Freshly Unveiled Bodycam Footage in Jared Bridegan Homicide Investigation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New bodycam footage released Wednesday in the high-profile Jared Bridegan murder case shows police’s encounter with Mario Fernandez — one of three people charged in the killing — as well as the scene of the murder.

The St. Augustine father of four was murdered on Feb. 16, 2022 in what police have called a “murder-for-hire plot” orchestrated by his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her second husband, Mario Fernandez. Both Gardner and Fernandez have pleaded not guilty to charges in Bridegan’s murder.

Henry Tenon is also charged with Bridegan’s murder and has agreed to testify against Gardner and Fernandez. He has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and admitted to being the one who pulled the trigger in the deadly ambush. Gardner and Fernandez are accused of offering Tenon $150,000 to kill Bridegan.

In one bodycam video, a Jacksonville Sheriff’s officer arrives at the scene of a traffic stop where Fernandez was pulled over. The officer meets with another officer who was already on scene, as the two then approach Fernandez in his vehicle.

One officer is seen pulling the door handle on Fernandez’s vehicle, as Fernandez then exits.

“What’s going on, man?” one officer asked Fernandez.

“Huh?” Fernandez replied.

“Hey, do you have any weapons on you?” the officer asked.

“No,” Fernandez responded.

Officers then did a pat-down on Fernandez and escorted him to the back of a patrol vehicle before checking the inside of his vehicle briefly with a flashlight.

Afterward, one officer said to Fernandez, “Hey boss, go ahead and kick your feet in, someone’s gonna come talk to you in a second.”

In another bodycam video, an officer is seen having a conversation with a group of individuals not identified; the audio on this portion of the video is muted.

Afterward, two officers approach the patrol vehicle Fernandez was put in and ask him to step out.

“You’re free to go,” one officer said to Fernandez.

“Sweet,” Fernandez responded while returning back to his vehicle.

In a third bodycam video showing the scene of Bridegan’s murder, footage starts with an officer walking down a dark street towards flashing vehicle lights and Bridegan, who was lying on bloody pavement and covered with a sheet.

As the officer moves closer to Bridegan and the vehicle, a tire is seen in the middle of the street along with several shell casings.

After getting a look at evidence on scene, the officer is seen walking back down the street towards flashing police lights.

Police and prosecutors say Bridegan was shot and killed shortly after dropping off his twins, with whom Gardner shared custody of, and that Bridegan’s 2-year-old daughter Bexley was in the car with him when he was killed.

Gardner and Fernandez’s trial is scheduled to start Aug. 3, 2026. It was originally set to begin Oct. 20, but during a pre-trial hearing in July, Judge London Kite agreed with requests to move the trial date. Attorneys said jury selection would begin Aug. 3 and could last a week.

The trial, which is a death penalty case, is expected to last more than six weeks. Kite said it could last through Sept. 18, 2026, including the penalty phase if a guilty verdict is returned.

Gardner and Fernandez will have separate juries, and Kite noted that as many as 500 potential jurors, 250 per defendant, could be brought in due to the level of public interest in the case. The judge also acknowledged the extensive amount of time a jury would have to be available for the length of the trial.

Gardner and Fernandez are both charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse.

Editor’s note: Two of the three bodycam videos referenced in this story are below. First Coast News is not including the third bodycam video of the murder scene due to graphic content.