The murder case against Shanna Gardner, the Florida woman accused of helping arrange the 2022 killing of her ex-husband Jared Bridegan, has undergone a major legal restructuring ahead of her long-delayed trial.

Prosecutors filed a new indictment on Sept. 17 that reduces the number of charges Gardner faces and formally places her case alongside that of Henry Tenon, the man accused of carrying out the fatal roadside shooting.

Gardner is now charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Prosecutors have dropped or abandoned two other counts that had previously been part of the case: solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.

The change does not mean prosecutors are backing away from their central allegation.

They still contend that Gardner participated in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Bridegan, her former husband and the father of the twins they shared.

Gardner has pleaded not guilty and denies involvement in his death.

Gardner and Henry Tenon Will Now Be Tried Together

The Sept. 17 filing also consolidates Gardner’s case with Tenon’s.

Tenon is accused of being the gunman who ambushed Bridegan on Feb. 16, 2022, in Jacksonville Beach.

Under the new indictment, Tenon faces first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A child-abuse charge previously filed against him has also been dropped.

The child-abuse allegations had stemmed from the fact that Bridegan’s 2-year-old daughter was sitting in the back seat of his vehicle when he was shot.

Two bullets struck Bridegan, while two additional rounds entered the vehicle, according to prosecutors.

Gardner and Tenon are now expected to face a single jury.

Gardner’s jury selection had most recently been scheduled for May 3, 2027, while Tenon previously had a separate March trial date. The consolidation means the court will have to align the two cases under one schedule.

Prosecutors Say a Tire Was Used to Lure Bridegan From His Car

Bridegan, a 33-year-old Microsoft executive and father of four, was killed after dropping off the twins he shared with Gardner at her Jacksonville Beach home.

He was driving along Sanctuary Boulevard with his 2-year-old daughter when he encountered a tire deliberately placed in the roadway.

Prosecutors say the tire was a trap.

Bridegan stopped, got out of his vehicle and attempted to move it.

A gunman then emerged and fired four shots.

Two struck Bridegan, killing him at the scene.

His daughter was not physically injured.

Investigators later identified Tenon as the alleged shooter.

Prosecutors say Bridegan and Tenon did not know one another.

That lack of a personal connection became important because investigators eventually linked Tenon to Mario Fernandez Saldana, Gardner’s then-husband.

Mario Fernandez Saldana Has Already Been Convicted

The biggest development in the case before the latest indictment came on Aug. 26, when a Duval County jury convicted Fernandez Saldana of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony.

He faces a mandatory life sentence in Florida state prison.

Prosecutors argued that Fernandez Saldana recruited Tenon to kill Bridegan amid an increasingly bitter custody dispute between Gardner and Bridegan.

Evidence presented in Fernandez Saldana’s trial included records showing that Tenon had previously rented property from Fernandez Saldana and Gardner.

Investigators also found Tenon’s DNA on the tire placed in the road, according to prosecutors.

The state said Tenon owned a blue Ford F-150 connected to the crime and that Fernandez Saldana paid him at least $10,000 after Bridegan was killed.

Prosecutors also presented evidence of extensive communications between the two men.

After roughly four hours of deliberations, jurors found Fernandez Saldana guilty.

His conviction significantly changes the landscape for Gardner’s upcoming trial because prosecutors have already persuaded one jury that the killing was an organized murder-for-hire plot.

That verdict, however, does not determine Gardner’s guilt.

Her case must still be proven separately beyond a reasonable doubt.

Tenon Once Pleaded Guilty, Then Withdrew His Plea

Tenon’s legal history in the case has also changed dramatically.

He previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

At that stage, he admitted being the gunman and provided testimony about the alleged plot.

But in February 2026, Tenon withdrew his guilty plea.

Judge London Kite later granted him a new trial.

That reversal created a major complication for prosecutors.

Instead of being only a cooperating witness against Gardner and Fernandez Saldana, Tenon once again became a defendant facing trial himself.

The new joint indictment now puts him and Gardner in front of the same jury.

That arrangement could create complex evidentiary questions, particularly if prosecutors seek to use statements Tenon previously made about the alleged plot.

Custody Conflict Has Remained Central to Prosecutors’ Theory

Authorities have long argued that the motive for Bridegan’s killing grew out of the deeply contentious relationship between Gardner and her ex-husband.

The two had been involved in years of disputes over parenting and custody of their twins.

During Fernandez Saldana’s trial, prosecutors argued that the conflict had escalated to the point that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana wanted Bridegan permanently removed from the situation.

The state also introduced evidence involving a family trust associated with Gardner.

According to prosecutors, Gardner could not become trustee until her legal conflicts with Bridegan had been resolved.

Gardner’s defense has rejected the accusation that she participated in a murder conspiracy.

Her attorneys will have the opportunity to challenge the state’s evidence when the case goes before a jury.

Widow’s Cellphone Has Become a Separate Court Fight

Another unusual dispute has emerged involving Jared Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten Bridegan.

Gardner’s attorneys sought access to Kirsten’s personal cellphone as part of their trial preparation.

Judge Kite ordered that the phone be turned over to a forensic company retained by Gardner’s defense.

Kirsten refused and challenged the order, arguing that her privacy rights as a crime victim are protected under Florida law.

The disagreement led Judge Kite to initiate an indirect criminal contempt proceeding.

Kirsten’s attorneys later sought to remove Kite from the case, but those disqualification motions were denied on Sept. 10.

An appellate challenge concerning the cellphone remains part of the broader pretrial litigation.

Fernandez Saldana Now Faces Separate Allegations

The Bridegan murder case became even more complicated one day after Fernandez Saldana’s conviction.

On Aug. 27, he was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation involving a minor.

One count alleges conduct by an adult against a child younger than 12.

Those allegations are separate from Bridegan’s killing and remain unproven.

The new case contributed to delays in Gardner’s murder trial, which had previously been expected to begin much sooner.

What Happens Next

The Sept. 17 indictment simplifies the charges but does not simplify the case.

Gardner is now facing two central accusations: first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Tenon faces first-degree murder and a firearm charge.

Fernandez Saldana has already been convicted.

The state’s theory remains that Bridegan was deliberately lured from his vehicle and killed as part of a coordinated plot arising from long-running custody and personal disputes.

Gardner’s defense will attempt to separate her from that alleged conspiracy and challenge the evidence linking her to Tenon and Fernandez Saldana.

With jury selection currently expected in 2027, the case is entering a new phase more than four years after Bridegan was shot beside his car.

The latest indictment removes two charges from Gardner’s case.

But the most serious allegation remains unchanged: prosecutors still accuse her of helping plan the murder of her former husband.