Donations are pouring in for the family of deceased Kansas City sports journalist Adan Manzano after the 27-year-old was mysteriously found unresponsive in his Louisiana H๏τel room days before he was set to cover Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

‘Adan was a kind, loving, and hardworking person who touched the lives of many with his warmth and generosity,’ read a statement from his family on Manzano’s GoFundMe page. 

‘He was a dedicated sports reporter and a true fanatic at heart. His pᴀssion for sports and storytelling connected people from Kansas City all the way to his home in Mexico. Through his work, he brought communities together, sharing the excitement, emotion, and love for sports that he held so dearly.’

The family has set a $25,000 goal to raise money for funeral costs. As of Tuesday morning, nearly $7,000 had been pledged by generous donors.

‘As we navigate this painful time, we want to give Adan the farewell he deserves, but we need your support to make it possible,’ read the pᴀssage on his GoFundMe page. 

‘We are humbly asking for donations to help cover funeral expenses and provide our family with the means to say goodbye properly. The funds will be managed by his parents and will be used to cover the costs of transportation, service, and cremation for Adan. Any amount, no matter how small, will make a difference and will be deeply appreciated.’

Manzano is a recent widower. His wife, Ashleigh, died in April 2024 in a car accident. They are pictured with their young daughter 

Police are now pursuing the theory that Colbert drugged Manzano and left him for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. She was arrested after using his credit cards in a number of stores after his death 

Read More Super Bowl reporter’s heartbreaking final post of daughter emerges after his death in New Orleans

The message goes on to ask for privacy for the family, who thanked well wishers for their kindness, prayers and support.

A native of Mexico who lived in Topeka, Kansas, Manzano was on the ground in New Orleans working as a sports anchor and sideline reporter last week while his young child was back at home with relatives. WIBW previously reported the news that Manzano’s wife Ashleigh died last April at the age of 24 in a car crash that also seriously injured their infant daughter.

In Manzano’s Instagram bio, he pays tribute to his late wife with the message: ‘Always in my heart Ashleigh Boyd.’

Police in Kenner, Louisiana arrested 48-year-old Danette Colbert on Thursday evening after she was found using the deceased reporter’s credit card at several stores in the New Orleans area, according to a police report provided to DailyMail.com .

Security footage shows Colbert with Manzano on Wednesday morning before she was seen leaving his H๏τel hours later, according to investigators. Manzano was ultimately found unresponsive in his H๏τel on Wednesday afternoon and a cause of death has not been determined. 

Authorities say there were no signs of obvious trauma to Manzano’s body, adding that it remains unclear if he was drugged as they await the results of a toxicology report.

A Kenner police spokesperson said the department is working to find any proof she may be involved with his death. 

‘Colbert has an arrest history that includes similar allegations involving drugging individuals to facilitate theft,’ a spokesman said. 

Results of a toxicology screening on Manzano have not been returned. 

Telemundo reporter Adan Manzano is seen trailing behind the ‘Bourbon Street Hustler’, Danette Colbert, in what is the last pH๏τo of him alive, taken on February 5 

Currently, Colbert is only being charged for property crimes, such as bank fraud, computer fraud, illegal transmission of monetary funds, access device fraud and purse snatching, said Kenner deputy police chief Mark McCormick. However, as the department noted in its release, the investigation is ongoing.

‘Obviously, there are allegations in [Colbert’s] past criminal history that make us consider that,’ McCormick said of the possibility of foul play, as quoted by NoLa.com. ‘But we don’t have anything at this point.’

Kenner police are asking anyone with information on the case to call the Criminal Investigations Division at (504) 712-2222 or Crime Stoppers at (504) 822-1111.

Haunting surveillance footage shows Manzano’s final moments alongside the ‘Bourbon Street Hustler,’ Colbert, before he was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in a motel room.

The tape – exclusively obtained by Daily Mail – shows Manzano and Colbert entering the Comfort Inn in Kenner, Louisiana outside New Orleans on February 5 at 3:46am. 

He appears coherent, following Colbert through the lobby, to his room. It remains unclear where the pair met. 

Manzano, 27, was in town from Kansas City as part of Telemundo’s team covering the event. At some point he came across Colbert, who has a long criminal history.

What happened inside the motel room remains under police investigation, but the video shows Manzano entering the H๏τel and never emerging again. He was found unresponsive on February 6 at 3pm after colleagues requested a welfare check. 

The footage – exclusively obtained by Daily Mail – shows  Manzano and Colbert entering the Comfort Suites in Kenner, Louisiana, on February 5 at 3:46am 

Colbert was arrested in May 2022 after robbing a man in his H๏τel room in Las Vegas

The reporter – a recent widower whose wife died in April 2024 – had failed to show up for their afternoon meeting. 

Colbert, on the other hand, left the room twice. She first emerged at 4:45am, leaving the room alone and returning 20 minutes later. 

She then made two trips to reception, where it appeared she requested an extra key for the room. Colbert is then seen leaving the room at 5.21am for a final time. 

She was arrested days later after being caught using Manzano’s credit cards in stores across New Orleans. 

While she has been charged with credit card fraud, police are still working to tie her to Manzano’s death.