Murder charges filed against suspect in death of Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano during Super Bowl week
Manzano was found dead in his hotel room during Super Bowl LIX week
By Ian Casselberry
A woman has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to the death of Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano, police in Kenner, Louisiana, announced Tuesday.
Danette Colbert was the last person seen with Manzano before he was found dead in his Kenner hotel room Feb. 5, the Wednesday before Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Surveillance video observed Colbert leaving Manzano’s hotel room and she was found with his cellphone and credit cards in her possession when arrested two days later.
Manzano, 27, a reporter and anchor for Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports, was in New Orleans to cover the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX.
Colbert was initially charged with property crimes, including theft and fraud-related offenses after being found using Manzano’s credit card at multiple stores.
“We recognize it’s going to be a circumstantial case,” Kenner police chief Keith Conley told reporters, via ABC News. “We’re not going to give up. We are still investigating this case around the clock.”
Results from Manzano’s autopsy were revealed at a Tuesday news conference. The reporter died from the combined effects of anti-anxiety medication Xanax and alcohol, in addition to “positional asphyxia,” according to Jefferson Parish coroner Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich.
Manzano’s alcohol level was almost three times the legal limit, the coroner added.
However, Manzano’s exact cause of death is still to be determined due to the “uncertain circumstances” of the case, which will either be ruled a homicide or accidental overdose, depending on the findings. Yet authorities can still pursue a murder case.
“In most cases of overdose deaths, the manner of death is accidental, and that’s whether or not there’s positional asphyxia,” Cvitanovich said, via ABC News. “However, given the uncertain circumstances of this case and the additional collection of circumstances of this case, we felt that the most appropriate manner of death is undetermined.”
An alleged accomplice was also arrested last Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Rickey White will be charged with simple robbery, bank fraud, computer fraud, access device fraud and illegal transmission of monetary funds based on correspondence with Colbert, reports New Orleans WVUE-TV.
