Woman arrested for robbery over Super Bowl reporter’s death in New Orleans now charged with murder
A Louisiana woman initially charged with theft in connection with the death of a Super Bowl reporter near New Orleans last month will also be charged with murder, authorities have said.
Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead in his hotel room in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner on February 5 during Super Bowl week.
Danette Colbert, 48, was accused of stealing Manzano’s cellphone and bank cards after she was seen on security video footage entering his hotel room with him.
On Tuesday she was also charged with second-degree murder, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley told reporters, per NBC News.
Colbert had been being held without bond after a court appearance last month, having been deemed a flight risk based on her criminal history, Kenner Police Department Deputy Chief Mark McCormick told The Associated Press previously.
It comes after investigators announced last month that sedatives had been found in Manzano’s system.
A preliminary toxicology exam found his system contained the depressant benzodiazepine, which includes the drug commonly sold under the brand name Xanax, detective Jeffrey Fitzmorris testified court, per media outlet Nola.com.
Manzano did not have a prescription for Xanax or other depressants based on his medical records and the drug is often used to facilitate theft by inducing amnesia, the detective said.
Colbert has been accused of similar crimes previously – having been charged in at least five fraud and theft cases in two states, some of which included allegations of drugging.
According to NBC, since the announcement of her arrest in connection to Manzano’s death last month, authorities in Kenner have fielded a dozen inquiries from people who believe they or a loved one were a victim of Colbert’s.
Shortly following the news of Manzano’s death broke, one man claimed he had been drugged by Colbert, who had stolen his savings and left him for dead more than three years ago.
David Butler, 52, told the outlet he met Colbert while renovating a home in New Orleans in 2021. One night, he went to a bar and accepted a drink from another woman, but felt disoriented afterward, he told the outlet. Then, Colbert appeared and offered to get him home, he said.
On Tuesday, McCormick also revealed that authorities also suspect Colbert had a part in the death of John Jenkins, 55, who was found unresponsive in a New Orleans hotel on December 15 – though he did not provide specific details of her alleged involvement.
Jenkins’ death was previously ruled accidental and attributed to cocaine and ethanol toxicity.
