Ex-wife charged with murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan
The ex-wife of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, who was executed by a gunman as he drove home with his two-year-old daughter, has been arrested and charged with his murder.
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in Washington state on Thursday and will be extradited back to Duval County, Florida, where she has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder and child abuse
The husband of Bridegan’s ex-wife, Mario Fernandez, and his former tenant, Henry Tenon, have already been charged for their alleged roles in the February 2022 murder in a wealthy suburb of Jacksonville Beach.
Bridegan was murdered after he had dropped off the twins he shares with ex-wife Shanna Gardner-Fernandez and was headed back to the house he lived at with his second wife, Kristen Bridegan.
Investigators say that he stopped his vehicle when he was a tire in the middle of the road, and when he got out to move it he was shot multiple times in front of his daughter Bexley.
Court documents say that several bullets came within inches of hitting the youngster, who was strapped into her car seat.
Bridegan and his ex-wife divorced in 2015 but had been involved in court battles over custody of their twins and finances.
Ms Gardner-Fernandez hired a prominent criminal defence lawyer following the murder and then moved back to the Pacific Northwest and prevented the twin from having any contact with their half-sisters, reported Fox News.
Mr Tenon, 62, was charged on 25 January with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse. Authorities say that he was a former tenant of Mr Fernandez. He has a long criminal history and was already behind bars awaiting trial on unrelated charges.
Police announced on 16 March that Mr Fernandez had been arrested in Orlando and he was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.
On the same day, it was announced that Mr Tenon had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against him and anyone else potentially involved in the killing.
The state attorney said that Mr Tenon had admitted that he was the gunman and he faces up to 15 years in prison under the plea agreement.
