KC sports reporter who died in New Orleans was ‘a happy guy,’ former colleagues say

Alejandra Vargas remembers the first moment she met Adan Manzano in 2022.

At the time, she was a media sales assistant for Telemundo Kansas City. She was hosting the station’s first annual health fair with the sports reporter and other coworkers.

“Adan was very quiet around everybody else because they were older,” Vargas said.

The two started conversing about each other’s lives and found out they were both from Mexico City. Their friendship grew quickly and Manzano became one of her biggest supporters as she began her journey as a food truck owner, she said.

“When you have somebody that has good vibes around you, it just kind of makes you feel better,” Vargas said, as she remembered Manzano.

Daniel Sperry, a Star contributor for soccer coverage, first met Manzano in 2021 and was blown away by how the Spanish-speaking reporter covered the global sport, specifically with regard to the men’s professional team, Sporting Kansas City.

“We’ve had a lot of really good Spanish language reporters that have covered the team, but I think with such a heavy presence of Latinos and Spanish speakers on the team, seeing someone as dedicated to that was really cool, right off the bat,” Sperry said.

Manzano, 27, was on assignment in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX when he was found unresponsive in his Comfort Suites hotel room in Kenner, Louisiana on Feb. 5, officials said. His cause of death is not yet known, with the initial autopsy showing no obvious signs of trauma, according to the Jefferson Parish coroner’s office.

The results of the toxicology tests will take several weeks.

Danette Colbert, 48, of Slidell, Louisiana, was later arrested by Kenner police, officials said in a news release. She was charged with charged with simple robbery, access device fraud, illegal transmission of monetary funds, bank fraud, and computer fraud, as the investigation continues.

Colbert and Manzano are allegedly seen on hotel security footage together early on the morning of his death. Colbert then allegedly used Manzano’s credit card at several stores in the New Orleans area the same morning. Kenner police released a statement saying they are considering the theory that Manzano was drugged, saying Colbert has an alleged history of drugging men and theft.

Vargas didn’t think Manzano would ingest any foreign substances knowingly. She witnessed Manzano’s dedication to being a sports reporter firsthand, as he worked late nights and fluctuating hours to make his dream career a reality.

“He was a good person. He was always thinking about work,” she said. “That’s what he did the most.”

‘The smiles, the happiness’

Manzano was a Mexico City native, and later moved to Topeka, Kansas. He began working for Kansas City-based Spanish radio station Reyes Media Group in Feb. 2020, according to his LinkedIn. He had been with Telemundo since April 2021.

His work was admired by both his employers and the teams he covered.

In a statement, Telemundo KC general manager Steve Downing said Manzano was a “true professional and a rising star who exemplified excellence in his work.”

“We will deeply miss Adan and his passion for sports, and the contributions he made to the local community,” Downing said. Manzano covered the Chiefs as a sideline reporter and was the play-by-play caller for the KC Current for Tico Sports.

Tico Sports president CiCi Rojas called Manzano an “enthusiastic and energetic team player who was well-liked and respected.”

“Adan was a devoted father to his young daughter, a helpful colleague, and loyal friend,” Rojas said. “He will be greatly missed by our TICO Family and will live on in our hearts and memories.”

Soccer was Manzano’s favorite sport, and he covered it extensively. Much of his coverage included interviewing Spanish-speaking players.

Sporting KC posted a tribute to Manzano on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Sporting Kansas City mourns the passing of Adan Manzano,” the statement said. “Adan covered Sporting KC and all sports in Kansas City with class and passion for the past five years. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at Telemundo KC at this tragic time.”

Vargas recalls Manzano waiting outside the hotel of his favorite team as part of his coverage, Mexican team Deportivo Toluca F.C., when they played Sporting KC last August.

But more than his dedication to his career, Manzano’s former colleagues remember his jovial and kind personality.

During coverage of practices and games, Sperry remembers laughing with Manzano more than anything.

“The smiles, the happiness that he always brought into that space, whether he delivered it or helped bring it to others… he was just a happy guy,” he said. “If he was that way to us, I assume he was that way to his loved ones and his family too.”

Sperry also lauded Manzano’s ability to create relationships with players, like Manzano’s relationship with former Sporting KC star Alan Pulido.

Before he became a father, Manzano called Vargas, a mother of three, for advice when he and his wife were having their daughter. Their daughter shared a birthday with Manzano, according to one of his Facebook posts.

“How do you do this? How can you sleep?” Manzano asked Vargas, who laughed at the memory.

Manzano lost his wife, Ashleigh Boyd, in a car crash last April, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. The crash also seriously injured their infant daughter, who is now without both of her parents.

After Boyd died, Manzano told Vargas he continued to work to keep him distracted from thinking about her death too much.

“I want to make her proud that I’m becoming the person that she always asked me to be,” Manzano told Vargas.

Manzano would bring food to his coworkers if they were busy at events and check on them, Vargas said. With his family mostly in Mexico with a few cousins in Topeka, Manzano’s Telemundo coworkers became his family.

“He [felt] like he was at home with the Telemundo team. That’s how much he loved Telemundo,” Vargas said.

‘Sad and tragic’

Details surrounding Manzano’s death are slowly coming together as Kenner police continue their investigation.

Security footage allegedly shows Colbert with Manzano at his hotel between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the morning of his death. Colbert allegedly is seen leaving alone shortly thereafter. Detectives also collected multiple electronic devices that are being examined to determine if they are related to Manzano’s death.

Manzano’s family set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for his funeral and to honor him. Over $10,000 of the $25,000 goal has been raised.

Sperry and Vargas both feel for Manzano’s daughter, who will grow up without both of her parents.

“Just sad and tragic,” Sperry said.

Manzano’s death has captured national and international headlines, which can be cannon fodder for people who like to speculate. Manzano’s former colleagues understand the intense media scrutiny that comes with Super Bowl week, but urge people not to believe any speculation.

“I know he was a good person,” Vargas said. “He will not do anything that will cause him any trouble. He was very responsible.”

“The whole situation… teaches you to maybe be a little bit more cautious at times,” Sperry said. “But at the same time, you just never expect stuff like that to happen. I think the whole nature of it, heartbreaking, sad, tragic.”

This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM.