Slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan reportedly got into an argument with his ex-wife and her second husband, who is accused of planning the February 2022 murder, at a Mormon church before he died. a witness told police.
Bridegan ran into a tire in the middle of a remote road in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and was shot and killed in front of a car. Prosecutors believe this was a set up. My 2-year-old daughter was in the back seat at the time.
The victim’s ex-wife, Shana Gardner Fernandez, is charged with the crime. first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child endangerment are counted in connection with his death. She and her second husband, Mario Fernandez-Saldana, are accused of hiring hitmen to carry out the roadside murders.
When speaking with police after Bridegan’s murder, a witness told police that he knew the victim through his friend Gardner and that he had “heard about the victim’s behavior from Mr. Gardner,” police said in 2022. Written in February.
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Family portrait of Jared and Kirsten Brideghan. (Infinity focus photography/Madeline Insignales)
This account is detailed in witness statements included in hundreds of pages of documents filed by police in Bridegan’s case that prosecutors released last week.
The witness “described that her husband was involved in an altercation with the victim at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Neptune Beach.” Her husband was a bishop in the church.
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Jared Brideghan was shot on February 16, 2022, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, after encountering this tire on the road. (Jacksonville Beach Police Department)
She went on to describe Brideghan as “hot-tempered” and “controlling and impatient.” She also knew that her couple had a “contentious” divorce and an ongoing custody battle.
Witnesses said that several years before Bridegan’s death, Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana visited a Mormon bishop in Neptune Beach to get advice on appropriate hairstyles for their children.
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Mario Fernandez and his wife, Shana Gardner Fernandez, smile at the memorial service for their murdered ex-husband, Jared Bridegan. She has twins. They were charged with Bridegan’s murder. (So Sheri)
Fernandez-Saldana told police in an interview that Gardner and Bridegan’s children were “afraid to ask Bridegan questions for fear of rejection.” One of her daughters “once asked if I could dye her hair purple,” and Bridegan told her daughter, “If her hair was purple, she wouldn’t be allowed into the church.” “I guess so,” he said.
“Fernandez Saldana took the children to the Latter-day Saint Church bishop, and they happened to be friends,” police said in the report.
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Mario Fernandez (right) was arrested on suspicion of murdering Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft executive and father of four. Fernandez is the new husband of Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner Fernandez. (GoFundMe/Jacksonville State Attorney’s Office)
The suspect told police that Bridegan then went to the church and confronted the bishop.
The bishop was also questioned and told authorities, “Mr. Bridegan was finishing a counseling session with church members when he confronted the bishop.”
“The Brideghan kids wanted to change their hairstyles. [sic] And he did not agree with their choice.according to [the witness]”Mr. Bridegan told the children that their hairstyle choices were sinful,” police wrote of Bishop’s account. “This is why Shana Gardner approached me.” [the bishop] So he could talk to the kids. [The bishop] She told the children it was “stupid” to call it a sin, but explained that children needed to respect their parents’ decisions. ”
Shanna Gardner Fernandez’s mug shot was released after she was extradited from Washington state to Florida on suspicion of plotting the murder of her ex-husband. (Duval County Jail)
Mr Bridegan apparently had “a problem with the counseling session” and confronted the bishop. He also explained to the bishop that Gardner was no longer a member of the Latter-day Saints.
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The bishop “told Bridegan that it was his congregation, but Bridegan could not say who he was authorized to serve,” at which point Bridegan became visibly upset and “walked out into the parking lot.” and wanted to fight,” Bishop told police. . Witnesses said Bishop threatened to call Neptune police, at which point Bridegan left.
Jared and Kirsten Bridegan and Bexley. He was shot in North Florida on February 16, 2022. (Courtesy of Kirsten Bridegan)
In another statement, Bridegan’s brother told police that “Mr. Gardner will probably feel like his children are being indoctrinated” and “will vent the situation to Fernandez Saldana.” he said.
The alleged altercation is one of many testimonies detailing Brideghan and Gardner’s fractious relationship and complex custody battle over their three children. Bridegan has two twin daughters and a son with Gardner, and two children with his second wife of five years, Kirsten Bridegan. They split custody of the child 50-50.
Attorney Jose Baez appears in court with his client Shanna Gardner Fernandez at the Duval County Courthouse on November 3, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. Gardner Fernandez was charged with orchestrating the murder. About her ex-husband, Jared Brideghan. (Larry Paci, Fox News Digital)
Bridegan and Gardner met in Utah and were married within two months of meeting. After their son’s birth, they moved across the country to Connecticut because their son had a heart condition and they wanted to be closer to a doctor.
Once his condition stabilized, they moved to Jacksonville to be closer to Bridegan’s parents. Less than a year after the move, the couple divorced and Gardner left the Mormon church, according to Bridegan’s brother.
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Bridegan’s family and friends painted a very different picture of the victim than the description given to police by Gardner, Fernandez-Saldana and the Bishops. His brother described him as “a creative person who maintained a close group of friends.” Kirsten told police that her husband “has no disagreements with anyone and everyone likes him.”
“She said Shanna was the only one who had any ill will towards him.” [Gardner] and mario [Fernandez-Saldana]” police wrote.
In a separate interview with police, Fernandez-Saldana told police that she was “running out of things to give” and that she was “very narrow-minded.” He later told authorities that he and Gardner’s children were living a “new normal” without Bridegan, but that the victim’s wife, Kirsten, “was making it very difficult,” the report said. ” he is said to have said. Gardner described her second husband to police as “like a pit bull.”
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Mr. Gardner and Mr. Fernandez-Saldana have pleaded not guilty to Mr. Bridegan’s murder.The two are accused of hiring Fernandez and Saldana’s team. Former tenant Henry Tennon, as a killer. Tennon admitted pulling the trigger and agreed to testify against the other suspects.
FOX News Digital reached out to Jose Baez, an attorney representing Gardner, and Jesse Dreiser, an attorney representing Fernandez-Saldana.
