Cold and Calculated: Microsoft Exec's Ex-Wife Behind His Murder, Police Allege

The former wife of a Microsoft executive who was killed in Florida last year has been arrested for allegedly conspiring with her new spouse to commit the murder. According to prosecutors, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez allegedly planned for several months to have her former spouse, Jared Bridegan, murdered in the presence of their young child.

Gardner-Fernandez was indicted by a grand jury for the killing that took place in February 2022. The charges include first-degree murder and child abuse. She was taken into custody in Washington state and will be sent to Florida.

Prosecutors are also seeking capital punishment against her and Mario Fernandez Saldana, her current spouse who was previously indicted for recruiting the gunman. An indictment alleges the couple solicited others to murder Bridegan between November 2021 and February 2022.

"Shanna Gardner's indictment recognizes her significant and important involvement in the deliberate and planned killing of Jared Bridegan," stated State Attorney Mellisa Nelson.

The killing of Bridegan, 33, gained widespread attention last year due of its audaciousness. While driving his two-year-old daughter home on February 16th, he stopped to remove a tire blocking the road.

While Bridegan was standing next to the tire, he was shot several times from a short distance. Amazingly, his daughter remained unhurt, although she had to witness the horrifying act of killing.

Investigators characterized the killing as a "assassination" perpetrated by a solitary shooter. Months later, Henry Tenon, a worker for Fernandez Saldana, admitted to firing the gun.

But prosecutors now allege Gardner-Fernandez and her husband orchestrated the entire plot. Officials have not revealed the suspected motives behind the calculated murder.

Gardner-Fernandez and Bridegan divorced in 2015 after six years of marriage. The split resulted in a bitter custody battle over their young twin children, laden with toxic accusations.

Despite the acrimony, Bridegan made co-parenting a priority, ensuring time with the twins per a shared schedule. The night of his death was after one such scheduled dinner with the children.

Just days later, Gardner-Fernandez emailed Bridegan's new wife Kirsten asking for his death certificate and return of library books. The bizarre requests compounded existing suspicions.

For her part, Gardner-Fernandez denied involvement to reporters last year, claiming she was "devastated" by the tragic news. But prosecutors build a strong case for premeditated conspiracy by the ex-spouses.

The indictment provides the first glimpse into prosecutors' theory of meticulous murder planning by the newlyweds.

It states Gardner-Fernandez and Fernandez Saldana solicited and recruited Tenon for the killing between November 2021 and February 2022. Their preparations allegedly included planting the tire at the murder scene.

Fernandez Saldana provided Tenon with a gun and instructed him to destroy potential evidence afterwards, prosecutors say. The cold efficiency and elaborate orchestration contradicted initial assumptions of a random roadside crime.

For Bridegan's close friend Nate Sanders, the allegations prove Gardner-Fernandez "is exactly who we know her to be." He said her controlling behavior toward Bridegan signaled she was capable of sinister acts.

With two suspects now charged, investigators hope to soon reveal more about the suspected motives and planning. But the murder’s brutality stunned even seasoned officers.

State Attorney Nelson emphasized her office will aggressively prosecute both Fernandez Saldana and Gardner-Fernandez for their alleged roles in Bridegan’s premeditated slaying.

"This inquiry has revealed the reality of Jared's killing," stated Nelson, who considered it "detached, deliberate, and planned in advance."

If convicted, Nelson confirmed her office will pursue the death penalty against the indicted husband and wife. Even in custody, Fernandez Saldana has maintained his innocence, his lawyer said.

But officials believe the evidence clearly shows he and Gardner-Fernandez carefully conspired to have Bridegan killed despite having no clear motive. The callousness of executing a father in front of his toddler particularly disturbed investigators and the community.

For Bridegan's widow Kirsten, the arrests bring both consolation and anguish realizing her stepdaughters lost both parents. She long suspected Gardner-Fernandez's involvement despite her denials.

With justice now pursued, Kirsten focuses on supporting Bridegan's surviving children as the painful legal process unfolds.