Ex-wife of slain Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan hires criminal defense lawyer

The ex-spouse of a Microsoft govt who was murdered in front of his 2-calendar year-previous daughter in Florida earlier this year has hired a criminal defense legal professional, in accordance to reports.

Jared Bridegan, 33, was fatally shot in a “targeted” killing just after dropping his twins off at the household of their mom, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, in a peaceful Jacksonville community in February, law enforcement reported.

The computer software engineer was returning to his residence in St. Augustine just after going out to dinner with the twins and his daughter Bexley, who he shares with his 2nd wife, Kirsten Bridegan. 

Jared Bridegan was observed useless future to his SUV with several bullet wounds with Bexley still strapped into her automobile seat.

The vehicle had its crisis lights flashing when officers arrived and there was a spare tire in the middle of the street. Detectives stated individuals circumstances recommended that Bridegan may possibly have been lured to his death.

According to police, Bexley was in the car for three full minutes in the vicinity of her father’s useless system prior to a passerby who stopped at the scene pulled her out, in accordance to Fox News. Kirsten Bridegan, 30, was at dwelling with the couple’s 7-month-outdated daughter, London.

4 months afterwards, Jacksonville police have not named any suspects in the slaying.

As police continue to look into, Gardner-Fernandez, and her new partner, Mario Fernandez, have retained the companies of well known prison defense legal professional Henry Coxe III, Fox Information claimed.

Coxe told the outlet that the couple experienced employed him “for the function of observing if measures could be taken to secure her youthful twins from any publicity surrounding this tragic function.” 

“As for any other explanation for the family members to have or require counsel, whether or not it be myself or any one else, there is none,” he included.

Coxe’s office environment did not instantly react to The Post’s ask for for remark.

Garrdner-Fernandez and Jared Bridegan experienced been embroiled in a bitter lawful feud for a long time since their divorce in 2015.

In accordance to Fox, she grew up in an affluent Mormon community in Alpine, Utah. She is the daughter of Sterling and Shelli Gardner, who founded  Stampin’ Up!, a paper crafts business centered in Salt Lake City with a yearly profits of above $100 million.

She satisfied Bridegan in 2009 although checking out a mate in Jacksonville and the two tied the knot in an extravagant ceremony at the Salt Lake Metropolis Temple in 2010.

A close friend instructed Fox Information the newlyweds acquired an $800,000 home in the vicinity of her parents in Highland, Utah and just about every drove a Mercedes even though neither a single experienced a occupation at the time. They were being living off a regular stipend of $8,500 and a organization financial loan of $100,000 from the Gardners.

Gardner-Fernandez gave start to twins — a boy and a lady. The boy was identified with a coronary heart condition, pulmonary hypertension. Doctors mentioned he required to live at sea-stage for his heart to get the job done the right way, forcing the household to transfer to Connecticut.

In accordance to the couple’s buddy, the marriage rapidly commenced to slide aside. She grew to become annoyed with her spouse, who had attained pounds and was targeted on beginning a new enterprise, the mate explained.

Bridegan persuaded his spouse to move back to his hometown of Jacksonville as he pursued his Masters degree from the Savannah College or university of Artwork and Style.

The two acquired a different $800,000 home in Ponte Vedra Beach as they attempted for a fresh start out, Fox documented. Gardner-Fernandez reportedly strayed from her religion though Bridegan remained a devout LDS churchgoer.

The romance ended following Bridegan uncovered e-mails revealing his spouse was obtaining an affair with her Crossfit personal coach, resources advised the outlet. When he confronted her she advised him she did not appreciate him any longer, the sources said.

Gardner-Fernandez filed for divorce in February 2015, contacting the union “irretrievably broken.” She bluntly advised the court docket, “We really do not appreciate each and every other any more.”

The situation ongoing to spiral as both equally fought for major custody of the twins and for distinctive occupancy of the Jacksonville household in which they both of those nevertheless lived together.

She accused Bridegan of threatening to withdraw cash from the children’s rely on funds for his possess use, and he claimed that she was spying on him by hiding baby monitors all through the house and placing a monitoring unit on his auto.

In an electronic mail to his law firm acquired by Fox News, Bridegan even further alleged she had installed a lock on the master bedroom, to which he had no vital, and claimed she experienced positioned a voice-activated recorder in the property.

He on top of that accused Gardner-Fernandez of lying about her money sorts and in actuality experienced no cash flow.

Though both Bridegan and Gardner -Fernandez remarried, their ugly legal battles ongoing for the subsequent 6 years.

“It was hard to view Jared go through frequent court docket battles when all he wished was to aim on staying the ideal spouse and father he could be,” Kirsten Bridegan advised Fox.

In 2019, Gardner-Fernandez claimed Bridegan had been “interrogating the slight youngsters and recording their statements,” and was threatening to use the statements from her.

In June 2021, she accused her ex-partner for not permitting her borrow a little breathing equipment for their son, which he expected at superior altitudes, Fox described. She experienced possession of a bulkier equipment that was inconvenient for vacation.

“The father seemingly considers his vindictiveness towards the mother a lot more essential than guarding his son’s wellbeing and daily life,” her legal professional wrote, in a movement. She explained Bridegan was “more involved with humiliating the mom than he is in producing absolutely sure his individual youngster does not die.” 

4 months ahead of Bridegan’s murder, a decide ruled that he pay out her $571 and give her distinctive use of the scaled-down machine.