About This Episode
Jared Bridegan, a 33-year-old Microsoft executive, was shot and killed on February 16, 2022, on a quiet suburban road in Jacksonville, Florida — minutes after dropping off his two young twins at the home of his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner. His new wife, Kirsten Bridegan, was in the car with the couple's infant daughter when she found him lifeless on the road.
A random obstacle — or a trap?
That evening, someone had placed a heavy metal tire rim in the middle of the road on Hana Road. When Jared Bridegan stopped his car to move the obstruction, he was struck by multiple gunshots and died at the scene. Investigators quickly suspected that the roadblock had been deliberately placed to force him to stop — and that the murder had been planned in meticulous detail.
Police spent more than a year mapping out the case, and in 2023 Shanna Gardner was arrested and charged with ordering the murder of her ex-husband. According to prosecutors, she allegedly hired an intermediary to organize the killing, motivated by a bitter custody dispute over the couple's children and substantial child support payments.
Intermediaries and witness testimony
A central figure in the case is Mario Fernandez, Shanna Gardner's then-husband at the time of the killing, who has already admitted his role in the crime and entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. His testimony is expected to be pivotal during the trial against Gardner herself.
A third man, Henry Tenon, is also charged as the alleged gunman. Tenon has previously pleaded guilty to the murder and is expected to testify against Gardner as part of his own plea deal with prosecutors.
The case has attracted massive media coverage across the United States due to the combination of a wealthy victim, a complicated family dynamic, and the dramatic circumstances of the killing. Murder-for-hire cases in the US are rare, but when they involve prominent individuals and carefully planned crimes, they quickly capture public attention.
Untold True Crime examines the case
The popular podcast Untold True Crime has just released a new episode diving deep into the details of the case — from the turbulent divorce proceedings between Bridegan and Gardner to the painstaking police investigation and the conflicting accounts given by the accused. The episode is available on truecrime.news and draws on existing court documents, witness statements, and investigative journalism.
In recent years, true crime podcasts have proven to be an important vehicle for keeping cases alive that might otherwise fade from public consciousness. They frequently serve as a complement to traditional news coverage, reaching an audience that wants deeper insight into how the justice system works.
The 2026 trial
Shanna Gardner has pleaded not guilty. Her defense attorneys have argued that the evidence against her is circumstantial and relies on witnesses who have their own interests in striking deals with prosecutors. The trial, scheduled to take place in 2026, is considered one of the most complex and closely watched in Florida in many years.
Jared Bridegan's surviving wife, Kirsten Bridegan, has repeatedly spoken publicly about her husband's murder and has fought to ensure that his children do not lose contact with the siblings he left behind. The case raises profound questions about custody disputes and homicide, and the human consequences of bitterly contested divorce conflicts.
A verdict in the case against Shanna Gardner is expected at some point during 2026.
