Danette Colbert, the woman last seen with a TV sports reporter who was later found dead in his Kenner hotel room, is facing charges of second-degree murder in his death, police confirmed on Tuesday.
Colbert, 48, of Slidell is accused of killing Adan Manzano, 27, a Telemundo reporter who had traveled to the New Orleans area from Kansas City. He died during Super Bowl week.
Colbert was seen with Manzano hours before he died in a Kenner hotel room. She has already faced property crime charges related to the case.
Keith Conley, the Kenner police chief, announced during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that a male accomplice who they believe was “working hand in hand” with Colbert has also been arrested.
A warrant for the alleged accomplice was issued and he was found in Hollywood, Florida, on Friday. He is currently facing the same initial charges as Colbert, but police could not confirm whether he could potentially also be facing murder charges.
Kenner police previously told reporters that Colbert is a career criminal known for allegedly drugging victims and theft.
An initial toxicology screening showed that Manzano had a benzodiazepine in his body at the time of his death in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner on 5 February, four days before the Super Bowl. The drug had not been prescribed to either Manzano or Colbert.
Dr Gerry Cvitanovich, the Jefferson parish coroner, said during the press conference that the preliminary autopsy findings have the cause of death listed as the “combined toxic effects” of Xanax and alcohol along with positional asphyxia, as Manzano was found face-down in a pillow.
“Given the uncertain circumstances of this case, we feel that the most appropriate manner of death is ‘undetermined,’” Cvitanovich said. He emphasized that the current classification of death could change, and an undetermined classification would not “get in the way” of the prosecution.
Authorities arrested Colbert on various criminal counts after they said surveillance video captured her entering Manzano’s hotel room with him the last time he was seen alive. Police also allege Colbert was caught with a credit card and cell phone belonging to the reporter just days after his death.
Colbert was convicted of fraud and theft by a New Orleans jury last November. It was Colbert’s fifth felony conviction in Louisiana, according to court records.
“There’s a lot of pieces to this puzzle, we understand that this is going to be a circumstantial case,” Conley said. “I feel very confident in our detectives and the other agencies involved.”
