Divorce from Shanna Gardner

Shanna stopped going to church and started zealously working out. It is said that she became frustrated with Jared who had gained weight and was trying to get his businesses off the ground.

Jared persuaded Shanna to move to Florida, for a fresh start. He was studying online for a master’s degree at Savannah College of Art and Design.

They bought another $800,000 house in Ponte Vedra Beach south of Jacksonville.

The fresh start failed and the couple drifted further apart. Jared remained a devout LDS member, while Shanna moved further away from their religion.

During her marriage to Jared, Shanna Gardner met a trainer at the gym and became involved with him. This connection made her realize that she had deeper feelings for the trainer than she did for her husband. This emotional shift contributed to the strain in her relationship with Jared, eventually leading to their separation.

Shanna had joined a CrossFit gym after Jared bought her some PT sessions as a gift.

She allegedly began an affair with the personal trainer.

Jared found some emails between the two. He confronted her, and she told him she didn’t love him anymore.

Jared told his family members “‘I don’t recognize this person. I married a totally different person.’”

Jared had always believed in the sanctity of marriage, but as time went on, things between him and Shanna started to unravel. Shanna, a confident and driven woman, had always been focused on her career and personal goals. Jared admired her for that, but over the last few months, he noticed a shift in her demeanor. She became distant, emotionally withdrawing from their relationship. The once-strong bond they shared seemed to be fraying at the edges.

The tipping point came when Jared noticed Shanna’s increasing attachment to her personal trainer at the gym. It wasn’t long before Shanna told Jared she wanted a divorce. She insisted that it had nothing to do with infidelity. “We just don’t love each other anymore,” she explained, denying any affair. But Jared couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story.

Heartbroken and confused, Jared reached out to Mallary, a mutual friend who had always been a good listener. In a late-night email, he poured out his thoughts. “In the past 3 months, Shanna has become really distant and got emotionally attached to her personal trainer at the gym. And now she’s divorcing me. But she has her agency, so I just need to move on and find someone to be my best friend again, ya know.”

The divorce, however, was far from amicable. What started as a mutual decision quickly spiraled into a bitter and contentious battle. The court file grew thicker by the day, with over 300 entries detailing the accusations and counteraccusations between the two. Shanna accused Jared of “disturbing and abusive behavior,” alleging that he regularly interrogated their children, coaching them on what to say and then recording their statements. She claimed Jared threatened to use these recordings against her, painting a picture of a man desperate to maintain control.

Jared, on the other hand, alleged that Shanna had locked him out of the master bedroom, treating him with disdain and disrespect in front of their children. He also accused her of installing surveillance devices throughout their home, a move he saw as a violation of his privacy and a sign of her growing mistrust.

As the court proceedings dragged on, it became clear that the divorce would leave deep scars on both Jared and Shanna. What had started as a marriage filled with love and promise had deteriorated into a battlefield of accusations and hurt. In the end, neither side emerged unscathed, and the children found themselves caught in the middle of a war they never asked to be a part of.

Jared knew that moving on wouldn’t be easy, but he also understood that he couldn’t dwell on the past. He had to pick up the pieces of his life and find a way to rebuild, hoping that one day he would find someone who could be his best friend again.

In 2018, Gardner and Mario quietly got married in Jacksonville. It was a private affair, with no one outside their immediate circle aware of the union. To most, it seemed sudden and perhaps even hasty, but Gardner and Mario had their reasons. “We didn’t know each other very well when we got married,” Gardner later confessed, acknowledging the unconventional nature of their decision.

Mario and Gardner had just started dating when they decided to take a trip to Utah to visit her parents. It was an opportunity for Mario to get to know Gardner’s family and to deepen their relationship.

Shannan Gardner’s mother, seeing the connection between them and the challenges Gardner was facing, made a surprising suggestion. “Why don’t you two get married?” she proposed, sensing that it might bring some stability to Gardner’s life.

Gardner was taken aback by the idea. She knew that their relationship was still in its early stages and that marriage was a big step. “We wouldn’t have a typical marriage,” she admitted to Mario later, when they discussed her mother’s suggestion. But there was a certain convenience to the idea, especially when it came to the well-being of her children. Gardner and Mario both wanted what was best for the kids, and they recognized that their partnership could offer a supportive environment.

In 2018, Gardner and Mario quietly got married in Jacksonville. It was a private affair, with no one outside their immediate circle aware of the union. To most, it seemed sudden and perhaps even hasty, but Gardner and Mario had their reasons. “We didn’t know each other very well when we got married,” Gardner later confessed, acknowledging the unconventional nature of their decision.

One of the primary motivations behind the marriage was the children. Mario wanted to help Gardner with her kids, but Jared, Gardner’s ex, was hesitant about allowing another man to be involved in their lives. The only way Jared would agree to Mario’s involvement was if they were married. So, with that understanding, Gardner and Mario took the plunge, formalizing their relationship in a way that allowed Mario to be a part of the children’s lives.

Despite the unconventional start to their marriage, Gardner and Mario were committed to making it work, focusing on creating a stable and loving environment for the kids. It wasn’t the traditional love story, but it was one built on practicality and a shared desire to do right by the children. And in that sense, it was a marriage that, though unexpected, served its purpose.

After Jared was murdered, Shanna and her husband Mario hired Henry Coxe III, a criminal defense attorney.

Shanna told the media she hired him to help protect her family from publicity and to keep her children out of the media.

Shanna has also told the media that her children are terrified at the media attention that has been focused on them.

“I can’t take it away,” Shanna said. “My kids are 10. They understand everything that is going on. They see this and they are scared, terrified and struggling.”

Shanna Separated from Mario and moved to WA.

Shanna Gardner booked October 20, 2023, in Jacksonville, FL and charged with murdering the father of four. Prosecutors in Florida are seeking the death penalty.

Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife on first-degree murder charges in the conspiracy that led to his ambush shooting last year. A grand jury in Florida indicted Shanna Gardner and was later arrested in Washington state and charged with murder in FL

Shanna Gardner — has now been charged with murdering the father of four. Prosecutors in Florida are seeking the death penalty.

Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife on first-degree murder charges in the conspiracy that led to his ambush shooting last year.

A grand jury in Florida indicted Shanna Gardner and was later arrested in Washington state.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents arrested her in West Richland, Washington, where she moved with the twins she shared with Bridegan. ATF’s Jacksonville field office had been assisting Jacksonville Beach Police Department detectives since early in the investigation.

Gardner will be extradited to Duval County to face the charges which also include a solicitation to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and child abuse.

Mario’s indictment said he plotted the murder within the four months leading to Bridgegan’s death, but Garnder’s indictment said she may have been scheming to kill Bridegan as early as May 2015 a few months before their divorce was finalized.

Bodycam Footage of Shanna Gardner’s Arrest

Case 16-2023-CF-002862-BXXX-MA