More than three years before her arrest in the death of Telemundo reporter Adan Manzano, a man accused Danette Colbert of drugging and robbing him before leaving him for dead. David Butler, the victim, later testified in court that Colbert’s “continued disregard for others” should have resulted in a harsher sentence. Instead, she was given probation and ordered to pay restitution.

Butler believes stricter punishment could have prevented Manzano’s death. Colbert, 48, has a history of fraud and theft convictions, including an October conviction for computer fraud and illegal monetary transfers. A judge suspended a sentence that would have kept her behind bars, and now prosecutors are seeking to revoke her probation. Kenner police are investigating whether additional charges should be filed in Manzano’s case, with toxicology results pending.

Following Colbert’s arrest, multiple individuals have come forward claiming to be victims of similar crimes. In 2022, she faced grand larceny and drugging charges in Nevada, but the cases were dismissed when victims refused to testify. In Louisiana, she pleaded guilty to fraud in 2019 after stealing over $1,000 and had a similar conviction two years prior.

The main suspect, Danette Colbert.

Butler, 52, has tracked Colbert online since 2021, convinced she would strike again. While renovating a property in New Orleans, he met Colbert at a bar, where she and another woman offered him a drink. After stepping away briefly, he returned, finished his cocktail, and quickly felt disoriented. Colbert offered to help him home, leading him to a black Suburban—his last memory before waking up on a mattress in his unfinished property.

Disoriented and shaken awake by his property manager, Butler discovered his phone, wallet, and over $80,000 in cryptocurrency savings were gone. His credit cards had been used for thousands in charges at Best Buy and Walmart. When police later identified Colbert as a suspect, they linked her to the theft of more than $134,000.

Determined to track her down, Butler traced the stolen crypto transaction to an account named “QueenTX100,” which matched Colbert’s Facebook alias. He provided this evidence to police, leading to her arrest and conviction. However, the judge only ordered her to repay $50,000 in restitution over five years. Butler has yet to receive a payment.

In December, he wrote to the judge, expressing “grave concerns” about Colbert’s light sentence, calling it an insult to public safety. He warned that if someone died due to her actions, their blood would be on the hands of those who allowed her to evade true accountability. His fears materialized with Manzano’s death, further highlighting what he sees as a failure of the justice system.