Background: Shanna Gardner (WJXT/YouTube). Inset: Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan (Jacksonville Beach Police Department).
The parents of Shanna Gardner, who is indicted on a charge of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly planning the ambush-style shooting death of her ex-husband Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft executive and father of her twins, have been awarded guardianship of the two kids — and his widow is outraged.
“This isn’t what Jared would have wanted and this isn’t what I want,” said Kirsten Bridegan, Jared’s widow, in a statement published Friday by the Florida Times-Union. “But some things are out of my control/ability to influence or correct.”
The two children, Liam and Abby, both 12, have been living with Gardner’s parents, Sterling and Shelli Gardner — described as wealthy business fixtures in Utah‘s Mormon community — since her arrest and indictment in Florida last year, according to the Florida Times-Union. The couple cofounded the Stampin’ Up! arts and crafts company, the newspaper reports.
Their daughter is accused of planning the murder of her ex-husband in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, after he dropped off their twins with her and her new husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, who was also allegedly involved in planning the February 2022 killing and is now separated from Gardner. Bridegan and Gardner reportedly had a messy divorce filled with legal battles, custody filings and financial disputes.
Jared Bridegan was with his other child, a 2-year-old daughter he had with Kirsten Bridegan, when he was “gunned down in cold blood,” according to police officials. The little girl was in the back seat of his SUV when a gunman that Gardner allegedly hired, Henry Tenon, 62, opened fire on the vehicle and fatally shot Bridegan. Tenon has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his involvement. Gardner and Fernandez Saldana have pleaded not guilty and are both facing the death penalty. Tenon has reportedly agreed to testify against both of them.
Bridegan’s parents, Gaylord and JoAnne Bridegan, tried fighting for custody by filing a lawsuit for unsupervised visitation rights and contesting the Gardners’ petition for guardianship in court. They claimed the Gardners had denied them access to the children and “obstructed them” from having a relationship with Bridegan’s family, in addition to allegedly aiding Shanna Gardner after Jared Bridegan’s murder to evade police and telling the twins that their mother wasn’t responsible, the lawsuit said.
Left: Shanna Lee Gardner. Right: Mario Enrique Fernandez Saldana (Duval County Jail).
“Petitioners aided the mother in fleeing the state of Florida after the murder,” the Gardners wrote in a court objection to giving Bridegan’s parents guardianship. “Petitioners will not allow any contact between the children and their stepmother or half-siblings.”
Bridegan’s parents insisted that they could provide a better life for the kids and wouldn’t keep them isolated the way the Gardners have, according to the Times-Union. The victim’s widow also begged the court to give her more access to the youths as well, saying she’s been “denied and continuously ignored” by the Gardners despite being their stepmother.
“I plead with the Gardners to put the emotional and mental well-being of Liam and Abby above all else and allow them to reconnect with us,” Kirsten Bridegan said at a news conference last year. “We are their family, we love them … Let our children be siblings again and put them first and do what’s right.”
On Oct. 18, a declaration filed by trial counsel Rachel Woodard, an attorney in the guardianship dispute, called it a “simple” case — saying the kids were placed with the maternal grandparents on account of them being in their custody for over a year now and living with them for almost two years, the Times-Union reports.
The court agreed in an order last Monday to do so, stating that it was “in the best interest of the children.” Sources told the Times-Union that getting visitation rights for the Bridegans played a big part in the decision.
Both families released a joint statement in response, saying they were content with it.
“As the grandparents of Liam and Abigail Bridegan, we, the Bridegans and Gardners, have used a cooperative approach to foster an environment that prioritizes the children’s needs, even in the face of challenging circumstances,” the statement said. “That spirit of cooperation and collaboration led the parties to resolve the guardianship matter without the need for a trial. For both sets of grandparents, the proceedings were never about ‘winning’ or ‘losing’ but about ensuring that the children’s well-being remains paramount. Both parties are happy with what was settled on.”
The statement added, “We urge all parties to approach this matter with sensitivity and responsibility. We are hopeful that all parties can continue to move forward constructively, prioritizing the love and care that the children deserve.”
Kirsten Bridegan said in her statement that “given the feelings [she’s] processing right now,” she won’t be making any further statements or legal moves in wake of the court’s decision. She also made it a point to separate herself from the statement that was released by the grandparents.
“FYI — I’m not part of the joint statement,” Kirsten Bridegan said. “Never will be. … Let’s hope and pray justice is served in the criminal case since it definitely wasn’t served in this one.”
