A woman from New Orleans has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to the death of a TV reporter covering the Super Bowl, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter for Telemundo based in Kansas City, Missouri, was discovered deceased on February 5 in a hotel room located in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans. The following day, police detained 48-year-old Danette Colbert, accusing her of stealing Manzano’s cellphone and bank cards.
During a press conference, streamed online, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley stated that an additional charge of second-degree murder had been filed against Colbert. She has been in custody since her arrest. A suspected accomplice of Colbert’s was also apprehended in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, facing charges of theft and fraud.
The decision to pursue a murder charge was made despite inconclusive preliminary autopsy results regarding the nature of Manzano’s death, whether accidental or otherwise.
Colbert’s attorney, Stavros Panagoulopoulos, did not immediately respond to inquiries for comments on Tuesday but had previously described the police’s approach as reliant on “assumptions and guesses” in connecting Colbert to Manzano’s demise.
The Jefferson Parish coroner, Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich, informed reporters that Manzano’s cause of death was “positional asphyxia,” caused by lying face-down on a pillow and unable to breathe due to the consumption of alcohol and Xanax, both central nervous system depressants. He warned of the danger these substances pose when combined, potentially obstructing one’s ability to breathe.
Chief Conley expressed confidence in having sufficient evidence to bring Colbert to justice for murder yet refrained from providing detailed elements of their case. Security footage from Manzano’s hotel captured him and Colbert entering his room together on the day he died and later showed Colbert leaving alone. Further investigation revealed she used Manzano’s credit card at a gas station and several stores.
Authorities clarified that Manzano lacked prescriptions for Xanax or similar depressants, which were located in Colbert’s residence. The police described the case as based largely on circumstantial evidence, yet believed the accompanying puzzle pieces formed a coherent picture of the events.
Regarding the additional man facing charges with Colbert, Conley mentioned that evidence of communication implied they were collaborating.
In the previous year, Colbert was found guilty by a Louisiana jury on theft and fraud charges unrelated to this case. Additionally, in 2022, she faced felony charges in Las Vegas for grand larceny and administering drugs to assist in felonious activity. These charges were dropped as the alleged victims refused court testimony, stated Daniel Lippmann, who represented her in those cases.
