On a grim Friday morning at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, Maxwell Anderson, 34, was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, arson, and hiding a corpse in connection with the brutal death of 19-year-old Sade Robinson. The jury’s decision came swiftly after less than an hour of deliberation, concluding a harrowing trial that laid bare the disturbing details of a crime that shocked the Milwaukee community.
Prosecutors charged Anderson in April 2024, alleging he killed Robinson on their very first date on April 1, 2024. According to investigators, Anderson not only took Robinson’s life but dismembered her body and scattered her remains across Milwaukee County. The gruesome discovery of her severed leg near Lake Michigan and a human arm found weeks later on a remote Waukegan beach painted a chilling picture of the extent of the crime.
Robinson was last seen alive at Anderson’s home, and evidence gathered during the trial traced her final hours with harrowing clarity. Text messages between the two confirmed their meeting that day, while data from Robinson’s Life360 account tracked her phone to locations including Anderson’s residence and the sites where her remains were later recovered.
Adding to the damning evidence, surveillance footage captured Anderson setting fire to Robinson’s 2020 Honda Civic on April 2, 2024 — a desperate attempt to destroy evidence. The burned-out car was found the next day, and video showed Anderson leaving the scene. He was arrested two days later during a traffic stop by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's office.
Inside Anderson’s home, police found blood stains in one of the bedrooms and on walls leading toward the basement, as well as several gasoline containers. Despite these findings, Anderson’s defense attorney, Tony Cotton, argued throughout the eight-day trial that no DNA evidence linked Anderson directly to the crimes. Cotton maintained that the state’s case was riddled with reasonable doubt, emphasizing the absence of a murder weapon, no clear cause of death, and no proof of intent. Anderson himself chose not to testify, a decision Cotton described as personal and strategic, given the risks of cross-examination.
The prosecution, however, presented a compelling narrative supported by extensive forensic and testimonial evidence. Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan detailed the timeline from Anderson and Robinson’s first date to Anderson’s alleged efforts to cover up the crime. Graphic photos and videos shown in court depicted Robinson incapacitated on Anderson’s couch and the subsequent disposal of her remains.
Detectives testified about the painstaking investigation, including the review of hours of surveillance footage from neighbors’ homes and city cameras. These captured movements around Anderson’s property in the early hours of April 2, the trajectory of Robinson’s car, and Anderson’s suspicious behavior. Detective Rachel Smith noted the last human movement at Anderson’s home occurred around 12:45 a.m., with Anderson returning later that morning. Other officers described the discovery of Robinson’s severed leg near Warnimont Park and bloody gloves found nearby, which had been deliberately placed rather than carelessly discarded.
Former tenants of Anderson’s duplex testified about the chaotic and noisy environment inside the home, with one recalling Anderson moving something heavy down to the basement days before the SWAT raid. Police searches revealed a basement filled with tools, makeshift living areas, and an unsettling collection of knives — 51 in the kitchen alone. Yet, no blood was detected on certain items, and some presumptive blood tests came back negative, complicating the forensic picture.
The jury, composed of nine women and three men, deliberated after closing arguments that underscored the stark contrast between the prosecution’s detailed case and the defense’s insistence on doubt. The prosecution highlighted Anderson’s post-crime behavior as a calculated cover-up, while the defense suggested alternative explanations, questioning the credibility of surveillance and the lack of direct physical evidence.
After the verdict was read, Anderson showed no emotion in court. Outside, Sade Robinson’s mother, Sheena Scarbrough, spoke with heartfelt resolve. “She will be forever remembered as an angel, a light worker who’s touched so many souls, so many lives in the Milwaukee community. She is our hero,” Scarbrough said. “She is forever leaving an imprint. She walked in her own path, her own light. She solved her own case. That’s how I raised my kids. We don’t give up. We are fighters.”
Robinson’s family plans to continue their fight through civil litigation against Anderson and the Milwaukee bars that served Robinson while she was underage, underscoring the broader impact of this tragedy.
Anderson now faces a mandatory life sentence when he is sentenced on August 15, 2025, at 10 a.m. His defense attorney, Tony Cotton, confirmed Anderson is holding up and will be present at sentencing. Cotton also clarified that Anderson’s choice not to testify was a personal decision, acknowledging the difficult position defendants face when cross-examined.
The trial left a heavy toll on those involved, including jurors who found the evidence overwhelming but were deeply affected by the case’s grim details. The verdict brings a measure of closure to a case that began with the disappearance of a young woman full of promise and ended with a community grappling with the loss and the haunting questions it raised.
