
(09:03):
when surveillance footage captured a blue Ford F one fifty
pickup truck leaving the vicinity of the crime scene around
the time of the shooting. This vehicle became a focal
point in the investigation. Further inquiries revealed that Henry Tennin,
a sixty one year old man with a criminal history,
owned a truck that matched the description. Tennin was also
(09:26):
a former tenant of Mario Fernandez Saldana, the husband of
Jared's ex wife, Shanna Gardner. The connection raised suspicions that
Gardner and Saldana could be behind the murder. Stigators delved
deeper and discovered that Tenant's cell phone records placed him
near the crime scene on the night of the murder. Additionally,
(09:48):
financial records indicated that Tenan had received multiple checks totaling
ten thousand dollars signed by Fernandez Saldana in the weeks
following the murder. The u the findings provided compelling evidence
of Tennan's involvement. In January twenty twenty three, authorities arrested
Henry Tennen and charged him with second degree murder, Facing
(10:12):
the possibility of a life sentence, Tenen agreed to a
plea deal, admitting to being the triggerman in the ambush
of Jared Bridgen. He also agreed to provide information about
the cold blooded conspiracy. Henry Tennen revealed that Mario Fernandez
Saldana hired him to carry out the killing in a
murder for higher plot orchestrated by Jared's ex wife and
(10:35):
her new bo With Henry Tennen now cooperating, investigators moved
swiftly to verify the details he provided. They confirmed that
Mario Fernandez Saldana, Shanna Gardner's second husband, was deeply involved
in the conspiracy. According to Tennin, Fernandez not only orchestrated
the murder, but also made initial contact, discussed logistics, and
(10:59):
n provided the financial compensation. Detectives traced phone records and
text messages between Tenin and Fernandez. They also discovered that
Tenen had conducted surveillance on Jared in the weeks leading
up to the murder. GPS data and cell tower pings
indicated he was near Jared's home and in areas Jared
(11:20):
frequently traveled. Tennan's movements aligned with the planning stages outlined
in his confession. Financial records confirmed that Tenen received payments
associated with Fernandez, including multiple checks from a business controlled
by Fernandez. In March twenty twenty three, Mario Fernandez Saldana
(11:40):
was arrested and charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to
commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse.
Because little Bexley was present in the car during her
father's murder, Saldana was held without bond, but the investigation
didn't stop there. Tenen's statements also implicated Shanna Gardner directly.
(12:02):
According to court records, Gardner wanted to get rid of
Jared Tenant claimed that the custody battle was the motive
for premeditated murder. The communication timeline between her, Fernandez, and
Tenin supported the theory that she was involved in the
plot from the start. After Jared's murder, Shanna Gardner relocated
(12:22):
to Washington State with the twins, a move prosecutors later
deemed suspicious due to its timing and her lack of
cooperation with investigators. It became another data point in what
they described as a long standing pattern of hostility and control.
In August twenty twenty three, Gardner was arrested in West Richland, Washington,
(12:44):
and extradited to Florida. Back in the Sunshine State, Shanna
Gardner was formally charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to
commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder. Prosecutors announced that
they would seek the death penel for both Gardener and Fernandez.
You got to hand it to Florida, they don't mess around.
(13:07):
The case has taken over a year to piece together,
but investigators now believe they will expose every layer of
the conspiracy during the upcoming trials. Prosecutors have compiled a
timeline that spans several years. According to them, this was
a well planned conspiracy and a premeditated murder plot to
remove Jared from their lives. According to Jared's family, the
(13:30):
situation was so contentious that even basic parenting coordination was
sometimes impossible. The state alleges that this growing animosity became
the motive. In early court filings, they described how Fernandez
and Gardner conspired and agreed to execute Jared, citing their
desire to eliminate his involvement with the twins. With Fernandez
(13:52):
and Gardner awaiting trial. Prosecutors announced their intention to try
the cases separately, relying on the same witnesses and evidence.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty. Henry Tennant had already
pleaded guilty to second degree murder and agreed to testify
in the upcoming trials. His cooperation became the foundation for
(14:13):
the prosecution's cases, as he recounted how he was recruited,
the plans for the ambush, and how he was paid
after the killing. Tenant also provided details about the firearm
used and the placement of the tire, which corroborated the
findings from the crime scene. Surveillance footage, cell tower data,
and financial transactions supported his account. While the defense teams
(14:38):
have remained tight lipped, early court filings suggest they may
argue that Tenant's testimony is unreliable and that there is
no direct evidence linking Gardner or Fernandez to the planning
or financing of the murder. Prosecutors are expected to argue
that the cumulative weight of circumstantial evidence, including Tenant's statements,
(15:00):
communication records, and financial transfers, establishes clear intent and proof
of a conspiracy. Pre trial motions and hearings were stretched
over several months, with trial dates anticipated for late twenty
twenty five. Prosecutors indicated that they will pursue the death
penalty for both Fernandez and Gardener, a decision that guarantees
(15:23):
the legal process will be lengthy. Though a conviction has
yet to be handed down for Gardener or Fernandez, the evidence,
along with Tennan's account, remains compelling. A case that once
felt like a mystery that would never yield answers now
looks like a slam dunk case, but it remains to
be seen if a jury agrees. The arrests of the
(15:45):
three suspects brought some measure of relief, but for Jared's family,
justice remains unfinished. Jared's widow, Kirsten Bridegan, has focused her
efforts on advocacy. She created the Bridegin Foundation and the
Bexley Box Initiative to support children affected by violent crimes,
(16:05):
and has become a public figure in the fight for
victim's rights. She continues to raise their two daughters, Bexley
and London. Florida's Attorney General honored her efforts with the
Back the Blue Award. Kirston Bright again has spoken publicly
about the trauma her daughter, Bexley experienced after witnessing her
father's murder. In a series of interviews, Kirston described how
(16:29):
Bexley asked about her father daily and struggled with night terrors.
As legal motions continue, the state's pursuit of the death
penalty has added complexity. Defense teams have requested delays, challenged
testimony admissibility, and raised concerns over venue and jury bias.
Despite the delays, prosecutors remained confident in the case against
(16:51):
Gardner and Fernandez. A trial date was finally set. Jury
selection for both Gardner and Fernandez is scheduled to begin
in Octomer twenty twenty five, with prosecutors seeking the death
penalty for both, but even with that date on the calendar,
delays remain a possibility. With the trial still ahead, the
(17:11):
entire story is still waiting to be tested in court.
For Jared's family, justice means more than a guilty verdict.
It means answers accountability and maybe finally peace. Jared Brydigan
was ambushed and killed on a quiet street in front
of his two year old daughter, just blocks from his
(17:32):
ex wife's house. It wasn't a robbery or random street violence.
It was a calculated setup, allegedly stemming from a bitter
custody battle over Jared's nine year old twins. The callous
crime was planned to the last detail, yet the conspiracy
and cover up were sloppy and led right back to
(17:52):
the only people who had a grudge against the devoted
father of four. Now, Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez are
accused of orchestrating the killing. The trial is only a
few months away, but the verdict remains uncertain. That's it
for this episode. Remember to like, subscribe, hit the Bell,
and follow us on social media for regular updates about
(18:16):
this case and all the most shocking true crime cases.
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