The death of the 14-year-old son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner may have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, officials in Costa Rica said on Monday.
Miller Gardner died on March 21 while on a family vacation in the Central America country. During a news conference on March 31, Randall Zuniga, director of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ), said that a machine room, “which is believed to have some type of contamination that could have caused this situation,” was next to the hotel room where Miller Gardner was sleeping.
“Levels of up to 600 parts per million were found, when the correct level should be zero in this specific case,” Zuniga said.
Miller Gardner may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after tests revealed elevated levels of the potentially lethal gas in the hotel room he had been staying in, according to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency. https://t.co/Raox1Lngii
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 1, 2025
Zuniga added that the first results of tests were conducted by a specialized team for hazardous atmosphere the day that Miller Gardner died in his hotel room at the Arenas Del Mar resort, located in the central Pacific coastal town of Manuel Antonio.
The tests were carried out by the Costa Rican Fire Department’s engineering division and the OIJ.
An OIJ spokesperson confirmed to ESPN by text message that investigators believe the death to be accidental and not the result of foul play.
“Furthermore, this investigation has been closely coordinated with the FBI in the United States,” Zuniga said at the news conference.
In an obituary published over the weekend, the Gardner family said that Miller Gardner’s death leaves a void “in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches and others” that “will be felt for years.”
“The Gardner family will forever cherish the places they visited, the people they met, the friends they made, and the memories they created together,” the obituary stated.
The teen was an eighth-grade student at Pinewood Preparatory School in Summerville, South Carolina, where he played for the middle school football team and junior varsity baseball team. He was also an honor student.
In a statement to CBS News on Monday, hotel officials said they were “heartbroken” by the news of Miller Gardner’s death.
“We are diligently cooperating with the Costa Rican judicial authorities, who have taken over the investigation,” hotel officials said. “We trust that the forensic process will objectively, clearly, and conclusively clarify the causes of this unfortunate incident.”
Brett Gardner played his entire 14-year career with the Yankees from 2008 to 2021. He was named to the American League All-Star team in 2015 and won a Gold Glove the following season. Gardner was also part of the Yankees squad that won its last World Series title in 2009.
© 2025 Cox Media Group
Sign Up
