Nearly six weeks since being arrested in Louisiana, a woman accused of theft and fraud in connection to the death of a Telemundo reporter covering the Super Bowl in New Orleans has also been charged with second-degree murder.
According to Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley, Danette Colbert, 48, was booked at the Jefferson Parish jail on charges related to the death of Mexican journalist Adán Manzano, a sideline reporter for Telemundo Kansas City who was in New Orleans covering Super Bowl LIX.
Manzano was found dead on Feb. 6 when hotel staff doing a wellness check found his body facing down on a pillow. A preliminary autopsy listed his death as the combined toxic effects of alprazolam —an anti-anxiety drug also known as Xanax— and ethanol. The same substance was found at Colbert's residence. She was later arrested as a suspect and held without a bond due to previously being accused in several other fraud cases, some of which included allegations of drugging, NBC News reported.
Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerald Cvitanovich said during a press conference that Manzano's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit and added that when it is combined with alprazolam, the toxic mix can create breathing complications.
Before being charged with second-degree murder, authorities were already investigating Colbert as she had a lengthy criminal history that included allegations of drugging other men and stealing thousands of dollars from them via cryptocurrency.
One of her previous victims was David Butler, who said he encountered Colbert in 2021 while he was in New Orleans renovating a property he owns. Butler told NBC News that he met Colbert at a French Quarter bar. After agreeing to a drink, Butler said he started to feel disoriented and Colbert offered to get him home.
"She ushered me into some kind of black Suburban that was literally right there," he said. "And that's the last thing I remember that night."
After waking up, Butler discovered his phone and wallet were missing and that his credit cards had been used to charge thousands of dollars at stores like Best Buy and Walmart. More than $80,000 that he had saved away for retirement in a cryptocurrency account was also gone, he said.
On Wednesday, authorities also announced the arrest of another individual in connection with Manzano's death. The man was identified as a transient by Kenner Police under the name of Ricky White. He was taken into custody in Florida on robbery charges, illegal transmission of monetary funds, computer fraud and bank fraud.
At the time of Manzano's death, Telemundo Kansas City issued a statement mourning his loss: "Adán was a true professional and a rising star who exemplified excellence in his work. We will deeply miss his passion for sports and his contributions to the local community."
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