Louisiana Jury Convicts Woman of Negligent Homicide in Reporter Adan Manzano’s Death

A Louisiana jury convicted one defendant of negligent homicide and both of racketeering in a scheme that preyed on tourists, underscoring how crime thrives when institutions fail to protect the public.

Story Snapshot

Jurors found Danette Colbert guilty of negligent homicide in Adan Manzano’s death.
Colbert and Rickey White were both convicted of racketeering tied to targeting tourists.
Medical testimony cited intoxication and positional asphyxia in the death.
White was acquitted of manslaughter; Colbert’s lawyer plans an appeal.

Jury’s Split Verdict and What It Means

On September 17, a Jefferson Parish jury convicted Danette Colbert of negligent homicide in the death of 27-year-old reporter Adan Manzano, who was in the New Orleans area covering the 2025 Super Bowl. Jurors also convicted Colbert and co-defendant Rickey White of racketeering, which prosecutors linked to a scheme that targeted visitors for theft and drugging. Jurors acquitted White of manslaughter, reflecting a common split in complex cases that separate homicide causation from broader criminal enterprise liability.

Jefferson Parish prosecutors said evidence showed a pattern of victim targeting. Digital forensic witnesses described cellphone records and text messages between Colbert and White about finding marks, using “knockout drugs,” and taking items from victims. Officials framed the case as part of an organized operation against vulnerable tourists, a message that resonated with jurors on the racketeering counts. This pattern claim helped explain why both defendants faced enterprise charges beyond the single hotel-room death at issue.

Medical Findings and Causation Challenge

A pathologist testified that Manzano had a high blood alcohol level and alprazolam, a generic version of Xanax, in his system, and died from positional asphyxia, where body position restricts breathing. That mix made the medical story complex. It allowed prosecutors to argue that Colbert’s actions contributed to a fatal chain. It also gave the defense room to question whether Manzano took a pill on his own and whether anyone administered a drug that night, a point they pressed at trial.

Reporters covering the proceedings noted that the jury chose negligent homicide rather than the higher manslaughter count for Colbert. That choice signals jurors found a lower level of criminal blame tied to careless or reckless conduct causing death. The co-defendant result went even further. The jury cleared White of manslaughter while still finding he joined the larger criminal scheme. This pattern fits past mixed outcomes when death, intoxication, and group conduct intertwine.

Defense Pushback and Next Steps

Colbert’s attorney, Stavros Panagoulopoulos, said he will appeal and called the negligent-homicide verdict a “compromise” between jurors who wanted to acquit and those who wanted a harsher verdict. White’s attorney argued the pair were petty thieves, not part of a structured enterprise, and said prosecutors had not proved anyone dosed Manzano. Appeals could test how the court handled digital messages, medical opinions, and jury instructions on lesser-included homicide offenses.

A woman was found guilty of negligent homicide in connection with the death of Adan Manzano, a sports reporter killed while covering Super Bowl LIX in 2025.

READ MORE >>> https://t.co/gOkZYBG0Mh pic.twitter.com/mBd4RWKRAL

— WTVY News 4 (@WTVYNews4) September 18, 2026

Sentencing will spotlight the racketeering counts, which often carry stiff penalties. Prosecutors described a tourist-targeting network, not a one-off theft, and the jury accepted that view on enterprise liability. For families who travel for work or leisure, the case raises a hard truth: police, hotels, and city leaders struggle to keep visitors safe from organized street-level crime. That breakdown feeds a growing belief across left and right that public systems are not doing their basic job.

Why This Case Hits a Nerve Nationally

Manzano’s death began as a single tragedy in a hotel room. The trial showed a larger picture of coordinated predation in a famous tourist area. People across the spectrum see a pattern: repeat offenders, slow accountability, and gaps in protection for ordinary Americans. When justice depends on lengthy trials and split verdicts to curb basic street crimes, trust erodes. This verdict affirms some accountability, but it also exposes the cracks that let schemes like this run for too long.