Rackets Exposed In Super Bowl Death

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A tourist-targeting scheme ended with a young reporter dead—and a Louisiana jury just held the ringleaders to account.

Story Highlights

A jury found Danette Colbert guilty of negligent homicide in Adan Manzano’s death.
Jurors convicted Colbert and Rickey White of racketeering tied to targeting tourists.
Forensic testimony described texts about “knockout drugs” and taking items from victims.
The defense called the verdict a “compromise” and plans to appeal.

Jury Returns Split Homicide Verdict, Convicts Both on Racketeering

Jefferson Parish jurors convicted Danette Colbert of negligent homicide in the death of sports reporter Adan Manzano, who was in the New Orleans area for the 2025 Super Bowl. The jury acquitted co-defendant Rickey White of manslaughter. Prosecutors also secured racketeering convictions for both defendants, which the district attorney linked to a scheme that preyed on visitors. The verdict came on September 17, 2026, after a three-day trial in Gretna, Louisiana.

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney described the case as a criminal enterprise that targeted vulnerable tourists. The office said Colbert and White were convicted as charged of racketeering. The district attorney’s account placed Colbert as the person criminally responsible for Manzano’s death under a negligent homicide theory, while the jury did not find White guilty on a homicide count. Sentencing will determine the penalties for the racketeering counts and the homicide conviction.

Evidence Presented: Digital Messages, Timeline, and Medical Findings

Trial testimony included cellphone forensics and text messages between Colbert and White. Local reporting said experts described messages about targeting victims, using “knockout drugs,” and what was taken from those victims. Separate reporting placed Colbert as the last person seen leaving Manzano’s hotel room before he was found dead. Together, those points supported the state’s timeline and pattern evidence that matched the racketeering theory.

A pathologist testified that Manzano had a high blood alcohol level and generic alprazolam, often sold as Xanax, in his system. The medical testimony tied intoxication to positional asphyxia as the cause of death. That finding backed the state’s claim that the drugging and heavy drinking set the conditions that led to Manzano’s death in his hotel room. The medical examiner’s specifics on alcohol and alprazolam became central to the negligent homicide count against Colbert.

Defense Pushback, Appeals, and What the Split Verdict Means

Colbert’s attorney said he would appeal and called the negligent homicide verdict a “compromise” between jurors who favored acquittal and those who wanted harsher punishment. Defense lawyers argued the state did not prove Colbert gave Manzano alprazolam, and they cast Colbert and White as petty thieves, not organized racketeers. The jury’s decision to acquit White of manslaughter but convict both on racketeering shows jurors separated homicide causation from enterprise liability.

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

The jury’s split outcome is common in complex cases. Jurors often agree a scheme existed but split on who caused a death beyond a reasonable doubt. Here, the district attorney’s office emphasized the pattern of targeting tourists, while the medical and digital evidence helped tie Colbert to the fatal night. The lesser homicide conviction still recognizes criminal responsibility for the death, even as the court process now moves to appeals and sentencing.

Public Safety Stakes: Tourist Crime and Law-and-Order Accountability

This case carries a clear warning for anyone visiting big-event cities. The district attorney’s office said the defendants hunted for easy marks, used drugs to disable victims, and stole from them. That conduct fits a pattern that threatens safe travel, strains police resources, and erodes trust in local businesses. Strong racketeering enforcement can help break these networks. Clear sentences also tell would-be offenders that targeting visitors will bring serious time.

What Comes Next: Sentencing, Records, and Ongoing Transparency

Sentencing memos could highlight more details about similar incidents, prior victims, and aggravating factors. The full trial record, including cellphone extraction reports, text authentication, and the autopsy file, can clarify the exact chain of events. Appeals will test the legal sufficiency of the evidence and the jury instructions. Until then, the standing verdict affirms a core point: a tourist-targeting scheme ended in a death, and the justice system imposed accountability for it.