A woman accused of plotting the murder of her Microsoft executive ex-husband has been extradited back to Florida, where she could be sentenced to death if convicted, WJXT-TV reports.
Shanna Lee Gardner faces charges of first-degree murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of 33-year-old Jared Bridegan last year.
On February 16, 2022, Bridegan was shot to death in Jacksonville Beach after dropping off his twin children whom he shared with Gardner at her home.
Bridegan came upon a tire obstructing the road and got out of his vehicle when was shot repeatedly. His 2-year-old daughter was in the vehicle’s back seat.
Bridegan and Gardner, now 36, were in the midst of a bitter divorce and were disputing custody over the twins at the time of the slaying, according to First Coast News. Prior to the divorce, Gardner allegedly was heard asking in a tattoo parlor if anyone could “shut him up” in reference to Bridegan, according to Fox News.
After the shooting, Gardner moved from Florida to West Richland, Washington, a small city along the Columbia River.
Gardner’s second husband, 34-year-old Mario Enrique Fernandez Saldana, is also accused of playing a role in the killing. He has pleaded not guilty, First Coast News reports.
Henry Tenonhas, 62, Fernandez Saldana’s former renter, was the gunman who fatally shot Bridgean and has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
On Monday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released Gardner’s mugshot after she was booked into the jail late Friday.
Prosecutors have also charged Gardner with child abuse because Bridegan’s 2-year-old daughter was in the car when he was killed.
Gardner is scheduled to appear in court on November 3 for her arraignment. She and Fernandez Saldana face the death penalty if convicted.
