Originally appeared on E! Online
There is a major update in the tragic death of Miller Gardner.
One day after Yankees alum Brett Gardner and his wife Jessica Gardner announced the sudden loss of their 14-year-old son, officials in Costa Rica—where the family was reportedly vacationing at the time—shared his preliminary cause of death.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency said he likely died from suffocation after possibly ingesting a toxic substance.
“Preliminarily, apparently the manner of death would be by asphyxia after a possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some food,” an Organismo de Investigación Judicial spokesperson told NBC News in a March 24 statement translated from Spanish. “At the moment it is a death under investigation and is awaiting the results of the autopsy, as well as the analysis of the Toxicology Section, to determine the exact cause of death.”
The organization said the autopsy results could take two to three months.
The former MLB player—who also shares son Hunter, 16, with Jessica—shared the news of Miller’s passing on March 23, saying the teen died “peacefully in his sleep.”
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“With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller,” the Gardner family said in a statement shared to the Yankees’ X (formerly Twitter) account. “He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation.”
They continued, “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.”
In addition to sharing the tragic news, Brett and Jessica paid tribute to Miller by reflecting on his life.
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“Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile,” the couple said. “He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”
They also thanked those who had reached amid this “difficult time” and added, “We are confident our faith, family, and friends will help us navigate this unimaginable loss.”
Read on for everything to know about the life and death of Miller Gardner.
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Miller and his brother Hunter were raised in South Carolina.
Despite Brett Gardner spending his entire MLB career as a member of the New York Yankees, the outfielder and his wife Jessica Clendenin Gardner—who tied the knot in 2007—kept their sons Hunter and Miller largely out of the public eye in South Carolina.
Still, they occasionally stepped out in support of their dad’s career, attending the CCandy Children’s Clothing Line Launch at MLB Fan Cave in New York in 2013.
Miller was known to live “life to the fullest every single day.”
In a statement announcing his tragic death, Miller’s family described the 14-year-old as having an “infectious smile” and someone who “lived life to the fullest every single day.”
He was similarly remembered by the New York Yankees in a March 2025 statement, who emphasized Miller’s “outgoing and feisty personality.”
Miller was following his father Brett’s footsteps.
Like his dad, Miller was athletic, though in addition to baseball, he also took up football, golf, fishing and hunting. In a TikTok post he shared earlier this year, he emphasized his love for football by sharing photos of himself on the field, adding, “Miss it.”
Miller made an impact on the New York Yankees.
In a March 2025 statement by the team confirming Miller’s death, the organization—for whom Brett played from 2008 to 2021—remembered the teen for the “spark in his eyes” as well as a “warm and loving nature.”
The team continued in their statement, “It wasn’t just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 years—so did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys.”
The Gardner family is still looking for answers after Miller’s sudden death.
In a statement shared by Brett’s former team, the outfielder and his family shared that after Miller and others had fallen ill while on vacation, the 14-year-old passed “peacefully in his sleep the morning of Friday, March 21.”
“Miller was a beloved son and brother,” they wrote, “and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile.”
And amid their grief, the Gardner family expressed how they are still trying to determine what happened. As they added in their statement, “We have so many questions and so few answers at this point.”
Costa Rican officials release Miller’s preliminary cause of death.
One day after Brett and Jessica announced the sudden passing of Miller, Costa Rican officials said the teenager likely died from suffocation after possibly ingesting a toxic substance.
“Preliminarily, apparently the manner of death would be by asphyxia after a possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some food,” an Organismo de Investigación Judicial spokesperson told NBC News in a statement translated from Spanish. “At the moment it is a death under investigation and is awaiting the results of the autopsy, as well as the analysis of the Toxicology Section, to determine the exact cause of death.”
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