A Louisiana judge has handed down lengthy prison sentences to two individuals convicted in connection with a criminal enterprise that resulted in the death of Telemundo reporter Adan Manzano.
On Monday, state court judge Nancy Miller sentenced Danette Colbert, 49, to a total of 60 years in prison. This includes 50 years for racketeering and a consecutive 10 years for negligent homicide in the death of Mr Manzano, a journalist for Telemundo Kansas City.
Colbert's accomplice, Rickey White, 35, was sentenced to 45 years' imprisonment for racketeering. The sentences were issued days after a jury in Jefferson parish, Louisiana, convicted both Colbert and White for their roles in Mr Manzano's death on 5 February 2025.
Prosecutors stated that Mr Manzano was among the victims of a years-long operation where Colbert, White, and a co-defendant allegedly targeted tourists in New Orleans' French Quarter, luring them with promises of sex before drugging and robbing them. Mr Manzano, 27, was found dead in his hotel room in Kenner, Louisiana, having travelled to cover the 2025 Super Bowl.
The Jefferson parish coroner's office reported that Mr Manzano died from positional asphyxiation, with an autopsy revealing Xanax and alcohol in his system.