48-year-old Danette Colbert now faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Adan Manzano, the 27-year-old sports reporter from Kansas City found dead in a Kenner hotel room during Super Bowl Week. The coroner’s report found Manzano had a lethal combination of Xanax and alcohol in his system. Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley says an accomplice, Rickey White of Gretna, was also arrested in Florida for allegedly using Manzano’s debit card.
“Officers have developed him as a suspect, going through information and evidence of this case. He was taken into custody by U.S. Marshalls, Hollywood (Fl.) Police Department, Secret Service Task Force, as well as members of the Kenner Police Department,” Conley said.
Colbert was originally charged with robbery and fraud in connection with Manzano’s death. Conley says the murder charge comes after investigators collected a sufficient amount of evidence for a judge to agree with the murder warrant. Conley says Colbert’s case is ready for prosecution by Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick’s office and admits the case against her is circumstantial.
“Mr. Connick is going to be having to prosecute this case, and I’m not going to make his job any more challenging by trying it in the media as opposed to the courtroom,” Conley said.
Colbert was originally arrested on February 6th after investigators determined she was the last person to see Manzano alive and she was also allegedly in possession of his cell phone and credit cards. Colbert is known to police as a person who targets men in the French Quarter and steals their money and credit cards by drugging them. He says many different agencies were part of this investigation.
“We don’t want Ms. Colbert to see the light of day again. We have worked collectively with Governor Landry, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, D.A. Connick, D.A. Williams, Colonel Hodges, Superintendent Kirkpatrick, Sheriff Randy Smith,” Conley said.
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