JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Days after the State Attorney’s Office released another round of discovery material in the Jared Bridgean murder-for-hire case, the judge granted a motion from Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, requesting that some evidence not be released before the trial.
Gardner, who is accused alongside her estranged husband, Mario Fernandez, of orchestrating Bridegan’s shooting death in 2022, made some specific requests to withhold some materials from the public ahead of the trial.
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Gardner’s attorneys argued that tattoo photographs and communications from Gardner in jail are personal and private and not relevant to the charges against her.
DOCUMENTS: Gardner’s motion | Judge’s ruling
They also said releasing those materials to the public before the trial could impact the jury selection process.
Prosecutors didn’t object to Gardner’s requests, and Judge London Kite agreed to withhold those specific materials from the public “until the jury begins deliberations in any penalty phase, should one be required, or the jury is discharged having reached a verdict, whichever occurs earlier.”
Fernandez was also granted a motion his attorneys made asking that Nassau County jail records for a co-defendant, admitted gunman Henry Tenon, be preserved.
Recent discovery release
Again, the judge’s decision came days after prosecutors released body camera footage and 911 calls related to Bridegan’s 2022 murder that provided new insight into the chaotic moments surrounding the shooting.
Multiple 911 calls captured varying perspectives of the incident, with witnesses reporting gunshots and a car stopped in the road with a man lying outside and a young girl inside.
Due to the graphic nature of the body camera footage from responding officers, News4JAX only shared still images from the video.
MORE: 911 calls describe scene of confusion in Sanctuary neighborhood on night of Jared Bridegan’s ambush murder | A friend of Shanna Gardner said she could help in Jared Bridegan’s murder case. Here’s what she told investigators
Jacksonville attorney Gene Nichols, who is not involved in the case, noted that the defense had already reviewed that evidence before it was released.
“This now allows for all of us in the public to see what just an unfortunate scenario took place at that car that night,” Nichols said.
Another local attorney, Shannon Schott of Plata Schott Law, emphasized the chaotic nature of shooting scenes and the importance of multiple body camera angles in such cases. Schott is also not involved in the case.
“Most cases like this, you’re going to see a body-worn camera from multiple angles. So for the defense, they have to go through all of that video evidence as well as, of course, the prosecutor,” Schott explained.
Nichols added that while the evidence release offers clarity, the state still faces the challenge of piecing together the full story amid differing public opinions.
“This is, again, of course, a tragic event that happened that night, but so many civilians are going to have different thoughts and ideas as to what happened. Now we see the chaos. The state’s job is to kind of bring it all together,” he said.
The trial against Gardner and Fernandez is not expected until August 2026, leaving time for additional evidence to be disclosed.
Schott noted the state’s ongoing obligation to share information as the case progresses.
“The ultimate point is the state has an ongoing duty to disclose information, so we may continue to see more evidence coming out prior to August of 2026 when this case potentially goes to trial,” she said.