BENTON COUNTY, Wash. — The woman facing charges in the 2022 Jacksonville Beach “murder-for-hire” plot of her ex-husband will now officially be extradited to Florida from Washington state.
Shanna Gardner has been fighting the extradition since her arrest in August in connection to the killing of her ex-husband Jared Bridegan.
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Gardner appeared in court on Thursday in Benton County, Washington, and the judge said the court had both the extradition warrant from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a copy of the warrant signed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
When Gardner appeared in court earlier this month, the court did not have a copy of Inslee’s signed order.
Read: DeSantis signs extradition warrant to bring woman accused in ex-husband’s murder back to Florida
Gardner’s attorney said Thursday she would not file a habeas corpus, meaning she would not fight the extradition orders.
Action News Jax told you last month when DeSantis signed the extradition warrant ordering Gardner back to Florida.
Read: ‘Wish it weren’t like this’: Ex-wife of Jared Bridegan, father killed in Jacksonville Beach, speaks
Gardner’s ex-husband was shot and killed on Feb. 16, 2022 in Jacksonville Beach while his 2-year-old daughter he shared with his wife Kirsten Bridegan was in the car. He had just dropped off the twins he shared with Gardner at her home in Jacksonville Beach.
Police say he had stopped to remove a tire in the road that was intentionally placed there. The State Attorney’s Office called it a “murder-for-hire plot.”
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In an exclusive interview with Action News Jax last year, Gardner denied involvement in Bridegan’s murder.
Gardner is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse.
Action News Jax is reaching out to the State Attorney’s Office to find out the timing of when Gardner will be back in Florida.
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The State Attorney’s Office said it is working with law enforcement to expedite her return to Florida and the process will happen in the next few weeks. Action News Jax Law & Safety Expert Dale Carson, a criminal defense lawyer, said typically a local agency like the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or Jacksonville Beach Police would fly to get the suspect.
Once Gardner arrives, she will have her first appearance in a Duval County courtroom
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