It was supposed to be the biggest week of his career. Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old rising star for Telemundo Kansas City, had just arrived in New Orleans to cover Super Bowl LIX. He was young, energetic, and a devoted single father to a two-year-old girl named Eleanor. But on Wednesday, February 5, 2025—just days before the Kansas City Chiefs were set to take the field—Manzano was found dead in his hotel room.
The news hit the sports world like a ton of bricks. People were confused. How does a healthy young journalist just pass away in his sleep during one of the most high-security events in the country?
As it turns out, the story wasn't a tragic medical accident. It was something much more sinister.
The Night Everything Changed in Kenner
Manzano wasn't staying in the middle of the French Quarter. He was booked at the Comfort Suites in Kenner, a suburb near the airport. On the morning of his death, security footage captured something that would eventually break the case wide open. At around 4:30 a.m., Manzano walked into the hotel lobby with a woman.
They went up to his room. About an hour later, the woman walked out alone.
When Manzano missed his scheduled media appointments later that day, his colleagues grew worried. They called the hotel for a wellness check. When the staff opened the door, they found Manzano face-down on his bed. He was unresponsive. There were no obvious signs of a struggle—no blood, no broken furniture. But his cellphone and credit cards? Gone.
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Who is the "Bourbon Street Hustler"?
The woman on the security footage was eventually identified as 48-year-old Danette Colbert. In the local underbelly, some knew her by a more notorious nickname: the "Bourbon Street Hustler."
Honestly, the details that came out after her arrest are chilling. This wasn't her first time doing this. Police discovered she had a long history of "knock-out" robberies. Basically, her MO was to meet men at bars, go back to their rooms, drug them with sedatives, and strip them of everything valuable while they were unconscious.
When police raided her home in Slidell, they didn't just find Manzano's phone. They found Xanax.
The Toxicology Results
For weeks, the cause of death remained a mystery while the coroner waited for lab results. On March 18, 2025, the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office finally went public. Manzano died from a lethal cocktail of alcohol and Alprazolam (Xanax).
But there was a terrifying physical component, too. Because he was so heavily sedated, he ended up in a position where he couldn't breathe. The official term is positional asphyxia. He literally couldn't lift his head from the pillow to take a breath.
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A Coordinated Hit, Not a Random Encounter
Initially, it looked like a solo job. But as Kenner police dug into digital records and text messages, a darker picture emerged. This was a "coordinated effort."
Colbert wasn't acting alone. Authorities eventually arrested two accomplices:
- Rickey White (34): Charged with second-degree murder. Police believe he worked hand-in-hand with Colbert to coordinate the robberies.
- Christian Anderson (33): Arrested in May 2025. He allegedly rented the getaway car and helped try to drain Manzano’s bank accounts after the death.
Text messages between the suspects discussed "knock outs" and how to get victims' PIN numbers. It was a business. A deadly one.
The Heartbreak Behind the Headlines
What makes this case truly gut-wrenching is Manzano's personal life. Just ten months before he died, his wife, Ashleigh LeeAnn Boyd, was killed in a car accident.
Think about that.
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A toddler lost her mother in 2024 and then lost her father in 2025 while he was just trying to do his job. Manzano was a "rising star" who took immense pride in bringing American football to the Spanish-speaking community. He had covered the Chiefs' previous two Super Bowl wins and was living out his dream.
Staying Safe: Lessons from the Manzano Case
New Orleans is a city of incredible joy, but it has a rough edge that can catch even the most seasoned travelers off guard. If you're heading to a major sporting event or just a vacation, there are a few things to keep in mind to avoid these "predatory" theft schemes.
- Watch your drink constantly. It sounds cliché, but "slipping a mickey" is a real, documented tactic used by professional theft rings.
- Be wary of "over-friendly" strangers. Many of Colbert's victims were targeted because they were alone and appeared to have money (watches, high-end phones).
- Use hotel safes. If you're going out for a night on the town, leave your primary credit cards and extra cash locked in the room.
- Stick with the group. Most of these incidents happen when a person gets separated from their friends or colleagues.
Adan Manzano's death wasn't just a "Super Bowl reporter dies" headline. It was the loss of a father and a talented journalist at the hands of a professional criminal ring. As the legal process against Colbert, White, and Anderson moves forward in 2026, the hope is that justice provides some small measure of peace for a little girl who lost everything.
Actionable Next Steps: If you or someone you know is traveling for a major event, always set up "Find My" or GPS sharing with a trusted contact. In Manzano's case, digital tracking was the key to finding his killers. Ensure your banking apps have two-factor authentication that isn't just tied to a text message on the phone that might be stolen.