Attorneys for the Florida woman accused of hiring a hitman to "ambush" her Microsoft executive ex are making a bid to remove the prosecutors from the high-profile case.
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, 37, and her husband, Mario Fernandez-Saldana, 35, have been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse, in connection with the February 2022 slaying of Gardner-Fernandez's ex-husband, Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft senior design manager, according to court records.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty after Gardner-Fernandez and Fernandez-Saldana allegedly hired 62-year-old hitman Henry Tenon, to shoot and kill Bridegan in front of his then-2-year-old during their drive home after dropping off the twins he shared with his ex-wife.
Bridegan got out of his car to remove a tire from a Jacksonville, Florida, roadway, when he was shot to death, according to police.
Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against the couple.
In March, the defense teams for both Gardner-Fernandez and Fernandez-Saldana filed a motion to have the State Attorney's Office Fourth Judicial Circuit removed from their cases, citing a mishandling of attorney-client privileged communications, WTLV-TV reported.
Both sides are arguing over who should make the decision over the fate of the State Attorney's Office.
The state wants Special Master Judge Robert Foster to decide, while the defense is demanding Judge London Kite make the ruling. Subsequently, Kite ruled she'll make the determination over whether or not the current prosecutors will stay on the case, according to the outlet.
Hearings for the motion are set for April 19 and May 3.
