Mario Fernandez was convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation in the killing of Jared Bridegan. The jury took less than four hours. He faces life without parole. One day later, two entirely new felony charges landed against him — both involving children, one connected to a girl who was around eight when the alleged conduct began, the second tied to a child who was staying in the home Fernandez shared with Shanna Gardner. That timing wasn't accidental for Gardner's case. Her trial was set to begin jury selection days later. Judge London Kite granted her defense a continuance, pushing everything to May 2027 so attorneys can dig into whether the new charges connect to a motive for Bridegan's murder. It's a real question — Fernandez reportedly told police the twins were "better off" with Bridegan "out of the picture," language that predates the new charges by years. None of it erases what prosecutors already have on Gardner: her own text messages. In one exchange, a friend texted a contact about finding Gardner "a guy" who "performs permanent disappearing acts on certain people." A detective testified the plot traces back to 2015. Gardner still faces murder, conspiracy, solicitation, and a fourth charge tied to her twins. Her attorney is Jose Baez, the man who got Casey Anthony acquitted on every major count. He's already accusing prosecutors of mischaracterizing evidence and asking for sanctions before jury selection even happens. The jury pool has been doubled to 500 to manage the publicity from Fernandez's conviction. One husband is already headed to prison. His wife's trial just got a lot more complicated. Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292 Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1 Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #JaredBridegan #ShannaGardner #MarioFernandez #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #JoseBaez #BrideganTrial #JacksonvilleBeach #MurderForHire #HenryTenon