A television sports reporter tragically died in his hotel room near New Orleans while on assignment for Super Bowl LIX. An investigation revealed that he had a sedative in his system for which he did not have a prescription. This substance was later found at the residence of a woman charged with robbing him, according to recent testimony from a law enforcement official.

On February 5, in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Adan Manzano was confirmed to have benzodiazepine in his system at the time of his death—just four days before Super Bowl Sunday. Detective Jeffrey Fitzmorris presented this information during a criminal court hearing.

Fitzmorris’s remarks supported the theory that the accused robber, 48-year-old Danette Colbert, possibly sedated Manzano before the alleged robbery. Following his death, police discovered alprazolam—commonly known as Xanax—at Colbert’s home, a drug that had not been prescribed to either party.

Benzodiazepines like alprazolam, typically used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, can also function as muscle relaxants, but combining them with alcohol can pose significant risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Despite Fitzmorris’s testimony, Colbert has not yet been directly charged in connection with Manzano’s death. The cause and manner of his death remain undetermined pending further toxicology results following a preliminary autopsy evaluation.

Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich confirmed on Wednesday the importance of obtaining an official toxicology report, emphasizing, “You always want to make sure you get an official reading.”

Local officials from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, verified the substance of Fitzmorris’s testimony. Colbert was arrested after surveillance footage purportedly showed her entering Manzano’s hotel room shortly before he was last seen. Authorities reported recovering his cellphone and hotel credit card from her possession.

Colbert is also accused of illegally possessing alprazolam at her home in Slidell, Louisiana, without a valid prescription.

During a bail hearing for Colbert, the judge ordered her to be held without bail. Law enforcement expressed concerns that she may have drugged Manzano just prior to committing the robbery, noting her past associations with similar crimes against other men.

She had previously been convicted in October for drugging and incapacitating a man she met on Bourbon Street, leading to her conviction for robbing him of over $134,000, primarily in cryptocurrency. Her sentence was five years of probation.

Colbert’s attorney, Stavros Panagoulopoulos, expressed that law enforcement’s assumptions about her involvement in Manzano’s death were premature. “We look forward to our day in court to present all necessary evidence,” he stated, emphasizing that speculation is insufficient for criminal prosecution.

Manzano was in Kenner on assignment for Telemundo Kansas City, reporting on the Kansas City Chiefs as they prepared to face the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl on February 9. Hotel staff found him deceased after he failed to attend a scheduled meeting.

CCTV footage captured the moments before his death, showing Manzano and Colbert together on Bourbon Street, eventually heading to his hotel room, where she left alone shortly after.

Investigators theorized that Colbert may have sedated Manzano based on the presence of the anti-anxiety medication in both his system and her residence, alongside documented accounts of similar incidents involving her in Las Vegas.

Federal authorities in Las Vegas are currently investigating another woman, Aurora Phelps, implicated in a similar pattern of drugging men and stealing from them, leading to tragic outcomes for some victims.

Manzano, originally from Mexico and a graduate of Kansas State University, was known for his passionate coverage of local sports teams in the Kansas City area.

He leaves behind a two-year-old daughter and was raising her with his late wife, Ashleigh Boyd, a dedicated elementary school teacher who passed away in a car accident in Topeka, Kansas, on April 11, 2024.

A funeral service honoring Manzano was held on February 20 at a church in Topeka named after Our Lady of Guadalupe, who holds special significance for Mexican Catholics as their patron saint.