Full Breakdown
Jury Convicts Danette Colbert of Negligent Homicide in Death of Telemundo Reporter Adan Manzano
By Drooid · · How we work
Background & Context
Prosecutors allege that Danette Colbert, 49, and her alleged accomplice Rickey White, 35, operated a multi-year scheme in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The operation reportedly lured men—often tourists—into hotel rooms with promises of sex, then drugged them with sedatives such as alprazolam (Xanax) and stole their phones, credit cards, watches and other valuables. The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office described the group as an “enterprise” that targeted “seemingly affluent men” in tourism spots.
Adan Manzano, 27, a Telemundo sideline reporter based in Kansas City, Missouri, was in New Orleans to cover Super Bowl-related events. He met Colbert in the French Quarter, went to his hotel room in the suburb of Kenner, and was later found dead after ingesting a combination of alcohol and Xanax.
Core Event
In early February 2025, Manzano was discovered unresponsive in his hotel bed. The Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office determined that the mixture of benzodiazepines, alcohol and “positional asphyxia” caused his death. A jury convened in Jefferson Parish deliberated for five and a half hours and, on September 18 2026, convicted Colbert of negligent homicide and racketeering. White was also convicted of racketeering but was acquitted of manslaughter.
Data & Statistics
- Defendants: Danette Colbert – convicted of negligent homicide (max 10 years) and racketeering (max 50 years); Rickey White – convicted of racketeering, not guilty of manslaughter.
- Victim: Adan Manzano, Telemundo reporter and anchor for KGKC, Kansas City.
- Charges: Negligent homicide (a lesser charge than manslaughter); racketeering (carries up to 50 years).
- Sentencing: Both defendants are scheduled for sentencing in late September 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
Assistant District Attorney Brendan Bowen addressed the jury, noting the impossibility of restoring Manzano to his family but urging that the verdict make his death mean something.
KGKC, the Telemundo Kansas City affiliate, issued a news release expressing sorrow: “We are saddened to share that Adan Manzano passed away yesterday in New Orleans.” The station added that it is cooperating with law-enforcement investigations and highlighted Manzano’s professionalism and community contributions.
Manzano’s death followed the loss of his wife, Ashleigh LeeAnn Boyd Manzano, who died in a car crash on April 11 2024. He left behind a toddler daughter.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Enterprise, a group of people associated in fact. Danette Colbert was not doing this by herself. Danette Colbert was doing this with Rickey White (and others). They were not just pals. They were partners. All of them together had a separate role,” — Jenny Voss, assistant district attorney
- “He was the one they went to with the [stolen] property. He was the one who helped them get into the phones and get the money. And he disbursed it from there,” — Jenny Voss, assistant district attorney
- “We are saddened to share that Adan Manzano passed away yesterday in New Orleans,” — KGKC, sideline reporter
What’s Next
Sentencing for Colbert and White is slated for late September 2026, as announced by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office. No further court dates have been disclosed.
