A Deadly Mix: Drugs, Lies and a Super Bowl Murder

A woman from Slidell, Danette Colbert, is in serious trouble. She's been charged with second-degree murder. This is all connected to the death of a young sports reporter, Adan Manzano, who was found dead in a hotel room in Kenner during Super Bowl week. Colbert, 48, was the last person seen with Manzano before his death. The police have a lot of evidence against Colbert. They know she was with Manzano just hours before he died. Plus, she's got a history of similar crimes. The police chief, Keith Conley, even mentioned that there's another man involved. He was caught in Florida and is facing the same charges as Colbert. But the police haven't said yet if he'll also be charged with murder. Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter from Kansas City, was found dead in his hotel room on February 5. The coroner, Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich, said Manzano died from a mix of drugs and alcohol. He had Xanax in his system, which wasn't prescribed to him or Colbert. Plus, he was found face-down on a pillow, which didn't help. The coroner said the cause of death is "undetermined, " but that won't stop the prosecution. The police have surveillance footage of Colbert entering Manzano's hotel room with him. They also caught her with his credit card and phone days after his death. This isn't Colbert's first rodeo. She was convicted of fraud and theft last November. That was her fifth felony conviction in Louisiana. The police are confident they have a strong case. But they know it's circumstantial. That means they don't have a smoking gun, but they have a lot of pieces that fit together. The public should keep an eye on this case. It's a reminder that crime doesn't take a holiday, not even during the Super Bowl.