The woman accused of hiring a hit man to kill her Microsoft exec husband has appeared stony-faced and in an orange jumpsuit as she pleaded not guilty to orchestrating his murder.
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, 36, pleaded not guilty during her arraignment today to multiple charges related to the murder of her ex-husband Jared Bridegan.
She and her current husband, Mario Fernandez-Saldana, both 35, are accused of hiring a hitman to shoot Bridegan, 33, who was killed last year in an execution killing for his infant daughter in Jacksonville Beach.
Gardner faces the death penalty and is charged with first-degree murder, solicitation to commit a capital crime, conspiracy to commit murder and child abuse.
Gardner was brought to Florida from Washington less than two weeks ago, where she is currently being held without bond. She was dramatically arrested in August.
Gardner-Fernandez appeared in court wearing an orange jail-issue jumpsuit as her attorney pleaded not guilty to the charges
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, seen here, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges related to the murder of her ex-husband Jared Bridegan
Microsoft CEO Jared Bridegan was shot on February 16 in what police described as a murder-for-hire
Lawyers for the accused mother tried to fight the extradition after Florida State’s Attorney Melissa Nelson said she will seek the death penalty.
She was arrested a year and a half after the father-of-four was murdered execution-style just minutes from his ex-wife’s home in what police described as an “ambush” and “targeted” attack.
At the time, Bridegan was living in St. Augustine, Florida, in a $780,000 home with his new wife and children.
He regularly drove to Jacksonville to visit the twins he shared with Gardner-Fernandez.
He had just dropped the children off at their mother’s home on February 16, 2022, when he was lured from his car by a tire placed in his path, police suspect.
Bridegan was shot next to his Vauxhall Atlas while his two-year-old daughter Bexley sat in the backseat and narrowly escaped with her life.
It is believed to be Fernandez-Saldana’s former tenant Henry Tenon62, acted as the gunman in the murder. He confessed to the plot after being arrested for an unrelated crime.
Just five weeks after the murder, the accused couple took an all-inclusive vacation in Port St. Lucie. Footage from the break shows them laughing and making funny faces at the camera.
The mother of two was arrested in August at her $1 million home in Washington. She has denied being guilty of the charges.
Gardner-Fernandez was pictured joking while vacationing in Port St. Lucie just five weeks after his ex-husband was murdered
Suspected gunman Henry Tenon, 62, (left) has said he is willing to testify that Mario Fernandez-Saldana, 35, and his wife hired him to kill Bridegan
At the time of the murder, the former spouses were embroiled in a bitter custody battle that had raged since their 2015 divorce and centered on their 10-year-old twins, Abby and Liam.
Gardner-Fernandez remarried in 2018 and sources reported that she became “wilder and wilder” as their relationship progressed.
A tattoo parlor employee recalled how shocked she was when she walked in and asked for a genital piercing.
Both suspects have pleaded not guilty to the charges and will stand trial.
Shanna’s parents released a statement after her arrest saying, “Words cannot accurately express the depth of our grief. Family is our top priority.
Gardner-Fernandez is accused of orchestrating the murder with her husband Mario Fernandez-Saldana, 35.
“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.
“In their interests and all those involved, we caution against further speculation and ask for privacy while the legal process takes its course.”
Fernandez-Soldana’s presence in his children’s lives also concerned Bridegan, according to those who know the family.
The father was described as a “devout” Mormon who worked as a software developer for Microsoft. His widow Kristen has said she will support the death penalty if his ex-wife is convicted.
She previously said the children were “torn apart.” In an emotional interview, Kirsten, 36, told DailyMail.com of her ‘satisfaction’ with Shanna’s arrest.
“It’s satisfying to know that the person who I believe was the driving force behind this is not receiving the privileges that she allegedly took from Jared,” she said.
“My personal thought is that I trust (prosecutors) to make the best decision for the case and if that’s the death penalty, then we support that.”