Louisiana attorney general to file motion on sentencing in Colbert case

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is taking over one of the court cases against Danette Colbert. She’s the woman arrested in connection with the death of a Kansas City reporter who was in town to cover the Super Bowl.

The case involves one of Colbert’s unrelated previous convictions for multiple crimes in Orleans Parish.

The judge at the time sentenced Colbert to probation when she could have received 10 years in prison. In a statement on Tuesday, however, Murrill says she plans to file a motion to correct that sentence, saying Colbert was not eligible to receive probation.

Murrill issued the following statement on Tuesday:

After consultation with Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, my office will be handling the case going forward due to the cross jurisdictional conduct. A motion to correct an illegal sentence can be filed at any time. The District Attorney’s Office has already filed a revocation on the defendant’s probation, and our position is the original sentence was not eligible for probation. The habitual offender notice would attach to resentencing. As this matter is still an open investigation, we have no further comment.
Attorney General Liz Murrill

In the meantime, Kenner police say Colbert was the last person seen with the reporter, Adan Manzano, before he was found dead in his Kenner hotel room. Colbert allegedly stole Manzano’s credit cards. She’s being held in the Jefferson Parish jail without bond.

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