JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Court TV) — A judge overseeing the trials of several defendants charged with the murder-for-hire of a Microsoft executive has refused to recuse herself from the case, despite the requests of both prosecutors and the victim’s widow.
Shanna Gardner appears in court for a motions hearing on July 13, 2026. (Court TV)
Mario Fernandez Saldana was the first defendant to stand trial for the murder of Jared Bridegan, who was shot and killed while driving home one night in 2022. Bridegan had previously been married to Fernandez’s wife, Shanna Gardner, and the two shared custody of twins. Bridegan was killed after dropping the children off at the home Fernandez and Gardner shared.
During Fernandez’s trial in August, Gardner’s defense attorneys continued to try to get access to the phone belonging to the victim’s widow, Kirsten Bridegan. Gardner’s attorneys said that they believed Kirsten Bridegan had contact with other witnesses in the case, as well as prosecutors, and urged Judge London Kite to order the widow to turn over her phone…