Costa Rican authorities reversed a preliminary cause of death for the teenage son of former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner, saying Tuesday it does not appear Miller Gardner died by asphyxia after eating something that made him sick.
After consulting with a pathologist, an official with Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency said, “it was preliminarily ruled out that the cause of death was due to asphyxia, due to the fact that at the time of the inspection of the body, no anomaly was observed at macro level in the respiratory tract.”
In a statement, the official, Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, said that autopsy results will likely take two to three months. Samples were sent to a forensic lab and a study will be carried out by a local university, he said.
In an earlier statement, Alvarado Garcia said Miller, 14, appeared to have died by asphyxia “after a possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some food.”
It is not immediately clear why authorities reached that earlier conclusion, which was described as preliminary pending autopsy and toxicology results.
Miller’s family said Sunday that he died after falling ill with other family members. They were on a vacation in Costa Rica at the time.
Miller’s body was found in a hotel Friday in Manuel Antonio, a popular resort area on the country’s Pacific Coast, Alvarado Garcia said.
“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 family said in a statement.
“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,” the family said.
Gardner spent his 14-season career as an outfielder with the Yankees and helped the team win the 2009 World Series. He retired after the team’s 2021 season.
