New Charges Against Fernandez Just Blew Up Gardner's Trial

**Tony Brueski** (0:01)
This is Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski.

**Tony Brueski** (0:11)
Well holy crap, this case just took a turn. There ain't gonna be no Shanna Gardner trial here at the very end of August into September. That was what we were all ready for.
Moving to 2027, why? Oh my God. We're about to get into this follow along because this case was already very hard to follow and it just got even more. And it involves Mario Fernandez, the man who just was convicted of murder, her husband, technically, the marriage of convenience. And we'll get into all this because there's a lot of understanding that needs to be done to fully grasp what the hell is going on here today. And I'm going to do my best to kind of make this a catch all of, okay, you can walk away from this video and really kind of get what's happening here, or at least the potentialities of where this is going, because we just like we thought we were on this road and it just went, whoa. Yeah, it's it's kind of nuts one day.
And I'd love to get your thoughts in the comment section. Substack YouTube, hit subscribe, please. Right now, take the podcast with you to scan the QR code, ticker audio version wherever you go. One day after a Jacksonville jury convicted Mario Fernandez, a first degree murder in the killing of Jared Bridegan, two new felony charges were filed against him. And both involve crimes against children.

**Tony Brueski** (1:53)
Yeah. Who?

**Tony Brueski** (1:56)
What? Where? We're going to... Okay, there's a lot to get through, so take a breath, because it took me a moment, too, because I wanted all the information at once. I have done my darndest as of this moment to try and gather it up for you.
This is an opinion piece, I'm going to say that, but this is everything we've gathered as best we can at this moment in time.
Things are ever changing, just so you know. ShannaGardner's murder trial was supposed to begin jury selection as of this recording Monday, so be, I think, August 31st. That's dead. Judge London Kai granted an unopposed defense continuance, meaning delay in the trial. I know, it sounds weird, but that's what it is. It's a delay in the trial. The trial now moves to May of 2027 It's like almost half a year away now. The continuance filing gives a window into what Gardner's defense may be building. They were just handed something on a silver platter.
Or the timing of this filing, which is a criminal filing, it's not a civil filing, but it's a legal filing. It's interesting. It's interesting that these new charges are brought against him right before her trial is supposed to start. What the hell is going on here? Again, there's going to be a lot of conjecture here because we don't have a lot of answers to a lot of things, but we're going to do our best to try and put the pieces in place and also try to go and say, judging from our view off of this ledge, here's what I'm seeing.
And again, I'd love for your input in the comments. Her attorneys say that because the new charges were filed this week, they need time to investigate the allegations and how they might relate to a motive for Bridegan's murder. The implication is that Fernandez may have had his own reasons to want Bridegan dead, a reason independent of Gardner. Now, whether that theory can survive the prosecution's evidence is the question that now sits at the center of this case. The first charge involves a girl who told investigators the conduct began in April of 2020 When she was about eight years old, it happened in the bedroom of a Jacksonville home, a Jacksonville home. The charge date range runs from April 2020 through April 21 The child told investigators the conduct went on for many years but could not identify when it ended. She was interviewed outside Florida on May 6 of 25, about a month before the interview, a family member had asked her about Fernandez during a family vacation and she initially said no. Investigators later noted allegedly that concerns had risen, that the child didn't understand the terminology being used. The matter was then eventually clarified. One detail matters for the defense's theory here. The affidavit does not identify the Jacksonville home as the residence of Gardner and Fernandez that they shared. That is, that's unconfirmed as of this moment. Might it be? It might, but we don't know. Whether Gardner was living under the same roof as the alleged conduct is a question the record does not currently answer. But, well, because we're all wondering, who is it? We don't want to identify the kids. But context to try and understand what's going on here is somewhat important. And it might be the kids you're thinking of. I know. Could this get any worse? No. Well, no.