Jared Bridegan homicide – newest: New bodycam exhibits arrest of ex-wife Shanna Gardner

Newly-released bodycam footage exhibits the dramatic second police arrested Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife Shanna Gardner-Fernandez for his homicide.

Bridegan, a software program developer at Microsoft, was ambushed and shot useless in Jacksonville Seashore in February 2022.

Greater than a yr later, his ex-wife was charged with first diploma homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, solicitation to commit a capital felony and baby abuse.

Bodycam footage exhibits Gardner-Fernandez in a black t-shirt and pink pajama pants as she’s detained by police at her Washington state house in August 2023. One of many 12-year-old twins is heard asking, “The place are your denims, mother?” The opposite responds, “I do know the place they’re.”

She’s heard on the video telling the kids she loves them as she’s being led away by police. Andrea Cavallier experiences.

Shanna Gardner and the late Jared Bridegan have an “intensive litigation historical past” that has been taking part in out in St Johns County, Florida courts since 2015, Motion Information Jax experiences.

The greater than 800-page divorce and custody file exhibits the events used the court docket system for almost all of their communications and “clearly have intensive litigation historical past with every one submitting a number of motions and petitions.”

Ms Gardner’s legal professional advisable a “parenting coordinator” to assist resolve disputes with out having to resort to litigation

She had requested that Mr Bridegan “present minimal and cheap info relating to his journey with the kids out of state” — corresponding to the placement and approximate time of leaving and returning.

In accordance with the paperwork, Mr Bridegan “is refusing”.

Ms Gardner-Fernandez is presently within the custody of the Benton County Corrections Division in Washington.

Throughout a court docket look on Friday, Ms Gardner-Fernandez refused to waive extradition to Florida, the place she faces fees of first-degree homicide, conspiracy to commit first-degree homicide and baby endangerment.

She is being held with out bond and is predicted to reappear in court docket on 14 September.

Shanna Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in Washington state on Thursday and shall be extradited again to Duval County, Florida, the place she has been indicted by a grand jury on a cost of first-degree homicide and baby abuse.

After her divorce from Jared Bridegan and her marriage to Mario Fernandez, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez reportedly moved her household to southeastern Washington state – with out her new partner, in accordance with Fox Information Digital.

Kirsten Bridegan, earlier than Ms Gardner-Fernandez’s arrest, had informed the outlet she was “shocked” to study Ms Gardner-Fernandez moved away, claiming her step-children at the moment are “remoted” from her and their half-siblings.

“First, the twins misplaced their dad, then they have been fully reduce off from their very own sisters, and now they’re being taken away from their college, associates, their sports activities groups,” she stated. “They’re so remoted, and that’s what considerations me.”

The twins didn’t attend their father’s funeral service – however in a submit to her customized bakery’s Instagram account, Mr Bridegan’s ex-wife Shanna stated she had held a personal memorial with household and associates to “present assist for my littles”.

“It was a really emotional day, but additionally a day for smiles, laughter and love,” she wrote.

Mr Bridegan’s widow informed Fox she has tried to make contact with Ms Gardner-Fernandez, however stated she has been met with silence.

“It’s been an added loss,” she stated. “On prime of dropping Jared, my youngsters have misplaced their siblings. I’ve misplaced my step-kids. I’ve tried for months and months to make contact and have gotten nowhere.”

Ms Gardner-Fernandez, nonetheless, was arrested in Washington state on Thursday – and shall be extradited again to Duval County, Florida, the place she has been indicted by a grand jury on a cost of first-degree homicide and baby abuse.

“We promised on the outset of this investigation we’d not relent till we uncovered the reality of Jared’s homicide, the entire and full reality,” State Lawyer Melissa Nelson informed reporters.

The Unbiased has reached out to Ms Gardner-Fernandez’s prison defence legal professional, Henry Coxe III, for remark.

Bridegan’s widow, Kristen Bridegan, welcomed the hope that justice could be served.

In January, authorities arrested Henry Teton, 61, a longtime felon, and charged him with conspiracy to commit homicide, second-degree homicide with a weapon, accent after the very fact to a capital felony and baby abuse.

Melissa Nelson, the State Lawyer for the Fourth Judicial District, informed reporters that have been different suspects being investigation and authorities “know that Henry Tenon didn’t act alone.”

Authorities didn’t element the precise position they imagine Mr Tenon performed in Mr Bridegan’s dying however revealed a connection between Mr Tenon and Ms Gardner-Fernandez. They stated Mr Tenon was residing at a house in Jacksonville that was owned by Mario Fernandez, Ms Gardner-Fernandez’s husband on the time of the homicide.

Mr Fernandez reportedly bought the rental property in 2017 and strong it in October 2022, in accordance with investigators. Mr Tenon seems to have rented instantly from Mr Fernandez.

The owner himself was arrested on16 March on fees of first-degree homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, solicitation to commit a capital felony and baby abuse. Prosecutors are in search of the dying penalty towards him l– alleging he dedicated the crime for “pecuniary acquire” and in a “chilly calculated and premeditated method with none pretense of ethical or authorized justification.”

The choice to pursue the dying penalty within the case got here simply days after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a brand new regulation requiring that solely eight out 12 jurors must agree on the dying sentence. It replaces a regulation which wanted a unanimous vote for the dying penalty.

Prosecutors introduced earlier this yr that Tenon had pleaded responsible and would testify towards co-defendants; he’ll serve a minimum of 15 years in jail, in accordance with the plea settlement.

Then, this week, Ms Gardner-Fernandez was additionally arrested in connection together with her ex-husband’s dying – throughout the nation in Washington State.

The widow of murdered Microsoft govt Jared Bridegan has spoken out concerning the final time she noticed him alive as his ex-wife is preventing extradition to face fees over her homicide.

Kirsten Bridegan informed NewsNation that she stated goodbye to him and their daughter Bexley as he went off on “what’s known as date evening the place he goes on his off weeks when the twins are with their mother”.

She stated they hugged and kissed and spoke afterward the cellphone that evening however that was the “final second” they’d in particular person collectively.

“It was after we stated goodbye for him to go away to what’s known as date evening the place he goes on his off weeks when the twins are with their mother,” she stated.

“He and Bexley have been leaving and it was ‘love you, bye, goodbye.’ You understand, hug and kiss and that was the final second. No, sorry. I take that again. We did discuss on the cellphone that evening. However so far as in particular person, that was our final second.”

Jared Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten Bridegan, informed The Independent within the months after his dying that her husband of 4 years was “such a great man, a great father, nice partner and a loyal pal. He would lend a software to anyone who wanted it, go to their home and assist them. It’s simply surprising that anybody would goal him and to do it in such an evil and cowardly manner, particularly with my daughter within the automobile.”

In April 2022, she stated she was “praying that they will get well DNA or fingerprints from the proof that they’ve despatched for processing as a result of that may tell us who’s behind this and who killed him.

“It’s so irritating that it takes time however this isn’t a TV present, it’s actual life. I pray and hope that when that is available in that may give us somebody or one thing to go after.”

Ms Bridegan didn’t wish to remark on the time on her husband’s relationship together with his ex-wife however stated he’d discovered it difficult elevating his eldest youngsters between two houses.

“Being a father of youngsters which might be cut up between two houses is troublesome, and that was one thing was troublesome for him.”

Whereas she stated the grief of dropping her husband was insufferable at instances, Ms Bridegan stated she was targeted on caring for her daughters and bringing her husband’s killers to justice.

“It’s onerous permitting myself to really feel these feelings and take care of them head on,” she informed The Unbiased. “Typically I really feel like I’ve to push these apart and be right here for my daughters. I’ve simply been making an attempt to give attention to my ladies and get solutions.

“Somebody on the market is aware of one thing, somebody on the market is aware of who did this. Whether or not it’s for the reward cash, or since you’re an honest particular person and have a shred of humanity, please come ahead. Please maintain sharing, maintain wanting.”

A person claiming to be a health coach who was employed by Jared Bridegan to coach Shanna Gardner-Fernandez as a Christmas present informed Fox Information Digital that he had an affair with the mom of two.

He informed the outlet on the situation of anonymity that their skilled relationship turned intimate a couple of months into their coaching classes. He claims the couple had been strained on the time and residing at reverse sides of their home.

The coach stated that each Mr Bridegan and Ms Gardner-Fernandez have been members of the Mormon religion, however that the latter had drifted from the faith whereas Mr Bridegan was nonetheless religious.

He claimed that Mr Bridegan found sexual textual content messages between his then-wife and the coach on her cellphone, which induced a big rift within the couple’s relationship.

Pals of Mr Bridegan chatting with Fox Information Digital reportedly stated the daddy was keen to forgive the alleged infidelity for the sake of their youngsters, however declare that Ms Gardner-Fernandez needed out of the wedding.

Ms Gardner-Fernandez has publicly denied these allegations, in accordance with The Florida Instances-Union.

Nonetheless, the day after the couple’s divorce, she reportedly listed the coach as her emergency contact when she visited an area tattoo parlour to obtain a piercing, in accordance with Fox Information Digital, which reviewed the waiver she signed.

A employee on the tattoo store claims Ms Gardner-Fernandez stated she simply needed Mr Bridegan to “shut up” and reportedly requested the workers in the event that they knew “anybody who might shut him up.”

She acknowledged these feedback to The Florida Instances-Union, saying they have been the results of her being within the midst of a messy divorce, and never a risk towards her ex-husband.

A staffer on the elementary college the couple’s twins attended informed Fox Information Digital that Ms Gardner-Fernandez expressed “disdain” whereas discussing her ex-husband.

Mr Bridegan, 33, was born in Missouri however moved to Florida together with his household at a younger age, happening to review digital media and constructing a profession in UX design, in accordance with his obituary. He met Shanna Gardner whereas she was visiting Florida; she grew up in a rich Mormon household from Utah that based Stampin’ Up!, a multi-million greenback paper craft firm.

They married in 2010 and initially lived in Utah however later moved to Connecticut after which to Florida after welcoming twins, a boy and a lady, as their son had a coronary heart situation requiring he reside at sea degree, in accordance with The Florida Instances-Union.

The couple’s relationship fell aside in 2014 and 2015, in accordance with Fox Information Digital, citing court docket paperwork from their divorce filings. Ms Gardner-Fernandez filed for divorce on 23 February, 2015, in accordance with court docket data. The couple remained in close to fixed litigation over the divorce and their youngsters’s custody till his dying in 2022.

The court docket file for the couple’s divorce accommodates roughly 300 entries, in accordance with The Florida Instances-Union.

Ms Gardner-Fernandez informed the paper that her ex-husband allegedly engaged in “disturbing and abusive behaviour” corresponding to “usually interrogating” and recording her youngsters after “actively teaching” them on what to say. She claimed he threatened to make use of the recordings towards her.

He claimed that his ex-wife handled him “in a disparaging method in entrance of the kids,” and put in surveillance units in his automobile and the kids’s bedrooms.

She declined to touch upon the claims, telling the paper “I don’t see any good in airing our soiled laundry.”