‘Rising star’ sports reporter dies at 27 while covering Super Bowl

KENNER, La. — Adan Manzano, a sports reporter for Telemundo Kansas City, died Wednesday while covering Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. He was 27.

Manzano’s death was announced by Telemundo Kansas City on Thursday. No cause of death was provided.

“We are sorry to share that Adan Manzano, reporter and sports anchor for Telemundo Kansas City passed away yesterday in New Orleans while on assignment to cover the Super Bowl for Telemundo KC and Tico Sports,” the news station wrote in a news release. “We are cooperating with authorities as they investigate this tragic event.

“Adan was an exceptional professional and a rising star whose dedication and talent reflected excellence in his work. We will deeply miss Adan, his passion for sports and the contributions he made to the local community. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones at this difficult time,” the post added.

Manzano was found face-down on his bed by a hotel manager at the Contempra Inn in Kenner, Louisiana, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. There was no sign of trauma or foul play, authorities said.

An autopsy for Manzano has been completed, but his official cause of death is pending further test results, NOLA.com reports. His death remains under investigation by the Kenner Police Department.

Manzano, a native of Mexico City, Mexico, graduated from Kansas State University and was a resident of Topeka, Kansas. In addition to his work with Telemundo Kansas City, Manzano also worked for Tico Sports, providing sideline coverage for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Spanish broadcasts and as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Kansas City Current soccer team.

Manzano’s death comes less than one year after his wife, Ashleigh LeeAnn Boyd, was killed in a car crash in Topeka on April 11, 2024. The couple leaves behind a toddler daughter named Eleanor.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas issued a statement remembering Manzano.

“Adan was so young and full of energy, and truly covered almost every event in the community,” Mayor Lucas wrote in a post to X. “So very sad to see this news. My condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.”