Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter for Telemundo Kansas City, was found dead inside his hotel room on February 5. He was supposed to cover Super Bowl LIX just days later. Police later arrested Dannette Colbert who allegedly used Manzano's credit cards but was not charged for Manzano's death. Now, a toxicology report revealed that Manzano had Xanax in his system when he died.
Videos by Wide Open Country
During a bond hearing for Colbert, Kenner Police Detective Jeffrey Fitzmorris testified that a depressant, alprazolam, named by PEOPLE and WLOX as Xanax, was found in Manzano's body. Fitzmorris would also state that, at the time of his death, Manzano was not prescribed the drug and that the circumstances surrounding his ingestion of the drug are unclear.
"People would commonly drug victims in order to more easily steal belongs," Fitzmorris testified in court. "Alprazolam can cause minor amnesia effects to forget the events of the night."
Colbert has been accused of drugging men in the past to steal their belongings. However, at this time, authorities cannot confirm that Manzano died as a result of intentional drugging, according to NOLA. Further toxicology testing results are still pending. Police, however, found alprazolam in Colbert's residence.
Jefferson Parish Criminal Magistrate David Wolff ordered to hold Dannette Colbert without bail, calling her a flight risk. "I find that she is a danger to society," Wolff said. "Apparently, random victims that come across her wind up being victims of crime."
Manzano And Colbert
Security footage showed Dannette Colbert and Adan Manzano entering a hotel room at around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 5. Later that morning, video footage showed Colbert leaving the room on her own.
Police would later find Manzano's phone and credit cards in Colbert's home, which led to her arrest in New Orleans. Previously, Colbert had pleaded guilty to burglary charges and has been accused multiple times by several men in the past of similar crimes to that of Manzano. However, some of these lawsuits were dropped. For pleading guilty to burglary, she only received probation.
Telemundo Kansas City would issue a statement a day after Manzano's death, stating that they are cooperating with law enforcement during their investigation.
"As KGKC's Sports Anchor & Reporter, Adan was a true professional and a rising star, who exemplified excellence in his work," the statement reads. "We will deeply miss Adan and his passion for sports, and the contributions he made to the local community."
