Ex-Wife Charged With Hiring Hitman to Kill Microsoft Executive

Jared Bridegan, a successful executive affiliated with tech giant Microsoft, was shot and killed on a road in Jacksonville, Florida, in February 2022 — shortly after dropping his children off with his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner. What initially appeared to be a random attack turned out, according to prosecutors, to be a cold-blooded and carefully planned murder-for-hire.

Shot Dead on a Public Road

The killing took place on a stretch of road in Jacksonville as Bridegan was driving home after a custody visit. He was struck by gunfire and died at the scene. The investigation, which involved both local law enforcement and the FBI, quickly pointed toward an organized killing rather than a random robbery. Key evidence led investigators to two defendants: Bridegan's ex-wife Shanna Gardner and a man named Mario Fernandez Saldana, who prosecutors allege physically carried out the shooting.

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A Bitter Divorce as the Alleged Motive

Prosecutors believe the motive lies in the turbulent relationship between Bridegan and Gardner following their divorce. The former couple shared children, and disputes over custody arrangements and finances are said to have created deep and lasting conflict. According to the charges, Gardner allegedly hired Fernandez Saldana to kill her ex-husband — a classic murder-for-hire scenario that echoes some of the most dramatic cases in American criminal history.

Fernandez Saldana is charged with carrying out the killing, while Gardner is accused of planning and financing it. Both have pleaded not guilty.