The judge overseeing the case suggested bringing in as many as 500 potential jurors due to the level of public interest in the case.
The trial of Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez, charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Jared Bridegan, is postponed until next summer in Jacksonville, Fla.
Gardner, Bridegan’s ex-wife, and Fernandez, her estranged husband, are allegedly involved in a “murder-for-hire plot” concerning Bridegan’s ambush and fatal shooting in February 2022.
On Thursday afternoon, during a pretrial hearing, Judge London Kite concurred with requests to reschedule the trial to Aug. 3, 2026. It was mentioned by attorneys that jury selection would commence on Aug. 3 and might take up to a week.
This death penalty trial is anticipated to extend beyond six weeks. According to Kite, the trial might continue through Sept. 18, incorporating a Penalty Phase if a guilty verdict is delivered.
The trial was previously slated to begin Oct. 20, 2025.
Separate juries will be established for Gardner and Fernandez, with Judge Kite noting that up to 500 prospective jurors, 250 for each defendant, may be required owing to the case’s public interest. The judge also recognized the significant time commitment expected of the jury due to the trial’s duration.
“I don’t know of any regular person that says, ‘Hey, I got 9 weeks of time,'” Kite commented on Thursday. “So I’m not gonna bankrupt anybody, I’m gonna be generous with people’s ability to make this sacrifice. It would be a huge service slash sacrifice for this amount of time.”
Gardner and Fernandez are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.
Gardner and Fernandez are accused of plotting to kill Bridegan, knowing exactly when and where he would be for one of his planned visits with his shared-custody children. He was shot and killed during an ambush shortly after dropping them off at Gardner and Fernandez’s home in Jacksonville Beach.
Henry Tenon, the confessed gunman in the case, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal ambush in February 2022 and agreed to testify against Gardner and Fernandez.
Early this month, Tenon’s public defender withdrew as his representation, and he was appointed a new attorney. The change in counsel has created speculation as to whether Tenon plans to change his plea, though no such action has been made.
