Fresh twist in death of Super Bowl reporter as new suspect emerges
Share and Follow

A third person has been charged in connection to the death of a television reporter who had traveled to New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl earlier this year.

Christian Anderson, 33, of New Orleans, was arrested for his alleged role in a recurring scheme that police say involved targeting victims, drugging them and robbing them.

Among those alleged victims was Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter and anchor for Telemundo based in Kansas City, Missouri. Manzano was found dead on February 5 in his hotel room in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner.

Manzano’s death came a year after his wife died in a car accident. The couple leaves behind a toddler daughter.

An autopsy revealed that Manzano died lying face down on a pillow, unable to breathe after ingesting a combination of alcohol and the depressant Xanax.

Security video from Manzano’s hotel showed the reporter and a woman, who police later identified as Danette Colbert, entering his room together on the morning of his death. About an hour later, Colbert could be seen walking out of the room alone. Authorities say the woman later used Manzano´s credit card at a New Orleans gas station and several stores in the area.

Television reporter Adan Manzano was found dead in his hotel room in a New Orleans suburb

Television reporter Adan Manzano was found dead in his hotel room in a New Orleans suburb

Christian Anderson, 33, of New Orleans, was arrested for his alleged role in a recurring scheme

Christian Anderson, 33, of New Orleans, was arrested for his alleged role in a recurring scheme

The 'Bourbon Street Hustler' Danette Colbert has already been sentenced to 25 years in prison

The ‘Bourbon Street Hustler’ Danette Colbert has already been sentenced to 25 years in prison

Colbert, whose arrest record includes allegations of drugging men and theft, was charged with second-degree murder and with stealing Manzano’s credit cards and cellphone. In addition, Ricky White, 34, has been charged with murder.

Kenner police said that the vehicle Colbert used on the day of Manzano’s death had been rented by Anderson. 

After reviewing more evidence, including text messages, police say they believe that Anderson ‘provided logistical support, engaged in post-crime communication, and assisted in attempts to financially benefit from the victim´s stolen assets.’

Anderson has been charged with principal to simple robbery, purse snatching, access device fraud, illegal transmission of monetary funds, bank fraud and computer fraud.

He is currently being held in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. Jail records did not immediately list an attorney who could speak on Anderson’s behalf. 

Colbert had been on probation after receiving a suspended sentence by an Orleans Parish judge last year for a conviction of theft and fraud charges. 

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office successfully argued in court earlier this year that Colbert, who has multiple prior felony convictions involving fraud, was a habitual offender and deserved a harsher sentence. 

‘The evidence was overwhelming that this woman was a serial fraudster and took advantage of multiple tourists and innocent people over many years in the French Quarter,’ Murrill said in an emailed statement.

Manzano's wife, Ashleigh, died in 2024 in a car accident. They are pictured with their daughter

Manzano’s wife, Ashleigh, died in 2024 in a car accident. They are pictured with their daughter 

Telemundo reporter Adan Manzano is seen trailing behind the 'Bourbon Street Hustler', Danette Colbert, in what is the last photo of him alive, taken on February 5

Telemundo reporter Adan Manzano is seen trailing behind the ‘Bourbon Street Hustler’, Danette Colbert, in what is the last photo of him alive, taken on February 5 

The footage - exclusively obtained by Daily Mail - shows  Manzano and Colbert entering the Comfort Suites in Kenner, Louisiana , on February 5 at 3.46am

The footage – exclusively obtained by Daily Mail – shows  Manzano and Colbert entering the Comfort Suites in Kenner, Louisiana , on February 5 at 3.46am 

Exclusive CCTV images obtained by DailyMail.com showed Colbert and Manzano arrive back at the Comfort Inn hotel in Kenner, Louisiana together before she left on her own.

Surveillance footage – exclusively obtained by Daily Mail – showed Manzano and Colbert entering the Comfort Inn in Kenner on February 5 at 3.46am.

He appeared coherent, following Colbert through the lobby, to his room. It remains unclear where the pair met.

Manzano was found unresponsive on February 5 at 3pm after colleagues called for a welfare check.

Colbert had been on probation when police arrested her for allegedly stealing the cellphone and bank cards of Manzano, a reporter and television anchor based in Kansas City, Missouri.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Trump reveals to The Post ‘on land’ drug strikes could hit ‘anywhere’ — including Mexico, Central and South America

Trump Discloses to The Post: Potential ‘On-Land’ Drug Strikes Could Target Locations Across Mexico, Central and South America

WASHINGTON — In a bold statement, President Trump announced potential land strikes…
Texans told it may be DAYS until they can leave homes as storm hits US

Texans Advised to Stay Indoors for Several Days Amid Severe Storm Impacting the US

Residents across Texas are being cautioned that they might need to stay…
Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi says doctors found 'cancerous cells' in her cervix

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Reveals Health Scare: Doctors Discover Cervical Cancer Cells

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is urging her followers to prioritize their health and…
Parents’ relentless hunt for missing daughter heats up as new tech breathes life into case

Parents’ Determined Search for Missing Daughter Intensifies with Innovative Technology Reviving Case

Two decades have passed since Jennifer Kesse’s unexplained disappearance, yet her parents…
US forces strike vessel allegedly tied to narco-terror group killing 2 as crews search for lone survivor

US Military Targets Suspected Narco-Terror Vessel: 2 Dead, Search Continues for Missing Survivor

On Friday, U.S. military forces conducted a lethal strike on a vessel…
Elizabeth Smart reveals her kidnapper tried to abduct her teen cousin as his ‘next wife’

Elizabeth Smart Exposes Chilling Plot: Kidnapper Targeted Her Teen Cousin for ‘Next Wife

Elizabeth Smart, a survivor of a high-profile abduction, recently revealed chilling details…
What we know about the 37-year-old man shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis

Breaking Down the Minneapolis Shooting: Key Details on the Federal Agents’ Fatal Encounter with a 37-Year-Old Man

In a city still reeling from a previous fatal incident, Minneapolis became…
Rachael Leigh Cook Reveals ‘Caught By Love’ Wrapped Two Weeks Before The Louvre Robbery: “I Cannot Believe The Similarities”

Rachael Leigh Cook Shares Eerie Timing of ‘Caught By Love’ Filming and Recent Louvre Heist

Rachael Leigh Cook, a familiar face in romantic comedies, is back in…