In a swift and decisive verdict on June 6, 2025, a Milwaukee County jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of the brutal killing and dismemberment of 19-year-old Sade Robinson, a college student whose tragic death shocked the community and unfolded over the course of more than a year.
The jury convicted Anderson on all counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse, and arson. The verdict came after a week-long trial that began with opening statements during the week of May 25, 2025, and concluded with closing arguments on June 5. After deliberating for roughly 20 minutes on Thursday, June 5, the jury paused for the night and returned the following morning to announce the guilty verdict shortly after 9 a.m.
Outside the courthouse, Sade Robinson’s mother, Sheena Scarbrough, spoke emotionally about her daughter, calling her a “hero” and saying, “She will be forever remembered as an angel.” Scarbrough added, “Throughout all of this, throughout the grief and everything, Sade continues to talk to me, to guide me. And her mission is still wanting to help others.”
The tragic story began on April 1, 2024, when Robinson, a criminal justice student at Milwaukee Area Technical College and employee at Pizza Shuttle, went out on a date with Anderson. That afternoon, Robinson expressed excitement about the evening to an employee at her apartment building. The two arranged to meet for dinner and drinks, starting at Twisted Fisherman restaurant on Milwaukee’s west side. Surveillance footage confirmed their meeting, showing them dining and drinking before heading to Duke’s on Water, a bar downtown.
At 6:30 p.m., Robinson sent a SnapChat message to a friend from Duke’s. Shortly after 9 p.m., the pair left the bar and were captured on surveillance video arriving at Anderson’s former home on South 39th Street at 9:24 p.m. Phone GPS data placed Robinson’s phone in the same area. It was at Anderson’s home on Milwaukee’s south side that prosecutors say Robinson was killed.
Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan presented the jury with extensive evidence, including hundreds of images and videos, and testimonies from dozens of witnesses. Among the most harrowing were photos Anderson took of Robinson incapacitated on his couch—face down with her breast exposed and grabbed, specifically her right breast, which was later found severed from her body.
In the early hours of April 2, 2024, Robinson’s phone was tracked leaving Anderson’s home, traveling to several locations including Pleasant Valley Park and Warnimont Park in Cudahy. Surveillance cameras at Warnimont Park captured a car heading toward the pump house and a person descending the bluff to the beach level. The vehicle left the park at 4:31 a.m., and shortly after, Robinson’s phone battery died.
Later that morning, Robinson’s 2020 Honda Civic was discovered ablaze on the north side of Milwaukee. A witness reported seeing a man exit the car, toss a lighter inside, and walk away. Video footage from a Milwaukee County Transit System bus showed Anderson, dressed in clothing matching the witness’s description, disembarking near his home at 8:43 a.m.
In the following days and weeks, Robinson’s dismembered body parts were found scattered across the region: her right leg was discovered on the night of April 2 at Warnimont Park, described by police as appearing “sawn off.” Her right arm washed ashore in Waukegan, Illinois, on May 11. Other remains, including her torso and left leg, were found at various locations in Milwaukee County. The grim discoveries painted a chilling picture of the crime’s aftermath.
Authorities arrested Anderson on April 4, 2024, after pulling him over blocks from his home. A hoodie found in his car matched the one worn by the suspect who torched Robinson’s car. A search of Anderson’s home uncovered blood in a bedroom and on walls leading to the basement, along with several gasoline containers, a knife in the kitchen sink, an ax on the living room wall, women’s clothing hidden under a basement bench, and a woman’s ID card. A possible blood stain was also found in his car.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Anderson’s defense attorney, Anthony Cotton, argued that his client had no intent to kill Robinson and highlighted that no DNA evidence linked Anderson directly to the crimes. Anderson himself did not testify, and the defense called no witnesses during the trial.
During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Vance-Curzan emphasized the weight of the evidence. “The evidence in this case has shown you, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the individual responsible for those intentional acts is Maxwell Anderson,” he told the jury. He detailed how Anderson dismembered Robinson’s body at Warnimont Park and attempted to cover his tracks by burning her car with an ignitable petroleum distillate.
The jury, composed of nine women and three men, deliberated for about 20 minutes before adjourning for the night on June 5, then resumed and reached their verdict the next morning. Anderson displayed no visible emotion as the verdict was read.
Following the conviction, Anderson’s sentencing hearing was scheduled for August 15, 2025. Under Wisconsin law, first-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence, with the possibility of extended supervision to be determined by a judge.
The case has sparked broader conversations in Milwaukee about the safety of Black women and girls, with Robinson’s mother becoming an advocate for increased resources to address the disappearances and deaths within this community. Robinson’s death also led to lawsuits against the bars that served her alcohol on the night of the date, alleging negligence in serving a visibly intoxicated person without checking ID.
Robinson’s life and tragic death have left a lasting impact on Milwaukee. A mural honoring her was completed in September 2024 outside her workplace, and a public memorial in May 2024 brought together family, friends, and community members to remember her vibrant spirit. As the city continues to grapple with the loss, the conviction of Maxwell Anderson brings a measure of justice for a young woman whose life was cut brutally short.
