First they lost their father then their sisters.The tearful widow of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan pleaded with the family of his ex-wife, accused killer Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, to let his kids reunite with their half-siblings.
Jared Bridegan, 33, was fatally shot after dropping off the twins he shared with Gardner-Fernandez at her home in Jacksonville Beach in February 2022 amid their bitter custody war.Authorities announced Gardner-Fernandez’s arrest on murder charges Thursday, asserting she played a central role in the roadside shooting of her kids’ father.
Jared Bridegan widow, Kirsten Bridegan — mother to his two other children — said the Gardner family immediately isolated twins Liam and Abby from their father’s side of the family, including their two half-sisters.“I plead with the Gardners to put the emotional and mental well-being of [the twins] above all else and allow them to reconnect with us,” she said after Gardner-Fernandez’s arrest was announced.
Jared Bridegan and Family
“We are their family. We love them. We have prayed for them every single day for 547 days since they were ripped away and isolated from us.”Bridegan said Gardner-Fernandez, who hails from a wealthy Mormon family, moved to West Richland, Washington, soon after the slaying and barred the 11-year-old twins from even attending their father’s funeral.
“For the past year and a half, Liam and Abby have been isolated and kept away from us while they lived with their mother, their stepdad and their maternal grandparents,” she said. “Despite my constant requests to see or speak to them I have been denied and continuously ignored.”Gardner-Fernandez’s parents, Shelli and Sterling Gardner, own a lucrative Utah-based papercraft company and are considered leading members of the local Mormon community.
With suspicions swirling about their daughter’s involvement in her ex-husband’s death, the couple purchased her Washington home using an LLC. Gardner-Fernandez moved West without her second husband, and now co-accused, Mario Fernandez.The Gardners released a statement after Thursday’s arrest cautioning against a rush to judgement.
Love For Daughter
“Words cannot accurately express the depth of our sadness,” it read. “Family is our top priority. We love our daughter and are focused on supporting her and our entire family as we help our grandchildren navigate this difficult and very confusing time.”
Bridegan was killed while driving home from his ex’s house with Bexley, his then 2-year-old daughter with Kirsten.He stopped his SUV after spotting a tire placed in the roadway which had blocked his path. With Bexley looking on from the back of the car. After exiting the vehicle to move the tire, he was shot several times.Cops slowly tightened the vise around his ex-wife, first arresting triggerman Henry Tenon and then Fernandez.
Authorities said Fernandez hired Tenon — a tenant in one of his Jacksonville rental properties — to murder Bridegan. Tenon has pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with authorities — who will seek the death penalty for both Fernandez and Gardner-Fernandez.Kirsten Bridegan, who pushed tirelessly for justice in the case, said she’s never had any doubt her husband’s ex-wife was behind his death.
“From very very early on, everything in my soul and body told me that she was behind it,” she said, adding that she’s girding for a “grueling” legal process now that Gardner-Fernandez is behind bars.
