Photo:
Adan Manzano/TelemundoKC/Instagram
A 27-year-old sports anchor and reporter from Kansas City on assignment to cover the Super Bowl in New Orleans has died, according to his employer.
Adan Manzano, of Telemundo KC and Tico Sports, died on Wednesday, Feb. 5, Telemundo Kansas City said in a statement.
“Adan was an exceptional professional and a rising star whose dedication and talent reflected excellence in his work,” the news station said. “We will deeply miss Adan, his passion for sports and the contributions he made to the local community.”
The station added that they were “cooperating with authorities as they investigate this tragic event.”
The Jefferson coroner’s office said in a statement that Manzano died in a hotel in Kenner, La., just outside of New Orleans, NOLA.com reported.
While his autopsy has been completed, his cause of death is pending more testing results, according to NOLA.com
(A representative with the New Orleans Police Department tells PEOPLE they do not have any information regarding the incident, and the Orleans and Jefferson parish coroners did not immediately return requests for comment.)
A Mexico City native, Manzano earned his degree at Kansas State University and joined the Chiefs Television Crew as a sideline reporter at the beginning of the last NFL season, according to Fox affiliate KCTV.
Manzano’s wife, Ashleigh LeeAnn Boyd, was killed last year, in a car crash on April 11, 2024, CBS affiliate WIBW reported.
She was remembered in an obituary as “the most kindest, caring, beautiful person. Her sparkling personality was contagious and would light up any room she walked into. She was a ray of sunshine and always had a smile on her face.”
The couple leave behind a toddler daughter named Eleanor.
Manzano was set to cover the Super Bowl for the third straight season.
Last year, he shared with NBC affiliate KSNT-TV how he took pride in bringing the game of football to a Spanish-speaking audience.
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“The Kansas City Chiefs are growing so fast in Mexico City,” Manzano said then. “Bringing that to the Spanish community because the Hispanic and Latinos — they’ve supported soccer culturally and historically, but there’s always a space where football can be the favorite sport. That’s why I think it’s important.”
Those who worked with Manzano are sharing their own grief as they process his death.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones at this difficult time,” Telemundo Kansas City wrote.
