JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sunday marks three years since Jared Bridegan, a local father of four, was gunned down in Jacksonville Beach in what police have described as a “murder-for-hire.”

Bridegan’s ex-wife and her second husband are set to be tried for his murder later this year.

Here’s a look back on how this case unfolded and where it stands today.

It was just before 8 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2022, as Bridegan was dropping off his twins at his ex-wife Shanna Gardner’s home in the Sanctuary neighborhood of Jacksonville Beach.

As he left, his 2-year-old daughter Bexley rode in her car seat behind him, unaware of the danger lying ahead.

Bridegan turned onto a dimly lit section of road. Police say a tire was in the road and as he stopped to move it, the sounds of gunshots cut through the night.

Bridegan was shot and killed, the bullets narrowly missing his daughter in the back seat.

A search for his killer ensued.

Questions swirled as multiple agencies joined the investigation, and police said Bridegan’s killing was not a robbery or road rage, but a targeted ambush.

Photos were released of a blue truck seen in the area on cameras and by witnesses prior to the shooting.

First Coast News also spoke with Kirsten Bridegan for the first time as she described Jared as a loving husband and begged the public to come forward with tips.

“It’s not just this photo you see on TV. He was a great dad, the best spouse, and I want people to know that,” Kirsten Bridegan told First Coast News.

As Bridegan’s case began to garner national attention, the public eye turned to Jared and Shanna’s acrimonious divorce with the two often in court and sparring over issues involving their children and finances.

In the months after Bridegan’s murder, outwardly investigators remained quiet, leading some to wonder if the case was going cold. 

But then, in January 2023, an announcement was made.

The State Attorney’s Office arrested Henry Tenon on murder charges in connection with Bridegan’s death.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson described Tenon as just one piece of a conspiracy to kill Bridegan. 

While Tenon initially pleaded not guilty. But in March 2023, he changed his plea to guilty. 

Then came the arrest of Mario Fernandez, Gardner’s second husband.

“Tenon’s cooperation has both corroborated evidence collected during the investigation and provided additional evidence against Mario Fernandez-Saldana for his role in the planning and execution of Jared’s murder,” Nelson said at the time of Fernandez’s arrest.

Fernandez had rented a home to Tenon and court documents and testimony state Tenon was offered $150,000 to kill Bridegan.

But there was still another arrest yet to come.

“This morning, a 4th Circuit grand jury indicted Shanna Gardner for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, all related to the murder of Jared Bridegan,” Nelson announced in August 2023.

After Gardner’s arrest, Jared’s widow said the family was grateful for the work of investigators and now they were ready to move forward with the next set in the case.

“Shanna’s arrest ends one horrific chapter of our pursuit for justice for Jared, for 547 days we hoped and prayed for this day to come,” Kirsten Bridegan said during a 2023 press conference.

Gardner and Fernandez have both pleaded not guilty and are set to go to trial in October.

Kirsten Bridegan and Bridegan’s family have started the Bridegan Foundation and created the Bexley Box which is given to police and sheriff’s offices filled with comfort items for children who have been through traumatic events as a way to remember him and a reflection of what his daughter Bexley endured that night as well.

First Coast News will continue to follow this case closely as it moves closer to trial.