Louisiana authorities on Monday charged a second suspect with homicide within the demise of a tv reporter who had traveled to New Orleans to cowl the Tremendous Bowl.
Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter and anchor for Telemundo based mostly in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, was discovered useless Feb. 5 in his resort room within the New Orleans suburb of Kenner. A girl seen on safety video leaving Manzano’s room was later charged with second-degree homicide and with stealing his bank cards and cellphone.
Kenner police introduced Monday that an confederate, 34-year-old Rickey White, has additionally been charged with second-degree homicide. White was arrested in Florida in March on theft and fraud prices associated to Manzano’s demise, then extradited to Louisiana.
“Investigators have worked tirelessly to uncover the details surrounding the events that led to Mr. Manzano’s tragic death,” Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley stated in an announcement, the New Orleans CBS affiliate WWL-TV reported.
An lawyer for White, Kevin Boshea, stated he hadn’t been knowledgeable of the homicide cost earlier than an Related Press reporter referred to as him Monday.
“I don’t think he’s guilty of the other crimes,” Boshea stated, “so how can he be guilty of murder?”
Boshea stated he pressed police throughout a preliminary listening to on the theft and fraud prices final month to point out proof that White was within the New Orleans space when Manzano died, however they introduced none.
This picture offered by Telemundo Kansas Metropolis reveals tv reporter Adan Manzano, who was discovered useless in his resort room Feb. 5, 2025, whereas visiting New Orleans to cowl the Tremendous Bowl.
Telemundo Kansas Metropolis by way of AP
An lawyer for Colbert had stated that police have been making “assumptions and guesses” to hyperlink her to Manzano’s demise.
Underneath Louisiana legislation, a defendant might be charged with second-degree homicide for distributing medication that trigger a demise or for committing sure crimes, together with theft, that lead to somebody dying.
An post-mortem discovered Manzano died mendacity facedown on a pillow and unable to breathe after ingesting a mixture of alcohol and the depressant Xanax, Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich advised reporters in March.
Police stated safety video from Manzano’s resort confirmed him and Colbert coming into his room collectively the day of his demise. Footage confirmed Colbert leaving with out him about an hour later. Authorities have stated Colbert later used Manzano’s bank card to make a purchase order at a New Orleans fuel station and at a number of shops within the space.
Police have additionally stated Manzano’s medical data confirmed no prescriptions for Xanax or different depressants, and that they recovered the drug from Colbert’s dwelling. She was discovered responsible of theft and fraud prices in an unrelated case final 12 months, and, in 2022, was arrested twice in Las Vegas on felony prices for grad larceny and administering a drug to help in a felony crime in response to court docket data.
Within the Las Vegas instances, Colbert was accused of drugging males of their resort rooms and stealing from them. Nonetheless, the costs have been finally dismissed as a result of the victims didn’t need to testify in court docket, Colbert’s lawyer in these instances, Daniel Lippmann, advised the Related Press earlier this 12 months.
Detectives imagine Colbert and Manzano met throughout an evening out, and, later, she later allegedly gave him a drug in his resort room to incapacitate him earlier than stealing his cellphone and bank card, WWL-TV reported. Authorities have accused White of serving to to facilitate the thefts, together with by offering transportation, the station reported.
In addition they say White and Colbert communicated a number of occasions on the day Manzano died, with a few of their textual content messages containing discussions about acquiring victims’ PIN numbers and utilizing “knock outs” to incapacitate them, WWL-TV reported, citing court docket data.
Kenner Police are coordinating with the Louisiana State Police, the state Legal professional Common’s Workplace and the Jefferson Parish District Legal professional’s Workplace as they proceed to research Manzano’s demise.
