Just under two weeks after Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son tragically passed away, we know what took his life.
The heartbreaking case of the New York Yankees legend’s son Miller has been nothing short of a roller coaster over the past two weeks. Brett and his wife Jessica announced the teen died on March 21 after falling ill on a family vacation in Costa Rica. We later found out that Brett and Jessica, as well as their older son Hunter, 16, also fell ill after dining at a restaurant near the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort where they were staying in Manuel Antonio. A resort doctor prescribed them all medication to ease their symptoms, and the next day, Miller was tragically found dead in his room.
The preliminary theory was that he died of asphyxia, but that was later ruled out. Attention was then turned to the possibility of food poisoning or a bad reaction from the medication he was prescribed… Until an investigative team detected dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the family’s hotel room. Randall Zúñiga, General Director of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigative Agency (OIJ) announced on Monday “levels as high as 600 parts per million detected — when the appropriate level in this case should be zero.” He also noted that “next to [the family’s] room there is a specialized machine room, from which it is believed some form of contamination may have reached the guest rooms, potentially causing the incident,” theorizing Miller “could have died from inhaling these dangerous gases.”
However, the hotel firmly denied any such incident the following day, revealing via spokesperson Dana Cohen that “there was an error in this initial reporting” and “the levels in the hotel room were non-existent and non-lethal.”
However we now know the hotel was a bit premature in their reporting…
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On Wednesday, Zúñiga announced Miller’s toxicology results are in — and they reveal carbon monoxide poisoning was indeed the teen’s cause of death:
“In the carboxyhemoglobin test, a saturation level of 64 percent was found. In such cases, when concentrations exceed 50 percent carboxyhemoglobin, it is considered lethal. In this particular case, with a saturation of 64 percent, the level is clearly well above that lethal threshold. Therefore, this confirms the police hypothesis that the death was caused by exposure to poisonous gases, specifically carbon monoxide.”
What was the hotel thinking by denying that carbon monoxide was present in Miller’s room before official toxicology results were available??
Zúñiga continued:
“With this, the case is practically closed. The only step remaining is for the toxicology report from the OIJ Forensic Sciences Department to be forwarded to the Legal Medicine Department, so the expert can include it in the autopsy report.”
He noted additional “tests were also conducted, such as drug screenings — including for fentanyl — and all came back negative in relation to the symptoms shown by young Gardner.” The official added:
“In this particular case, a strictly scientific investigation was carried out, which allowed the real truth of the facts to be determined. In fact, during the autopsy, the organs of young Gardner showed a very specific layer that forms when a person dies from carbon monoxide poisoning or gas inhalation. That emphysema was both visible and very noticeable during the autopsy.”
So, so sad. Something that should have NEVER happened. Our hearts are absolutely broken for the Gardner family… But hopefully now they feel a bit of closure in knowing exactly what happened to their boy.
An obituary posted on Charleston, South Carolina’s Post and Courier “asks for any memorial donations to be made in Miller’s honor to The Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit helping fulfill wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.” It continues:
“The Gardners have seen the organization’s impact firsthand on numerous occasions and have always been deeply moved by the hope, strength, and inspiration each wish provides for children and families facing difficult times. In this time of unimaginable loss, the family prays that joy and healing will come to others who share their grief.”
A private celebration of life will be held in his honor at an undisclosed future date. We’re sending so much love and light their way. Rest in peace, Miller.
[Images via New York Yankees/X]
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