NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana jury convicted Danette Colbert of negligent homicide on Thursday. The conviction relates to the death of Adan Manzano, a Telemundo television reporter visiting New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl.

Colbert, 49, was also convicted of racketeering. Rickey White, 35, was convicted of racketeering but found not guilty of manslaughter. Prosecutors had sought manslaughter convictions for both defendants.

Negligent homicide carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in Louisiana. Colbert and White are scheduled to be sentenced on September 28.

Manzano was found dead in his hotel room in Kenner, Louisiana, on February 5, 2025. An autopsy revealed that Manzano died lying face down on a pillow, unable to breathe after ingesting a combination of alcohol and the depressant Xanax. Colbert was the last person seen leaving Manzano's hotel room. Colbert used Manzano's credit card at a gas station and other stores in New Orleans after his death.

Prosecutors stated that Colbert and White operated a criminal enterprise for years in the French Quarter, using drugs to incapacitate victims and stealing their bank account funds via cards and phones. Prosecutors described Colbert as acting under the guise of a prostitute or party girl while White served as her pimp who provided security and helped find and rob victims. White was described in court records as Danette Colbert's 'pimp,' responsible for providing security, finding victims, and helping her access stolen funds from victims' accounts.

White and Danette Colbert exchanged text messages between 2019 and 2025 discussing drug-facilitated robberies, including sharing photos of victims' personal information and coordinating thefts. Prosecutors revealed text messages among Colbert, White, and Anderson discussing using drugs to incapacitate and rob victims. Christian Anderson, a co-defendant, testified that Colbert and White targeted affluent individuals in New Orleans' French Quarter, with Colbert using alprazolam ('knockout' drug) to incapacitate victims before stealing their belongings.

Christian Anderson, 35, testified against Colbert and White in exchange for reducing his charges to simple robbery and access device fraud. Anderson pleaded guilty to simple robbery and access device fraud and received a six-year prison sentence. Anderson has been cooperating with law enforcement since his arrest and has demonstrated remorse for his past behavior. "Anderson is relieved to be able to put this behind him," attorney Bradley Phillips said.

Colbert was a 'habitual offender' under Louisiana law, with prior convictions in Jefferson Parish for fraud and theft, which led the Louisiana Attorney General to seek revocation of her probation following Manzano's death. Danette Colbert had a prior felony conviction in October 2025 for computer fraud, theft, and illegal transmission of monetary funds related to a 2021 scheme targeting a victim's life savings, for which she received 5 years of probation and $50,000 in restitution. Colbert's arrest record included allegations of drugging men and theft.

Adan Manzano was a 27-year-old reporter and anchor for Telemundo based in Kansas City, Missouri. Manzano’s death came a year after his wife died in a car accident. Manzano and his wife left behind a toddler daughter. Manzano’s family was unable to attend the trial.

"We are pleased with the verdict — we knew this was a difficult case going in," Jefferson Parish Assistant District Attorney Jenny Voss said. "Justice was served."