Brett Gardner Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
New details are emerging as to why the preliminary cause of death of former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son, Miller, was changed.
According to a representative for Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), a deeper examination of the body made it necessary for officials to adjust their initial analysis.
“When our agents showed up at the scene, they observed the body with vomit in the mouth and nasal passages,” Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia told the Daily Mail in an interview published Wednesday March 26. “They provided a preliminary report saying it could have been asphyxiation due to the vomit.”
According to Garcia, officials went with that version “because the night before, the family went to dine outside the hotel where they were staying and they all started to feel sick when they returned.”
The death of former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son, Miller, left as many confounding questions as it provided answers. Miller died on Friday, March 21, while he was on a family vacation in Costa Rica. His preliminary cause of death was ruled as asphyxia “after a possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some […]
“Once there was a deeper examination with the autopsy,” Garcia explained, “the doctor did not find any abnormalities in the respiratory tract. Now, we are focused on three areas as a possible cause of death: toxicology, neuropathology (nervous system diseases) and histology (the microscopic structure of tissues and organs).”
Hunter Gardner, Jessica Gardner, Miller Gardner and Brett Gardner Courtesy of Brett and Jessica Gardner/X
Miller died on Friday, March 21, while his family was vacationing at a resort in Costa Rica. News of the 14-year-old’s death was announced in a statement shared via the New York Yankees on behalf of Brett and his wife, Jessica.
“With heavy hearts, we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller,” the statement, released on Sunday, March 23, read. “He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation. We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st.”
The statement continued, “Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile. He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”
While Miller was originally believed to have suffered asphyxia “after a possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some food,” an official from Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Police later told CNN that Miller likely died from “asphyxiation due to intoxication related to food poisoning.”
Family and friends hoping for definitive answers may have to wait several months — autopsy results for Miller are expected to be delayed due to an outbreak of violent crime in Costa Rica.
“We’re having a hike in homicides as these drug gangs battle for territory and every one of them needs an autopsy,” Garcia — who said there was no indication the death was due to recreational drugs or alcohol — explained to the Daily Mail. “I can confirm that an autopsy has been carried out on Miller, But the full analysis and results, as in every one of them, will take at least two to three months due to these constant killings causing a backlog of cases. That’s the reality.”
