Alright, folks, this is a story that started as a tragedy and just keeps getting more unsettling. Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano, just 27 years old, was found dead in his New Orleans hotel room while covering Super Bowl LIX. And now, we have an arrest.
Authorities in Kenner, Louisiana, have taken 48-year-old Danette Colbert into custody after she was caught using Manzano’s credit card at multiple stores around town.
That’s right—while friends, colleagues, and fans were reeling from the sudden loss of a rising star in sports journalism, someone was out there going on a shopping spree with his bank cards. If that doesn’t make your stomach turn, just wait—there’s more.
Security footage reportedly shows Colbert with Manzano on Wednesday morning, and later, she was seen leaving his hotel alone. A few hours later, Manzano was found unresponsive in his room. No signs of trauma, no clear cause of death, and now, investigators are left waiting on toxicology reports to determine if something more sinister was at play.
Now, here’s where things get really concerning: Colbert has a criminal history that paints a disturbing picture. We’re talking multiple arrests—allegations of drugging men and stealing from them in Las Vegas, a high-speed arrest for reckless driving near a school, and past convictions in Louisiana for targeting tourists and credit card fraud. This isn’t someone new to the game—this is a pattern.
For now, Colbert is only facing property crime charges—bank fraud, purse snatching, computer fraud, and the like. But let’s be real: authorities are digging deeper.
When someone with a history of drugging victims is the last known person with a man who later turns up dead, you don’t just look the other way. Investigators are already acknowledging that, given her past, they have to consider foul play.
And here’s what makes this even more heartbreaking: Manzano had already endured devastating loss. Less than a year ago, he lost his wife, Ashleigh, in a tragic car crash that also seriously injured their infant daughter.
This was a young father, a dedicated journalist, and by all accounts, a kind and talented professional. He was on the ground in New Orleans doing what he loved—covering the Super Bowl, interviewing stars like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce—and now, he’s gone.
The investigation is still ongoing, and police are urging anyone with information to come forward. But one thing is certain: this story is far from over. The real question now is whether Manzano’s tragic death was a horrible coincidence—or something far more sinister.
