Judge rules twins of slain St. Johns dad to remain with parents of ex-wife accused in his murder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The parents of a woman accused in killing her ex-husband will continue to have custody of the couple’s children.

Jared Bridegan and Shanna Gardner’s twins, Abby and Liam, will remain in the custody of their grandparents, Sterling and Shelli Gardner, despite pleas from Bridegan’s parents for guardianship. Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten, confirmed the news on her Instagram page “Justice for Jared.”

Bridegan was killed in February of 2022 in what investigators are calling a murder-for-hire plot. His ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, has been charged with his murder and is currently in jail in Duval County.

The former couple’s twins have been in Washington state with Shanna’s parents, and now, that will remain their permanent home.

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“The court is ultimately interested in the welfare of the children. They previously were with their natural mother and the fact that they are with the family of that natural family is consistent basically with the law,” Dale Carson said. Carson is a defense attorney in Duval County. He previously worked for the FBI and the Miami Police Department.

Carson said it’s not unusual for the maternal grandparents to get custody—despite Gardner’s charges. However, if she’s convicted that could change.

“Then, of course, the father’s parents and the father’s second wife would go to the court and ask the court to reevaluate the condition of the children,” Carson said.

In an Instagram post, Jared’s widow, Kirsten said, “my heart has been heavier than usual this past week. This isn’t what Jared would have wanted and this isn’t what I want.”

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We reached out to Kirsten Bridegan. She said she was out of town with her children and declined an interview at this time.

We also reached out to the attorneys for the Bridegan and Gardner family and we’re waiting to hear back.

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