Hotel Denies Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Brett Gardner's Son's Tragic Death

Miller Gardner‘s new possible cause of death is being disputed.

Following the Costa Rican officials’ announcement that they found “elevated carbon monoxide pollution” within the teenager’s hotel room during their investigation into his sudden demise, a representative of Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort (where Miller was holidaying with his family, including his father, former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner) claimed that there might have been an “oversight in the initial reporting” regarding this matter.

Hotel representative, Dana Cohen, explained to People magazine on April 1st that the increased worry is justified due to elevated carbon monoxide levels found in a mechanical room, which guests do not access. However, she added that the levels detected within guest rooms were negligible and posed no threat to anyone’s safety.

Cohen stated that they would await “definitive findings to verify the reason behind this tragic demise.

An official from the nation’s Judicial Investigation Agency, who serves as a public liaison for information, informed NBC News on April 1st that they won’t address the hotel’s statement regarding Miller’s death since it remains under current investigation.

Earlier, the agency’s head, Randall Zúñiga Lopez, stated that Miller might have perished due to breathing in carbon monoxide which leaked into his space.

He mentioned during a press conference on March 31st that there’s a room nearby filled with specialized machinery, which is suspected of having some sort of contamination. Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident was caused by this contamination, as levels as high as 600 parts per million were found—a level that should ideally be zero in this situation.

Yet, the investigators have not yet received the conclusive findings from the forensic toxicology tests to definitively establish the cause of death for Miller, as stated by the agency head.

Per the Judicial Investigation Agency, autopsy results could take months due to a backlog in cases.

For now, Miller’s loved ones will carry on, anticipating further information. As Brett and his spouse, Jessica Gardner, expressed in a statement on March 23rd, “We have numerous questions with few answers at present, yet we are certain that he passed away serenely in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st.

The couple, who are also parents of a 16-year-old named Hunter Gardner, stated that Miller was deeply cherished as their son and brother. At present, they find it difficult to imagine living without his radiant, contagious smile. They also mentioned that Miller lived each day with zest and enthusiasm.

For more on Miller and the investigation surrounding his death, keep reading…

Regardless of Brett Gardner spending his entire Major League Baseball career as a Yankee, he and his wife Jessica Clendenin Gardner—married since 2007—have managed to keep their sons Hunter and Miller away from the limelight, residing in South Carolina.

On occasion, they joined forces to endorse their father’s profession, as evidenced by their appearance together at the CCandy Children’s Clothing Line Launch held at MLB Fan Cave in New York City back in 2013.

Announcing his unfortunate passing, Miller’s family characterized him as a young man with a contagiously bright grin and someone who truly embraced each day with zest and enthusiasm.

The New York Yankees recalled Miller with fondness in a statement from March 2025, highlighting his lively and spirited character.

Similar to his father, Miller had a knack for sports, not just baseball, but also venturing into football, golf, fishing, and hunting. In a recent TikTok post, he expressed his longing for football by uploading pictures from the field with the caption, “Feeling the void.

In a statement issued in March 2025, the Yankees, where Brett served from 2008 to 2021, recalled him not only for the lively spirit reflected in his eyes but also for his kind and affectionate disposition.

In their declaration, they emphasized that it’s not only Brett who spent over 17 years within this organization since childhood; the same applies to his wife, Jessica, and their two sons as well.

According to a statement issued by Brett’s previous team, it was revealed that Brett, along with his family, shared that Miller and others had fallen sick during their vacation. Tragically, their 14-year-old member passed away peacefully in the early hours of Friday, March 21st.

People wrote that Miller was deeply cherished as a son and brother, and it’s hard for us now to imagine life without his warm and contagious grin.

In the midst of their sorrow, the Gardners struggled to understand the events that unfolded, as they themselves admitted, “We’re grappling with numerous unanswered questions.

A day following Brett and Jessica’s disclosure about Miller’s passing, the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica shared with Inside Edition that the family was on a holiday in Costa Rica during the spring break when Miller died.

The Embassy additionally verified they were engaged in talks concerning arranging for Miller’s remains to be shipped back to the United States, in collaboration with the Gardner family.

The next day following Brett and Jessica’s announcement of Miller’s unexpected death, Costa Rican authorities suggested that the teenager might have passed away due to asphyxiation, potentially caused by swallowing a harmful substance.

Initially, it seems that the individual may have died due to asphyxia following potential poisoning from consuming certain food. At this point, the death is under investigation and we’re waiting for autopsy results and toxicology analysis to confirm the exact cause of death.

Instead, they determined that suffocation was not the reason for his demise, as no blockage was discovered within his respiratory system.

It was revealed by Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, an agency spokesperson, to NBC News on March 25 that Miller, along with his parents and sibling, had become unwell on March 20, following their return from a restaurant to their hotel. On March 21, medical personnel at the hotel attended to all four family members. Sadly, Miller was found deceased in his room the following morning.

The investigation is ongoing and pending medical test results.

2 days following the Gardner family’s announcement of Miller’s passing, the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort, where the family was holidaying in Costa Rica, expressed their sympathies.

In a statement made on March 25th to People, a spokesperson from the hotel expressed deep sadness over the loss and offered sympathies to the family who are going through a tough period. The cause of this unfortunate event remains unclear, and we are actively assisting the authorities in their investigation.

The resort emphasized that they continue to prioritize the health and safety of their guests and employees, ensuring their welfare, and maintaining confidentiality regarding those involved.

As a devoted follower, I must clarify that the hotel did not accept accountability for the Gardner family falling ill at a neighboring eatery prior to Miller’s demise, hours earlier.

Yesterday, neither mealtime – lunch nor dinner – was spent at Arenas Del Mar’s restaurants by the family, as the resort representative clarified. Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that on March 14th, our hotel underwent an inspection by the Health Ministry and received a score of 98.5 out of 100.

After the resort where the Gardner family was staying issued a statement, Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, who represents Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (JIA), explained that the autopsy results for Miller would not be available for several months due to an unusually high crime rate in the area.

He stated to DailyMail.com that there’s been a surge in murders, primarily due to drug gangs fighting over territories. Each of these instances, he explained, requires a postmortem examination.

He stated, “Indeed, I can verify that an autopsy was performed on Miller. However, the comprehensive examination and findings, as with all such instances, will require at least two to three months for completion, given the ongoing high number of deaths leading to a congested caseload.” This reflects the current situation accurately.

Alvarado Garcia indeed made it clear that there was no evidence suggesting Miller’s demise was due to the use of recreational substances or excessive alcohol consumption.

Despite a delay in receiving the results, the official clarified that because “all essential samples” had been collected for Miller’s autopsy, his body can be returned to the United States. However, the Gardner family is currently waiting on the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica to process their repatriation request.

On March 27, 2025, during the celebrations for Opening Day, Brett’s old team paused for a moment of silence in memory of Miller.

At Yankee Stadium’s baseball field, during the tribute, players all stood with their hats off, as a happy photo of Miller Gardner was displayed on the big screen. The caption read, “In memory of Miller Gardner.

Miller might have perished due to carbon monoxide inhalation, as suggested by Randall Zúñiga, the head of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency. During a press conference on March 31st, he stated that elevated levels of carbon monoxide contamination were detected within the family’s hotel room.

Mentioning a “special machine” placed in an adjacent room, Zúñiga suggested that authorities suspect “there might have been some kind of pollution that reached the guest rooms, possibly leading to the occurrence of the incident.

Despite some initial findings suggesting otherwise, the investigation appears to point towards contamination as the cause of the incident. Remarkably, levels as high as 600 parts per million were detected – a concentration that should ideally be zero in this situation. He further noted that they would hold off on announcing Miller’s cause of death until they receive the final results from forensic toxicology testing.

2025-04-02 01:18

Hotel Denies Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Brett Gardner’s Son’s Tragic Death

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