Preliminary Cause of Death Revealed for Son of Yankees' Brett Gardner
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.
'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.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Miller and his brother Hunter were raised in South Carolina.Miller was known to live "life to the fullest every single day.'Miller was following his father Brett's footsteps.Miller made an impact on the New York Yankees. The Gardner family is still looking for answers after Miller's sudden death.Costa Rican officials release Miller's preliminary cause of death.
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