Why Brett Gardner’s Family Had Different Reactions to Carbon Monoxide
Brett Gardner was unaware of the dangers within his son Miller Gardner’s hotel room.
The former New York Yankees outfielder’s 14-year-old was found dead March 21 during a family vacation in Costa Rica. And after nearly two weeks of investigations, officials confirmed that the teen died from exposure to poisonous gases, including carbon monoxide, that had seemingly seeped into his hotel room.
As for why Miller was so tragically affected while his 16-year-old brother Hunter survived alongside their mom Jessica Gardner and the former baseball star? Dr. Kos Galatsis, a carbon monoxide forensics investigator, provided some expertise on the subject.
“I have two theories,” Dr. Galatsis—who had no involvement in Miller’s case—told E! News. “Miller may have been exposed to higher concentrations of carbon monoxide by residing closer to the source. Alternatively, carbon monoxide could have leaked from its origin and been channeled directly into his hotel room through the building's ventilation system.”
And if Miller’s room was, indeed, closer to the source, the gas would have had a significantly greater impact on the teen compared to the rest of his family. After all, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency previously shared that all four family members had fallen ill prior to Miller’s death, having received treatment from a medical team at the Arenas Del Mar hotel.
In general, Dr. Galatsis explained that hotel ventilation systems are often complex and “can draw in carbon monoxide from various areas of the building, redirecting it to different sections.” And because carbon monoxide concentration diminishes with distance, he said that proximity to the source would “significantly increase exposure levels.”
According to Dr. Galitsis, hotels can also have “interconnected HVAC systems that can inadvertently spread airborne contaminants throughout multiple floors.” Differences in factors such as air pressure can then “force concentrated gas into specific spaces, potentially creating dangerous ‘hot spots’ of accumulation.”
And in the event that a person finds themselves in one of these “hot spots,” it is possible that they don’t realize it—especially if exposed while sleeping. (The gas is odorless, colorless, tasteless and doesn’t cause any irritation to the skin, making it only detectable by proper equipment.)
“Most carbon monoxide poisonings and deaths occur during sleep,” Dr. Galatsis noted. “This happens because people remain stationary, allowing them to inhale the toxic gas continuously for extended periods without interruption.”
And since it is impossible to sense this gas naturally, he went on to emphasize that “carbon monoxide detectors are essential when traveling to countries where such devices aren't required by law in hotels or residential buildings.”
For more details surrounding Miller Gardner’s death, keep reading.
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.
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.”
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."
In a March 2025 statement by the Yankees 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."
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."
The day after Brett and Jessica revealed that Miller had died, the U.S. Embassy of Costa Rica told Inside Edition that the family was vacationing in the Central American country for spring break at the time of his death.
The Embassy also confirmed that it was in discussions with the Gardner family about transporting Miller’s body back to the U.S.
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.”
However, authorities soon ruled out suffocation as his cause of death, because they did not find any obstruction in his airways.
They shared instead that Miller—as well as his parents and sibling—had fallen ill on March 20 after returning to their hotel from a restaurant, agency spokesperson Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia told NBC News March 25. Hotel medical staffers treated all four family members before Miller's body was found in his room the next morning.
The investigation is ongoing and pending medical test results.
Two days after the Gardner family announced Miller's death, the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort where the family was vacationing in Costa Rica shared their condolences.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our hearts go out to the family during this incredibly difficult time,” a representative for the hotel said in a March 25 statement to People. “The factors that led to this tragic incident are unknown, and we are fully cooperating with authorities as they investigate.”
The resort added, “We remain committed to supporting our guests and staff, prioritizing their well-being and safety, while respecting the privacy of those affected.”
The hotel also denied responsibility for the Gardner family getting sick at a nearby restaurant hours before Miller’s death.
"The family did not eat at any of Arenas Del Mar’s restaurants for lunch or dinner the previous day,” the resort’s rep continued. “Additionally, on March 14th, we had an inspection by the Health Ministry in which the hotel passed with a 98.5 out of 100.”
The day after the resort where the Gardner family was staying spoke out, Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, a spokesperson for Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency (JIA), confirmed that Miller's autopsy results will be delayed by months due to high crime in the area.
“We're having a hike in homicides as these drug gangs battle for territory,” he told DailyMail.com, “and every one of them needs an autopsy.”
He added, “I can confirm that an autopsy has been carried out on Miller, but the full analysis and results, as in every one of them, will take at least two to three months due to these constant killings causing a backlog of cases. That's the reality.”
Alvarado Garcia did confirm, though, that there was no indication Miller's death was a result of recreational drugs or alcohol.
Though the results will be delayed, the official explained that, since “all the samples necessary” had been taken for Miller’s autopsy, his body “can be repatriated to the United States,” however, the Gardner family has been held up by the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica’s processing of their request.
During their Opening Day 2025 festivities March 27, Brett's former team took a moment of silence to honor Miller.
During the tribute, players stood with their hats removed along the edge of the baseball diamond at Yankee Stadium while a picture of Miller smiling was shown on the big screen. Accompanying the snap were the words “Remembering Miller Gardner.”
Miller "may have died from inhaling" carbon monoxide, according to the general director of Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency Randall Zúñiga, who said in a March 31 press conference that "high levels of carbon monoxide contamination" were found within the family's hotel room.
Noting that a "specialized machine" was located next door, Zúñiga said authorities believe "some form of contamination may have reached the guest rooms, potentially causing the incident."
"Nonetheless, the initial investigative findings indicate that the incident was due to this contamination, with levels as high as 600 parts per million detected—when the appropriate level in this case should be zero," he continued, adding that officials will "wait for the final results from forensic toxicology" before releasing Miller's cause of death.
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