Asphyxiation has been ruled out as the cause of death for the 14 -year -old son of former New York Yankees gardener, Brett Gardner, ABC News, officials of the National Costa Rica Police.
The authorities determined that Miller Gardner did not die from suffocation because his respiratory tract was clear, police said.
This occurs a day after a Costa Rican government official said that Miller Gardner could have died from suffocation due to “food poisoning.”
This photo published by the New York Yankees on the Social Network Site X shows Miller Gardner, 14, the son of the former Yankees players Brett Gardner, who died, on March 21, 2025, of a sudden illness while he was on family vacations.
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Miller Gardner died while sleeping Friday morning while the family was on vacation in Costa Rica, according to the family and the State Department.
The family felt ill after returning from dinner at a restaurant near their resort on Thursday, according to a Costa Rican source near the investigation. The Gardner family was staying in the exclusive Arena del Mar Resort in Manuel Antonio.
“Hotel staff sent a medical team immediately, including a licensed doctor, who arrived to handle the emergency situation,” said the Arena del Mar Resort in a statement to ABC News.
“Our hotel protocol in Arenas del Mar does not allow hotel staff to provide any medication to guests,” said the complex.
The authorities are investigating to see if Miller was allergic to any of the medications they gave, according to the source. The autopsy has not been completed, and potential clients are still considered preliminary, said the source.
“We are deeply sad for this loss, and our hearts are with the family,” said a spokesman for the sand of the sea resort in a previous statement. “The factors that led to this tragic incident are unknown, and we are cooperating completely with the authorities while investigating.”
More evidence is being done to determine the cause of death of the teenager, the National Police Costa Rica said Tuesday. It could take up to three months to complete the autopsy due to the significant demand in the country due to its high murder rate, the police added.
The authorities said they do not believe that their death is suspicious at this time of the investigation.
The Police of the City of Quepos leads the investigation and will question the hotel employees on Tuesday, the authorities said.
Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica Gardner, said her youngest son died “after getting sick along with several other family members.”
“We have many questions and so few answers at this time,” the Gardners said Sunday in a statement published by the Yankees.
Brett Gardner (right end) poses in this photo without date with his wife, Jessica, and his children, Miller (next to his father) and Hunter (left extreme).
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“Miller was a beloved son and brother and we still can’t understand our life without his contagious smile,” Brett and Jessica Gardner said in the statement. “Life lived to the fullest every day.”
Brett Gardner spent his entire MLB race of 14 season with the Yankees and retired after the 2021 season. He was appointed All-Star of the American League in 2015 and won a Golden Glove award in 2016. He was also in the team that won the World Series in 2009.
“Our hearts are heavy, and the Yankees family is full of pain,” the Yankees said in a statement. “It was not only Brett who literally grew in this organization for more than 17 years, so did his wife, Jessica, and his two children, Hunter and Miller.”
“Our love for the Gardner family is unconditional and absolute, and we will offer our lasting support,” the team said.