MILWAUKEE (Court TV) — Judge Laura Crivello sentenced Maxwell Anderson to life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision or parole for the murder and dismemberment of 19-year-old Sade Robinson.
Maxwell Anderson sits in court during his sentencing on Aug. 1, 2025. (Court TV)
In rejecting the defense’s appeal for a sentence that could set him free after 25 years, the judge noted that Anderson showed no remorse and accepted no responsibility for the crimes for which he was convicted.
When given the opportunity to address the court after emotional statements from Robinson’s parents and sister, Anderson denied that he killed Sade and vowed to appeal the convictions.
“From the bottom of my heart, my deepest and most sincere condolences go out to Sade’s family as well as everyone else affected by this tragedy,” Anderson said. “That being said, your honor, I took this to trial without ever trying to make a plea deal of any kind because I did not commit these crimes. And so, I plan to appeal my convictions while I hope and pray that further investigations not only prove my innocence but find and deliver true justice.”
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The judge also heard from Sheena Scarbrough, Sade’s mother, who cursed Anderson, called him a devil and urged the judge to “return him back to hell as soon as possible.” Before asking the judge for the maximum punishment, she asked the defendant to reveal the location of the rest of her daughter’s remains.
“I’m going to respectfully request that you confess, where the rest of my daughter’s Crown is, if you have any respect left for me and her father and her sister, and the rest of my family and this community. You’ve already done the worst; you can at least give us that much,” said Scarbrough.
Sade Robinson’s body was dismembered, and her head and other parts were never recovered. The details of her murder continue to haunt her father, Carlos Robinson.
“People lose their children, sometimes that’s part of life, but to lose your child in this manner is unthinkable,” he said. “I’ve tried therapy, all kind of treatments. There’s a chance I may never have her completely to put her at peace, brings me night terrors.”
The defendant’s father, Steven Anderson, offered his condolences to the Robinson’s family, recalling the pain of losing someone who was like a son to him. He closed by telling Anderson that he loved him and hoped that he would become a positive influence during this incarceration. His father’s words appeared to move his son to tears.
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In sentencing Anderson to the maximum penalty, Judge Crivello went through a lengthy analysis, taking into consideration his past criminal history, which did not include felonies, which were still precursors to his violent nature and what she called his ‘heartless character.’
“It was and continues to be torturous to their family to Sade’s family. Because they don’t have that answer as to where all of her is, where her head is. And still to this day, remains unknown that will likely forever haunt them,” she said. “The family can’t even say goodbye to her because part of her is still out there somewhere.”
