Suspect in Adan Manzano death held in prison without bond, as drug in his system identified

The suspect in the death of Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano, who was found dead in his hotel room while in New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl, was ordered to be held without bail after a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

The suspect, Danette Colbert, was arrested by Kenner, Louisiana, police on Feb. 7. Colbert is currently facing charges of purse snatching, illegal transfer of monetary funds, computer fraud, bank fraud and simple robbery after police found Manzano’s cellphone and credit card in Colbert’s Slidell home. Colbert’s attorney moved to reduce her bond but was denied.

The hearing held in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court also revealed new details about the case.

Kenner police detective Jeffrey Fitzmorris testified that a preliminary toxicology report found the antidepressant alprazolam, also know as Xanax, in Manzano’s system, according to NOLA.com. Manzano didn’t have a prescription for the drug, Fitzmorris said.

The drug is often used in thefts because it can cause amnesia, Fitzmorris said, according to NOLA.com. Manzano’s initial autopsy results found no obvious signs of trauma, according to the Jefferson Parish coroner’s office.

Colbert, 48, has been convicted of theft in the past and has an alleged history of drugging men, Kenner police said on the day of her arrest. The Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office officials said they are still awaiting the full results of the autopsy to determine a cause of death. Narcotics, including alprazolam, were also found in Colbert’s home, Fitzmorris said.

Jefferson Parish judge, also known as magistrate commissioner, David Wolff called Colbert a flight risk to keep her remanded, according to NOLA.com.

Colbert is due in Orleans Parish criminal district court on Wednesday for a hearing that would revoke her probation from a previous case.

Manzano’s death comes less than a year after the death of his wife, Ashleigh Boyd, who was a teacher for the Topeka Public Schools District. The couple is survived by their toddler daughter. Manzano’s family set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for his funeral and to honor him.

Initial details and criminal history

Manzano, 27, was on assignment covering his third Super Bowl for Telemundo and Tico Sports, a multimedia production company that broadcasts Chiefs games in Spanish, when he was found dead in his Kenner hotel room on Feb. 5.

Investigators found several locations where Colbert and Manzano were seen together in New Orleans, and are reviewing security footage. Security video 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.

Colbert allegedly used Manzano’s credit card at several stores in the New Orleans area.

Colbert’s criminal history of drugging men and theft stretches back to 2009, according to WWL-TV.

In 2019, Colbert was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to access device fraud in Jefferson Parish, but her sentence was suspended to five years of probation, according to court records.

Colbert has at least three past cases where similar fraudulent behavior is alleged, including arrests in Las Vegas.

This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 6:10 PM.