Months following the death of Miller Gardner, the son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, Costa Rican authorities raided a hotel in connection to the case Thursday, according to ESPN.
The Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio, where Miller Gardner was found dead on March 21, was raided.
In April, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) reported that Gardner’s death was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, according to his autopsy.
Here’s what to know about the latest development in Miller Gardner’s case and why the Costa Rican hotel was raided Thursday.
MORE: What to know about Miller Gardner’s death on family vacation
Why is a Costa Rican hotel being investigated after the death of Brett Gardner’s son?
On Thursday, authorities in Costa Rica raided the hotel where Miller Gardner, former MLB outfielder Brett Gardner’s son, was found dead on March 21, according to ESPN.
Prosecutor Kenneth Alvarez, involved in the investigation, told ESPN that the three-hour raid took place at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio. Authorities aimed to gather additional evidence related to Miller Gardner’s death, which his autopsy attributed to carbon monoxide exposure.
It was the first formal search of the hotel since investigators visited the resort a week after Gardner’s death.
“Let us remember that what was done at that time was the measurement of toxic substances at the site,” Alvarez told ESPN. “Based on those tests, a second proceeding was scheduled, which was carried out today to collect evidence.”
Per ESPN, three pickup trucks with agents from Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) arrived at the hotel to conduct the raid. Television cameras were also waiting at the hotel entrance, and authorities searched the hotel’s offices for management, maintenance and accounting. The stated goal of the raid was retrieving physical and digital evidence.
The investigation of Miller Gardner’s death is centered around potential allegations for manslaughter. There have been no arrests or changes in the case to this point.
Alvarez also told ESPN that throughout the investigation, Public Ministry officials have had “constant contact with the lawyers that the Gardner family hired in Costa Rica.” Authorities have also coordinated with an FBI attaché in Costa Rica to help with the investigation.
How old was Miller Gardner?
Miller Gardner was 14 years old when he died on March 21, 2025.
History of the investigation into Miller Gardner’s death
On March 21, Miller Gardner died at a Costa Rican resort, where he was staying with his family. Two days later, Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, shared the news of their son’s death in a statement released by the Yankees.
“With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller. He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation,” the statement said. “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.
Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile. He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day. We are so thankful to all who have reached out to offer support and encouragement during this difficult time and we are confident our faith, family, and friends will help us navigate this unimaginable loss.”
Statement from Brett and Jessica Gardner:
With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller. He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation. We have so many… pic.twitter.com/lBCBVmKGUe
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 23, 2025
As a team, the Yankees also released a statement following Miller’s death.
Statement from the New York Yankees: pic.twitter.com/2f1F9CQ9F8
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 23, 2025
Two days after those statements, a representative from the OIJ told ESPN that Miller Gardner and family members had “gone to eat at a restaurant and that the food had made them sick. The spokesperson said the OIJ considered asphyxiation before ruling it out, but investigators “believed the death to be accidental rather than the result of foul play.”
On April 2, authorities announced that Miller Gardner’s death was caused by carbon monoxide inhalation based on an autopsy report. Per CNN, the OIJ confirmed that Gardner’s toxicology results and the carboxyhemoglobin test showed a saturation level of 64 percent, with Zúñiga stating that concentrations above 50 percent of carboxyhemoglobin are lethal.
Zúñiga also said at the time that there was a “machine room” next to Gardner’s hotel room where that may have resulted in “some type of contamination.”
In June, a representative from the prosecutor’s office told ESPN that the case was still under investigation and that prosecutors were seeking “to determine whether the cause of death was a homicide or not, and, if so, to establish responsibility.”
The latest development came Thursday with the hotel raid, where authorities looked to collect more evidence in relation to the carbon monoxide poisoning.
