Adan Manzano: Woman arrested as Superbowl reporter may have been drugged and robbed before death

The suspect, Danette Colbert, 48, from New Orleans is also under investigation for her potential involvement in another mysterious death.

Manzano, 27, was seen on surveillance footage entering his hotel room with Colbert just hours before his death. The reporter, who was in New Orleans on assignment for Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports, was seen smiling and carrying a plastic shopping bag as he walked behind her. Investigators later found his cellphone and credit card in Colbert’s possession, raising suspicions that she may have drugged and robbed him before his death.

Authorities are also investigating Colbert in connection with the December 15 death of John Jenkins, a 55-year-old Maryland man who was found dead from cocaine and ethanol toxicity in a French Quarter hotel. According to NOLA.com, Jenkins had travelled to New Orleans for a football game between the Saints and the Washington Commanders. His friends requested a wellness check when he failed to show up for the event, and he was later found unresponsive in his hotel room.

“We suspect she may be related to the case,” Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick said of Jenkins’ death, which was initially classified as accidental. Detectives from Kenner are now working with the Louisiana Attorney General’s office and State Police Troop Nola to determine any links between Colbert and both fatalities.

Following Manzano’s death, several other alleged victims have come forward, including David Butler, 52, who claims he had a similar experience after meeting Colbert in the French Quarter. Butler told NBC News that Colbert offered him a cocktail that made him feel disoriented and in need of assistance getting home.

“She ushered me into some kind of black Suburban that was literally right there,” Butler said. “And that’s the last thing I remember that night.”

A property manager later found Butler passed out on the floor and woke him up. He discovered his phone and wallet were missing, and his credit cards had been used for purchases totalling thousands of dollars at Best Buy and Walmart. Additionally, Butler said more than $80,000 that he had stored in a cryptocurrency account for retirement had vanished.

Colbert has a history of legal trouble. Nevada court records show that in 2022, she was charged with grand larceny and administering a drug to aid in the commission of a felony in two separate cases. However, both cases were dismissed after the victims declined to testify in court.

In October, Colbert was convicted of computer fraud, theft, and the illegal transmission of monetary funds. Orleans Criminal District Judge Nandi Campbell sentenced her to probation instead of prison, ordering her to pay restitution and remain under supervision for five years, according to court records.

Butler criticised the leniency of her sentence and said that a harsher punishment could have prevented Manzano’s death.

“Had the court acted decisively by incarcerating Ms. Colbert or enforcing stricter conditions for her release, it is possible Mr. Manzano would still be alive today,” he told NBC News.

Manzano's death follows that of his wife in April. KCTV5 sister station, WIBW, said that the reporter's partner had died less than a year ago in Topeka, following a car crash. The 27-year-old is said to leave behind one child.

He is originally from Mexico City but earned his degree from Kansas State University having moved to Topeka in 2018. He joined the Chiefs Television Crew as a sideline reporter at the beginning of the 2024 season. After appearing in the broadcast booth in 2023, Manzano was a sideline reporter for the Super Bowl in 2024.

Manzano's wife, Ashleigh LeeAnn Boyd Manzano-Aguilar passed away aged just 24 less than 12 months ago. She was a 'devoted Second Grade Teacher at Lowman Hill Elementary School' per her obituary at Kevin Brennan Family Funeral home.