Florida Gov Ron DeSantis joins fight to have slain Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan's ex-wife face justice
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an extradition warrant Thursday morning for slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan's ex-wife, who is accused of orchestrating his murder, according to a source.
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, 35, was arrested Aug. 16 in Washington state more than 18 months after Bridegan was shot to death in front of their toddler daughter in Jacksonville, Florida.
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez appears in Benton County Superior Court in Benton County, Washington on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in August for allegedly organizing the murder of her ex-husband, Jared Bridegan. ( LJ Hodges
At her first court appearance in Washington last month, she said she would not return to the Sunshine State without a fight.
She appeared in Benton County Superior Court for an extradition hearing Thursday. A spokesperson for DeSantis did not immediately return a request for comment.
A grand jury indicted Gardner-Fernandez on first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and child endangerment counts, for which she could face the death penalty.
There have been two other arrests in the case – Gardner-Fernandez's husband, Mario Fernandez, and admitted triggerman, Henry Tenon.
Mario Fernandez and Henry Tenon are accused of murdering Microsoft executvie Jared Bridegan in north Florida. (Orange County Jail/ Jacksonville State Attorney's Office)
The trio is accused of conspiring to gun down Bridegan, 33, on a road in Jacksonville Beach Feb. 16, 2022, after he dropped off the twins he shares with Gardner-Fernandez at her home.
His daughter, Bexley, whom he shares with his second wife Kirsten Bridegan, was in the car with him. Kirsten was at home with their then-infant, London.
The software developer and his ex-wife divorced in 2015 but continued to battle in court over finances and custody of their 11-year-old twins until his death.
After the slaying, Gardner-Fernandez hired a prominent criminal defense lawyer and moved 2,800 miles away to the Pacific Northwest.
She also barred the twins from having contact with their half-sisters, Bexley and London.
Her wealthy parents, who own the multimillion-dollar papercraft company Stampin' Up!, bankrolled the cross-country move and have provided Gardner-Fernandez with a monthly stipend for years.
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez appears in Benton County Superior Court in Benton County, Washington on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in August for allegedly organizing the murder of her ex-husband, Jared Bridegan. ( LJ Hodges
Bodycam video of her surprise arrest shows her calmly escorted from her West Richland home in handcuffs as her mother, Shelli Gardner, weeps on a bench outside. Her twins can be heard off-camera.
Tenon, 61, a former tenant of Fernandez, admitted to fatally shooting Bridegan and is cooperating against his alleged co-conspirators as part of a plea agreement.
Melissa Nelson, the state attorney for Jacksonville's Fourth Judicial District, has spearheaded the investigation into the father of four's tragic demise.