Local authorities have reportedly released the body of Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son, Miller, following his sudden death on a Costa Rican family vacation.
Miller, 14, was found dead in his hotel room while on a trip with New York Yankees legend Brett and the rest of the Gardner family at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Costa Rica last week.
Amid an ongoing investigation into the teenager’s mysterious death, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigations Police have confirmed that his body was released to the grieving family on Wednesday, according to US Weekly.
Miller’s body was being held at the Judicial Investigation Agency’s forensic medical clinical section at San Joaquin de Floris, just outside San Jose following an autopsy.
However, Gardner and his devastated wife are no closer to knowing what cause the death of their beloved son. To add to their anguish, the Judicial Investigations office reportedly stated that the autopsy results will not be publicly ready for another two months or so.
The update comes after DailyMail.com reported that the family could face a red tape battle to have Miller’s body returned to the United States.
Costa Rican authorities have released the body of Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son, Miller
Miller Gardner (second right) died on vacation with Brett (R) and the rest of the Gardner family
American citizens who die in the Central American country are repatriated following a process that includes using a funeral home on a list provided by the US Embassy in capital San Jose.
All the businesses are contacted for a repatriation financial estimate by the diplomatic mission and the family of the deceased then selects which company to use.
However, as of Friday DailyMail.com had been told the embassy has not yet reached out to any of the firms on the list over Miller’s mystery death.
In any case, repatriation approval still takes at least ten days after the family has made its choice due to strict protocols and form-filling.
Miller was discovered not breathing in his room while on a family vacation at the luxurious Arenas del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio on the morning of March 21.
The tragedy happened after Brett, Jessica, Miller and older son Hunter, 16, all suffered severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea following dinner at an outside restaurant the night before.
Desperate medics battled in vain for 30 minutes to try to kickstart 14-year-old Miller’s heart after he was found by a frantic family member who raised the alarm, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed.
Meanwhile, police are still returning to the $1,000-a-night resort to interview shocked staff.
The tragedy happened after Brett, Jessica, Miller and older son Hunter, 16, all suffered severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea following dinner at an outside restaurant the night before
The Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort where Miller’s body was found
Anxious bosses have ordered workers not to reveal any details of the tragedy to outsiders and only talk to investigators.
The Gardners’ anguish has been drawn out as a murderous drugs gang war in Costa Rica is causing a severe delay in autopsy findings.
Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, of the Judicial Investigations Agency, admitted to DailyMail.com on Tuesday: ‘We’re having a hike in homicides as these drug gangs battle for territory and every one of them needs an autopsy.
‘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 said a doctor was called to the Arenas del Mar resort immediately after all four Gardners were stricken with sickness. She gave them all medication to combat the symptoms.
But in a startling new development, he revealed medical experts are now probing whether Miller might have had a bad or allergic reaction to any drugs they were given to alleviate the sudden sickness.
He also said they were probing if Miller brought an existing bacterial infection with him after traveling to the Pacific coast resort from the family home in Summerville, South Carolina.
The senior official said there was no indication the death was due to recreational drugs or alcohol.
In a scenario of shifting explanations, Alvarado told DailyMail.com that investigators had discounted a previously touted possible cause of death of asphyxiation following ‘possible food poisoning’.
The entire Gardner family became ill the night before Miller was found dead. A new theory brought forward by the country’s medical experts is the 14-year-old may have had an adverse reaction to the medicine the resort doctor brought to their room to combat their symptoms
Brett, 41, played 14 seasons with the Yankees between 2008 and 2021 and was part of their 2009 World Series-winning outfit. He was said to be highly respected within the organization and forged close ties with the likes of Judge.
The franchise paid tribute to Miller before their Opening Day win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. The Yankees honored the memory of their former outfielder’s son by holding a moment of silence.
Ahead of the game, stadium announcer Paul Olden hailed Miller for his ‘outgoing and feisty personality and warm and loving nature.’
Both sets of teams lined up along the diamond to pay their respects as Miller’s photo was shown on the big screen above the batter’s eye just under a week since tragedy rocked the Gardner family.
‘Miller had a spark in his eyes, an outgoing and feisty personality, and a warm and loving nature,’ Olden said over the PA system.
‘Miller grew up in the Yankees organization and had become a two-sport athlete, wearing his father’s No. 11 on his football jersey.
The Yankees paid tribute to Miller before their MLB season opener on Thursday
‘The entire Yankees organization grieves this unimaginable loss with Brett, his wife Jessica, and their son Hunter.’
Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who made his own gesture of support for this former teammate, admitted that he had been keeping Gardner and his family in his thoughts.
‘Even guys that aren’t on this team. I got a lot of phone calls, texts from other guys that we were young guys kind of coming up that, “What do we do? Do we reach out with what’s going on?” Just because of the way that Brett impacted all our lives,’ Judge said, via Newsday.
‘This guy was a leader of all of us, a second dad to some guys,’ he added. ‘He poured everything into every single guy.’