Shanna Gardner, charged with Bridegan’s 2022 death, was mired in a longtime contentious divorce and child custody case with him.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In Duval County, a Circuit Court judge has temporarily halted a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Jared Bridegan’s wife against the individuals charged with his murder, pending their trial scheduled for October.
Documents acquired by First Coast News reveal that Judge Katie Dearing has accepted a request from Shanna Gardner, Mario Fernandez-Saldana, and Henry Tenon to suspend the proceedings, meaning the civil lawsuit will be on hold until the resolution of Gardner’s and Fernandez’s murder trial.
Gardner and Fernandez-Saldana face charges including first-degree murder, conspiracy to murder, solicitation of a capital felony, and child abuse. The backdrop to these charges includes a prolonged and contentious divorce and custody dispute involving Gardner and Bridegan.
Tenon pleaded guilty to being the triggerman in 2023.
The ruling states the lawsuit will remain “inactive” until the conclusion of the criminal trial. Following that, Kirsten Bridegan, the plaintiff, can file to reactivate the civil case.
What’s in the lawsuit?
Kirsten Bridegan, Jared’s spouse at the time of his death, is pursuing damages exceeding $100,000, according to court records. Her lawsuit accuses Shanna Gardner, Mario Fernandez-Saldana (Gardner’s later husband), and Tenon of “battery leading to wrongful death.”
Additionally, she is pursuing claims against Gardner and Fernandez for allegedly making fraudulent transfers to shield themselves from potential liabilities if found guilty in the civil action.
The lawsuit provides a detailed narrative of how she believes the couple planned Jared Bridegan’s death and hired Tenon to carry out their plan, becoming responsible for his wrongful death. While there are claims consistent with testimony entered in court, Gardner and Fernandez have not been found guilty in Bridegan’s death at this time and are still waiting for trial.
In the version of events as described by the lawsuit, after Gardner and Bridegan’s divorce in 2015, “Gardner harbored a deep hatred for Jared Bridegan,” and resented sharing their children and “having to protect her substantial finances” from him. The complaint describes an example: “Gardner’s parents paid the mortgage of a home in 2011… Gardner was required to purchase Jared Bridegan’s interest in the home. This financial benefit… furthered Gardner’s hatred towards her ex-husband.”
According to the lawsuit, Gardner “confided in close friends that she wanted Jared Bridegan killed,” and “asked friends for assistance in finding someone” to kill him. In a May 2024 hearing where Duval County Judge London Kite found probable cause to charge Gardner with murder, multiple witnesses testified Gardner had asked them for assistance with a plan to kill Bridegan.
“These were not just tongue-in-cheek comments a person makes out of frustration, as Defendant argues; they were overt actions occurring over multiple years,” Kite said at the time.
When Gardner met and married Fernandez, she “stated to others… (he) had the training and ability to plan and execute the murder,” the lawsuit says. It goes on to allege that Gardner married Fernandez “out of convenience.”
The suit says it was Fernandez who “sought Tenon to commit the murder,” and “assisted Tenon with tracking Jared Bridegan and understanding his habits and the best route to committing an ambush.”
According to the lawsuit, Jared Bridegan had a standing “date night” routine with the twin children he shares with Gardner for eight months before his death.
He was leaving a “date night” with the twins when he encountered a tire in the road, exited his car to move it when he was shot, as described throughout litigation in the case.
“The only adults who knew where Jared Bridegan would be on the night of his murder were his wife Kirsten Bridegan, Gardner, (Fernandez) and Tenon,” the lawsuit says, because they knew of his routine.
It also alleges Fernandez transferred money to Tenon as payment for the murder, an accusation that has also been brought up by the State during their litigation of the case. The case is summed up: “Through the planning, participation and funding of both Gardner and Saldana, the murder of Jared Bridegan was accomplished.”
The lawsuit then goes on to describe tactics Kirsten Bridegan believes Gardner and Fernandez used to transfer their money to other people and “unknown” accounts “in anticipation” that she would sue them, in order to claim they did not have enough money to pay damages. Her attorney says that under Florida statutes, she should be able to receive damages from the accounts or people the money was transferred to.
The lawsuit says Kirsten Bridegan is seeking the money to compensate for pain and suffering, loss of economic support, damages for his children and their loss of economic support and loss of a parent, medical expenses, burial and funeral expenses and more.
The trial for Gardner and Fernandez is currently set for Oct. 25, 2025, after facing multiple delays.
What happened to Jared Bridegan?
Gardner and Fernandez Saldana are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. Gardner and Bridegan were mired in a longtime contentious divorce and child custody case.
The defendants are accused of setting up Bridegan, knowing exactly when and where he would be for one of his planned visits with his shared-custody children. He was ambushed shortly after dropping them off at Garnder and Fernandez Saldana’s home in Jacksonville Beach on his way back to St. Augustine.
The state is seeking the death penalty against them, while Tenon ― whose landlord was Fernandez Saldana ― awaits sentencing for his second-degree murder plea, facing at least 15 years in prison and up to life. His next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7.
