Jury Convicts Woman in Super Bowl Reporter's Hotel Death

A Work Trip to the Super Bowl Ended in a Hotel Room

Adan Manzano went to Louisiana to cover the Super Bowl for Telemundo Kansas City and never returned home. More than a year later, a jury has convicted Danette Colbert of negligent homicide in the 27-year-old reporter’s death.

Manzano was found dead Feb. 5, 2025, in a hotel room in Kenner, outside New Orleans. Prosecutors said Colbert was the last person seen leaving the room and later used his stolen credit card.

The jury also convicted Colbert of racketeering. Rickey White, a co-defendant, was convicted of racketeering but acquitted of manslaughter, according to AP and CBS reporting.

Prosecutors Said Manzano Was Targeted During a Robbery Scheme

Prosecutors presented evidence that Colbert, White and another man were involved in a long-running scheme that targeted men in New Orleans, drugged them and stole access to their money and belongings.

An autopsy found Manzano died after ingesting alcohol and Xanax, according to AP reporting. Prosecutors alleged he was drugged as part of the robbery scheme.

Colbert’s lawyer disputed the state’s homicide theory. The jury ultimately rejected the more serious manslaughter count prosecutors had sought and instead found her guilty of negligent homicide.

That distinction matters because it reflects exactly what jurors decided after hearing the evidence rather than the larger charge prosecutors initially pursued.

Manzano Had Already Lost His Wife

Manzano’s death carried another layer of loss for his family. His wife, Ashleigh Boyd, had died in a car crash less than a year earlier.

The couple left behind a young daughter who is now being raised by her grandparents, according to reporting following the verdict.

That family history turns the court case into more than a Super Bowl crime story. Manzano was a young reporter on assignment, but he was also a father whose daughter had already lost one parent before losing the other.

Digital Records and Stolen Property Became Part of the Case

Investigators traced activity involving Manzano’s credit card after his death. Prosecutors also presented text messages and other evidence describing the broader robbery operation.

A third participant, Christian Anderson, testified against Colbert and White after reaching a plea agreement on reduced charges. Prosecutors used his testimony along with records and surveillance evidence to describe how the group allegedly targeted victims.

The defense challenged parts of that account. Colbert’s attorney has indicated an appeal is expected.

Sentencing Is the Next Step

Colbert faces sentencing later this month. Negligent homicide carries a lower maximum penalty than the manslaughter charge prosecutors originally sought, while the racketeering conviction carries its own potential sentence.

The verdict gives Manzano’s family a legal finding after more than a year of investigation and court proceedings. It does not change the fact that his daughter lost both parents before reaching school age.

The Verdict Was Narrower Than Prosecutors Requested

Prosecutors asked jurors to convict Colbert of manslaughter, a more serious homicide charge. The panel instead found her guilty of negligent homicide, showing that jurors accepted criminal responsibility for Manzano’s death but did not adopt the state’s full homicide theory.

White’s different verdict underscores that distinction. He was convicted of racketeering but acquitted on the homicide count he faced.

The racketeering convictions were tied to evidence that the defendants participated in a broader robbery scheme, not only the encounter with Manzano. Prosecutors presented testimony about other victims and communications they said showed the operation had been running for years.

Those separate findings will matter when the court imposes sentences later this month.

References: ABC News - Woman Found Guilty in Super Bowl Reporter’s Death | CBS News - Danette Colbert Guilty in Adan Manzano Death | People - Woman Convicted in Super Bowl Reporter’s Death

The Truth In Facts team was assisted by generative AI technology in creating this content