NEED TO KNOW
- Former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner’s son Miller died on March 21 while the family was vacationing in Costa Rica
- Local investigators previously said there were “high levels of carbon monoxide contamination” found in Miller’s hotel room
- ESPN now reports that the investigation has been handed off to a local prosecutor’s office who says they are working to determine whether Miller’s death was a “natural or homicidal”
The death of former MLB star Brett Gardner’s teenage son Miller Gardner is still under investigation as authorities in Costa Rica rule out the possibility of homicide, according to a new report from ESPN.
Miller died on March 21 while the Gardner family was on vacation in Costa Rica, PEOPLE previously reported.
Gardner, the 41-year-old former New York Yankees player, announced his son’s death in a social media post saying he and wife Jessica “have so many questions and so few answers,” adding that they understood Miller “passed away peacefully in his sleep” during the trip.
PEOPLE later reported that Costa Rican investigators said there were “high levels of carbon monoxide contamination” in the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort hotel room where Miller was sleeping.
But more than two months after the fact, the case remains open. ESPN reported Friday morning that a spokeswoman with the Prosecutor’s Office of Costa Rica said that authorities are still working “to determine whether the cause of death was a homicide or not, and if so, to establish responsibility.”
New York Yankees/ X
From left: Hunter Gardner, Jessica Gardner, Miller Gardner, and Brett Gardner
ESPN said its reporters asked the spokeswoman, Sharon Hernandez Coto, “whether a homicide investigation is standard procedure or if there was suspicion of foul play” and the spokeswoman replied that “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,” Coto said.
The spokeswoman added: “The aim is to determine whether it was a natural or homicidal death.”
PEOPLE reached out to Coto for more information on Friday morning but did not immediately receive a response. PEOPLE has also reached out to the Costa Rica Judicial Investigation Agency, who previously handled the death investigation before ESPN reports it was turned over to the local prosecutor’s office.
Brett and Jessica Gardner also share one other son, Hunter. In a statement after his death in late March, the Gardner family described Miller as “a beloved son and brother,” and said they “cannot yet comprehend” their lives “without his infectious smile.”
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Miller Gardner
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The Gardners said Miller played football, baseball, and golf, while he also enjoyed fishing and hunting, adding that the teenager “lived life to the fullest every single day.”
“We are confident our faith, family, and friends will help us navigate this unimaginable loss. Our prayers go out to Miller’s teammates and friends, as well as to all other families who have lost a child far too soon as we share their grief,” the family’s statement concluded. “Please respect our wishes for privacy as we mourn and search for healing.”
Read the original article on People