Woman accused of second-degree murder in death of sports reporter covering Super Bowl
A Louisiana woman who was previously facing fraud and other charges after the death of sports reporter Adan Manzano has now been charged with second-degree murder in his death, the authorities announced Tuesday.
Danette Colbert, 48, was seen with Manzano at his hotel in Kenner, Louisiana, days before Super Bowl LIX, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said during a news conference.
'We don't want Ms. Colbert to see the light of day again,' the police chief said.
'Kenner Police Department detectives believe Colbert intentionally drugged Manzano to render him unconscious before robbing him, following a pattern seen in her prior offenses,' police said.
CNN has reached out to Colbert's attorney for comment.
Conley declined to discuss additional details on the new charge against Colbert, saying he didn't want to 'compromise the adjudication' of the case.
The Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office declined to comment on the investigation since it was an active investigation
Manzano, 27, worked for the local Telemundo station in Kansas City and had traveled to New Orleans to report on the Super Bowl when he was found dead on February 5. Police said Colbert and Manzano were seen together in several places around the French Quarter and surveillance video showed them at Manzano's hotel the morning of his death.
On Tuesday, Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerald Cvitanovich said Manzano died due to the 'combined toxic effects' of alprazolam, commonly sold under the brand name Xanax, and alcohol along with positional asphyxia, which means he was found face down on a pillow. Cvitanovich said Manzano's manner of death remains undetermined.
When asked by members of the press about how many milligrams of alprazolam had been given to Manzano, Cvitanovich said, 'I don't know.'
Alcohol and Xanax are 'central nervous system depressants,' Cvitanovich added. Mixing alcohol and drugs can sometimes cause serious harm by making it difficult to breathe, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Manzano was not prescribed Xanax in the state where he lived, Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick told CNN. Meanwhile, Xanax was found at Colbert's home following Manzano's death, he added.
'We recognize it's going to be a circumstantial case,' Conley said. 'The fact that we crossed a hurdle getting a probable cause affidavit signed for her being charged with second-degree murder is a good start.'
Law enforcement officials said a man they described as Colbert's 'accomplice' was arrested in South Florida last week.
Rickey White, 34, is detained in Florida's Broward County and is awaiting extradition to Louisiana, Conley said. He 'was charged with the property crimes of simple robbery, access device fraud, illegal transmission of monetary funds, bank fraud and computer fraud,' Conley said, noting those are the same charges that Colbert initially faced.
CNN has not identified an attorney for White.
Police found correspondence between White and Colbert, Conley said, and believe 'they were working hand-in-hand, in concert with each other on this.' Conley declined to discuss whether White was in the French Quarter the same night Manzano was seen with Colbert.
Colbert was arrested on February 6 and charged with property crimes after police found Manzano's cell phone and credit card in her home. She was ordered to be held without bond at a February 25 hearing in connection with her initial charges.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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