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Cause Of Death For Brett Gardner's Son Hasn't Been Ruled Out

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 6:48 PM ET

It's been nearly three months since the sudden, tragic passing of Miller Gardner, the son of former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner, in Costa Rica. The investigation into his death is taking quite some time but one thing cannot be ruled out.

In a report from ESPN, Costa Rican authorities have been keeping the case open and prosecutors are still working to determine whether the cause of death will be ruled a homicide.

Gardner died at a Costa Rican resort on March 21 and a few days later the Judicial Investigation Department of Costa Rica (OIJ) told the outlet that investigators initially believed Gardner's death to be accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.

But while there is no new information to suggest a homicide took place, a former member of the prosecutor's office explained that the case is remaining open in this way to determine responsibility, if homicide is not the underlying cause.

"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."

As for why the investigation into whether it's an accident or a homicide is taking so long, ESPN said that they were directed to Costa Rica's manual on criminal procedure, which appears to be quite lengthy.

"The prosecutor's office directed ESPN to a 33-page manual on Costa Rican criminal procedure, which explains the process of a prosecutor office's investigation. The first stage, which includes the collection and analysis of evidence, search warrants, autopsies and requests for pretrial detention, concludes with a prosecutor's formal accusation, a request for a provisional dismissal or a request to close the case. A second stage can involve a decision to file formal charges. The next step would be a trial stage, followed by any possible appeals. It was unclear which stage the Gardner case is at in the process," the outlet reported.

That probably won't be any comfort to the Gardner family, who declined to comment on ESPN's recent report.

Miller Gardner played high school football in South Carolina, wearing the same No. 11 jersey that his father wore as a member of the Yankees for over a decade, including the team's 2009 World Series title.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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