In late March, former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner's 14-year-old son Miller passed away. Tragically, Miller became severely ill during a family vacation in Costa Rica.
Afterward, Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death. As of now, the investigation remains open, and Miller's death potentially could be ruled as a homicide, per Gueorgui Milkov and Anthony Olivieri of ESPN.
In March, investigators initially told ESPN that they believed Miller's death was accidental. In early April, Miller's death was attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
A spokeswoman from the Prosecutor's Office of Costa Rita handling the case said to ESPN regarding a homicide investigation:
“The purpose of the investigation is precisely to determine whether or not we are dealing with a possible homicide. For this reason, it is not possible at this time to confirm or rule out that a crime has been committed.”
According to the OIJ, Miller and his family went out to dinner at a local restaurant. The family said that the food made them sick. Initially, investigators suspected Miller's death was the result of asphyxiation, but it was ruled out.
During the investigation, the OIJ examined the room the Gardner family was staying in at the Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort. Afterward, the OIJ stated that “high emissions of carbon monoxide were detected.”
Article Continues BelowThe life of Miller and Brett Gardner
Miller Gardner grew up in South Carolina. He played baseball and football at Pinewood Preparatory School in Summerville.
While there, Miller wore his father's No. 11 jersey. Brett Gardner played in MLB for 14 seasons with the Yankees before retiring in 2021.
He was a part of the 2009 World Series-winning team. Over time, Gardner emerged as one of the most popular players on the team.
During that time, he was the longest-tenured player on the Yankees roster. In addition, Gardner received an All-Star nomination in 2015 and a Gold Glove Award in 2016.