Death of Gardner's son still under investigation

More than 2 months aft the decease of Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old lad of erstwhile New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, authorities successful Costa Rica accidental the lawsuit remains nether probe and that prosecutors are attempting to find whether the origin of decease would beryllium ruled a homicide.

Gardner died March 21 astatine a edifice successful Costa Rica, wherever helium had been staying with his family. In late-March, a typical from Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ), confirmed to ESPN by substance connection that investigators believed the decease to beryllium accidental alternatively than the effect of foul play. On April 2, authorities said his decease was caused by c monoxide poisoning.

Since then, the lawsuit has remained open, according to a spokeswoman for the Costa Rican prosecutor's bureau handling the case. Sharon Hernandez Coto, a property serviceman from the Prosecutor's Office of Costa Rica, connected behalf of the Quepos and Parrita branch, told ESPN that authorities question "to find whether the origin of decease was a homicide oregon not, and, if so, to found responsibility."

Asked whether a homicide probe is modular procedure, oregon if determination was suspicion of foul play, the spokeswoman said: "The intent of the probe is precisely to find whether oregon not we are dealing with a imaginable homicide. For this reason, it is not imaginable astatine this clip to corroborate oregon regularisation retired that a transgression has been committed."

She said each lawsuit is handled individually. The prosecutor's bureau told ESPN determination is nary timetable for the probe to beryllium completed. Hernandez Coto reiterated that the lawsuit is nether probe and added: "...the purpose is to find whether it was a earthy oregon homicidal death."

In effect to respective further questions, Hernandez Coto responded: "The Quepos and Parrita Prosecutor's Office indicated that it is not imaginable to supply much details beyond those already supplied, arsenic the lawsuit is nether investigation, a signifier which is backstage for 3rd parties. We admit your understanding."

The prosecutor's bureau directed ESPN to a 33-page manual connected Costa Rican transgression procedure, which explains the process of a authoritative office's investigation. The archetypal stage, which includes the postulation and investigation of evidence, hunt warrants, autopsies and requests for pretrial detention, concludes with a prosecutor's ceremonial accusation, a petition for a provisional dismissal oregon a petition to adjacent the case. A 2nd signifier tin impact a determination to record ceremonial charges. The adjacent measurement would beryllium a proceedings stage, followed by immoderate imaginable appeals. It was unclear successful which signifier the Gardner lawsuit is successful the process.

The Gardner household declined to comment.

Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, announced their son's decease connected March 23 successful a connection released by the Yankees. The connection said Miller Gardner had fallen ill, on with respective different household members, portion connected vacation.

In a telephone telephone with ESPN 2 days later, an OIJ spokesperson said Miller Gardner was with household members who told investigators that they had "gone to devour astatine a edifice and that the nutrient had made them sick." In that aforesaid interview, the spokesperson said the OIJ considered asphyxiation earlier ruling it out.

OIJ manager Randall Zuniga past described successful a quality league connected March 28 however "the country the household was staying in" was tested a week aft Miller Gardner's decease and "high emissions of c monoxide were detected."

A typical from OIJ told ESPN that the lawsuit was sent to the prosecutor's bureau successful Quepos, a municipality adjacent the Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort, wherever the teenager's assemblage was recovered successful his room.

Miller Gardner played precocious schoolhouse shot successful South Carolina and wore No. 11, which his begetter donned during 14 MLB seasons, each with the Yankees. Brett Gardner, a fashionable squad leader, was a subordinate of New York's 2009 title squad and retired successful 2021.