Alleged accomplice charged with murder in the death of KC sports reporter
An alleged accomplice who was facing robbery and theft charges related to the death of Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano has also been charged with murder in the case.
Rickey White, who is currently incarcerated at Jefferson Parish Correctional Center, now faces a second-degree murder charge, according to a news release Monday from Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley.
White is also charged with simple robbery, access device fraud, illegal transmission of monetary funds, bank fraud, and computer fraud.
Investigators believe White, 34, worked with suspect Danette Colbert, 48, who was arrested on Feb. 6 and faces the same charges, to steal money from Manzano, a scheme the two have allegedly done before.
White was arrested in Hollywood, Florida, on March 14. The two had a preliminary hearing on April 16, where a request to set bond was denied.
At the time of his death, Manzano, 27, was on assignment in New Orleans, Louisiana, covering Super Bowl LIX for Telemundo and Tico Sports, a multimedia production company that broadcasts Kansas City Chiefs games in Spanish. Manzano was found unresponsive in his Comfort Suites hotel room in Kenner, Louisiana, on Feb. 5.
'The Kenner Police Department continues to work closely with the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office to ensure that all individuals involved in this case are held accountable and brought to justice,' Conley said in the news release.
During a news conference in March, Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich confirmed the cause of Manzano's death was the combined toxic effects of Xanax and alcohol, as well as 'positional asphyxia.'
Manzano was found dead face-down on a pillow, he said.
Security video allegedly shows the two at his hotel between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the morning of his death, before she could be seen leaving alone. Colbert was linked to the death after Manzano's phone and credit card were found at her home in Slidell, Louisiana, and investigators found surveillance video of several locations where the two were seen together in New Orleans.
Colbert allegedly used Manzano's credit card at several stores in the New Orleans area, and police said Xanax was found at her home.
In March, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said Colbert should have been in custody on previous charges at the time of Manzano's death, and that she should not have been eligible for probation under those prior charges.
White and Colbert have been in the criminal system for at least a decade, according to court records.
White's arrest record stretches back to at least 2011, including arrests for theft-related crimes, marijuana possession and fleeing police. Colbert has a lengthy arrest record dating back to 2009, including arrests for similar charges of theft and fraud.
The two have also been involved in at least three incidents together, according to court records. Two of those incidents were domestic disputes between the two.
In December 2022, in Slidell, White was driving a 2014 white Maserati while Colbert was a passenger when he was stopped by St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputies for running through a stop sign. White was arrested for marijuana possession, while Colbert had warrants out for her arrest, according to records.
In April 2023, Colbert made a 911 call for a domestic disturbance, records show. Colbert told a dispatcher that her ex was at her home attempting to retrieve his belongings, including her dog. The 911 report noted that the two were arguing.
In Feb. 2024, a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputy was dispatched to Colbert's home for a domestic disturbance. White was arrested and charged with one count of domestic abuse battery/strangulation. Court records do not indicate how that case was resolved.
Previous reporting from The Star's Nathan Pilling and Ilana Arougheti was used in this story.
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