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Super Bowl: Telemundo Reporter Found Dead in New Orleans Hotel Room

Police Investigating Possible Drugging; Woman Arrested in Connection to Theft

By James Seidel | CC News Network

NEW ORLEANS — Adan Manzano, a Kansas City sports reporter covering Super Bowl LIX, was found dead in his hotel room just days before kickoff, triggering a police investigation into what happened—and whether a known career criminal played a role in his death.

Manzano, 27, had been with Telemundo Kansas City for nearly four years and was in New Orleans to report on the historic matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. But on Wednesday afternoon, police discovered his lifeless body in his Kenner, Louisiana, hotel room, just outside New Orleans.

Authorities are now investigating the possibility that Manzano was drugged before his death, Kenner Police confirmed Monday.

Woman Arrested in Connection to Stolen Credit Card and Phone

Surveillance footage from the Comfort Suites hotel where Manzano was staying showed him entering his room around 4:35 a.m. Wednesday with a woman later identified as Danette Colbert, 48.

According to Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley, Colbert left the room shortly after entering, returned once, then left for good at 6 a.m. Manzano was never seen leaving his room again.

When police arrived after Manzano was found unresponsive, they discovered that his credit card and cell phone were missing.

Colbert was arrested Thursday night in New Orleans and charged with fraud and theft-related offenses after authorities searched her home in Slidell, Louisiana, and recovered Manzano’s missing credit card and phone, which she had used in New Orleans.

During the search, investigators also found narcotics and a stolen firearm, though police do not believe the weapon is connected to Manzano’s death.

Reporter Adan Manzano (Right) and Suspect Danette Colbert

A ‘Career Criminal’ with a Pattern of Similar Crimes

Chief Conley described Colbert as a “career criminal” with a history of fraud, theft, and drugging men.

“She has quite a record and rap sheet, including allegations of drugging men, theft of currency, fraudulent use of credit and debit cards, and other financial crimes,” Conley said.

Authorities revealed that Colbert has been arrested for similar crimes twice before, once in 2022 in Nevada and again in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It remains unclear how those cases were resolved.

Although Colbert has not been charged in connection to Manzano’s death, investigators are working with forensic experts and the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office to determine whether additional charges are warranted.

Ongoing Investigation and Toxicology Reports

An autopsy is underway, but toxicology results remain pending, a process that could take several weeks.

“We are exploring all available evidence, including the possibility that Manzano may have been drugged before his death,” police said in a statement Monday. “Colbert has an arrest history that includes similar allegations.”

Authorities also confirmed that since Colbert’s arrest, multiple individuals have come forward claiming to be victims of similar crimes or reporting deaths under similar suspicious circumstances.

“I don’t know where it’s going to end up,” Conley said. “We’re going to let the evidence lead us to the end result and not speculate, but these are the kinds of things that can happen if you’re out in any city by yourself.”

A Rising Star Lost

Manzano’s death comes just a year after his wife died in a tragic car accident, leaving behind their 2-year-old daughter, who now lives with his in-laws in Topeka, Kansas.

In a statement, Telemundo described him as “a true professional and a rising star, who exemplified excellence in his work.”

“Sports journalism has lost a great man. More than an unrivaled journalist, he was a loving father, a friend, a brother, and a great human being.”

🚨 CC News Network will continue following this investigation as new details emerge. Stay tuned for further updates in our Broken Badges series, exposing crime, corruption, and law enforcement failures across South Carolina and beyond.