New Potential Cause of Death for Brett Gardner's Son Presented by Authorities

Late last month, former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, announced the death of their 14-year-old son, Miller.

"With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller. He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation," a statement from the family through the Yankees 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. Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile."

Costa Rican Judicial Investigative Agency official Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia told NBC News that the 14-year-old died by asphyxiation after possibly having gotten sick from eating something during the family vacation in Costa Rica. In an amended statement, Garcia revealed asphyxiation was ruled out.

"The preliminary ruling ruled out asphyxiation as the cause of death. No macro-level abnormalities were observed in the respiratory tract upon inspection of the body," Garcia said.

In a virtual communication with the press on March 31, Zuniga revealed an update in the case, suggesting Miller “may have died from inhaling” carbon monoxide. General Director of the OIJ Randall Zuniga confirmed “high levels of carbon monoxide contamination” were detected in the family’s hotel room as part of testing carried out by a “specialized hazardous atmosphere team," according to Us Weekly. 

“It’s also important to note 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,” he suggested.

Zuniga made it clear an official cause of death can't be determined until the toxicology results are revealed, but signs point to carbon monoxide playing a role.

“Nonetheless, the initial investigative findings indicate that the incident was due to this contamination, with levels as high as 600 parts per million detected—when the appropriate level in this case should be zero,” he said.

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