MILWAUKEE (Court TV/ Scripps News Milwaukee) — A Wisconsin man has been convicted of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson.
After deliberating for less than an hour, a jury found Maxwell Anderson, 34, guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson in relation to the death of 19-year-old Robinson. Prosecutors said Anderson killed Robinson after their date in April 2024. She was reported missing after not showing up for work at a local restaurant. Her burned-out car was found the next day.
FILE – Maxwell Anderson (Wisconsin Department of Corrections), Sade Robinson (Family provided via Scripps News Milwaukee)
In the days and weeks following her disappearance, her severed remains were found throughout the area. In court documents obtained by Court TV, authorities detail text messages between Anderson and Robinson that indicate they met up before she disappeared. Data collected from Robinson’s Life360 account tracked her cellphone to various locations, including Anderson’s residence and locations where her severed remains were found.
A criminal complaint also states that an eyewitness and surveillance footage captured Anderson torching Robinson’s car. When police served a search warrant at Anderson’s home, they found blood in one of the bedrooms and on the walls leading toward the basement. Detectives also noted the presence of “several” gasoline containers.
Anderson, who had pleaded not guilty, was remanded into custody following the verdict. He is facing life in prison at his sentencing hearing on Aug. 15 at 10 a.m.
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES
DAY 7 – 6/6/25
After deliberating for a total of 36 minutes, the jury returned a verdict on the morning of June 6, finding Anderson guilty of all four counts.
- Count 1 – First Degree Intentional Homicide — Guilty
- Count 2 – Mutilating A Corpse — Guilty
- Count 3 – Arson with the intention to destroy Property — Guilty
- Count 4 – Hiding a Corpse — Guilty
DAY 6 – 6/5/25
- State rested its case at 3:30 p.m.
- Judge denied defense motion to dismiss corpse-related charges as duplicative.
- Defense requested directed verdict; denied by the judge.
- Judge ruled sufficient evidence exists to go to the jury.
- Defense rested; Anderson chose not to testify.
- State’s Closing Arguments:
- Sade Robinson, 19, was murdered, dismembered, and body parts were found in Lake Michigan.
- Anderson was the last known person with Sade; video and phone data showed them at his home.
- State detailed disturbing photo evidence of Sade incapacitated on Anderson’s couch.
- Argued timeline shows Anderson removed her body, rammed a gate, and burned her car.
- Asserted Anderson intentionally killed and mutilated Sade.
- Defense Closing Arguments:
- Argued no direct evidence of how Sade died or who did it.
- Claimed no murder weapon, no clear cause of death, and no proof of intent.
- Questioned lack of blood, absence of Anderson’s DNA in car, and credibility of surveillance.
- Suggested possible alternate explanations or unknown third party.
- Urged jury to consider reasonable doubt.
- State’s Rebuttal:
- Said Anderson’s post-crime behavior was a cover-up.
- Reasserted physical evidence, like the sweatshirt and timeline, point to Anderson.
- Dismissed defense claims as distractions from overwhelming circumstantial proof.
- Concluded: “Maxwell Anderson is the killer. Find him guilty.”
DAY 5 – 6/4/25
- Detective Rachel Smith
- Reviewed hours of surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home; last human movement at Anderson’s property seen around 12:45 a.m. on April 2.
- Maxwell Anderson seen returning home around 8:42 a.m., while a different person in a green hoodie exited the home later at 10:55 a.m..
- Testified that the motion-activated light near the side yard failed to turn on during movement, suggesting it may have been tampered with.
- Confirmed Sade Robinson’s Honda Civic left the area at 12:47 a.m., tracked by city cameras traveling northbound afterward.
- Admitted the footage had gaps, and she did not request forensic video analysis from the FBI or state crime lab.
- Detective Daniel O’Connell
- Located alley footage showing Robinson’s car arriving near Anderson’s home around 9:20 p.m. on April 1.
- Confirmed camera timestamps were slightly off but adjusted for real-time accuracy.
- Deputy Timothy Schwann
- Identified Robinson’s vehicle on video at 35th & Lincoln at 12:51 a.m., consistent with earlier sightings.
- Measured the fence around Anderson’s home at roughly six feet, noting limited visibility and narrow spacing between homes.
- Detective Matthew Vander Tie
- Collected pole camera video and license plate reader images showing Robinson’s car in other Milwaukee areas after she left Anderson’s neighborhood.
- Confirmed the license plate matched her registered Honda Civic.
DAY 5 – 6/3/25
- Det. Jake Puschnig – Milwaukee PD, Homicide
- Retrieved pole cam footage of Anderson and Robinson at Duke’s on Water, their second stop on April 1.
- They arrived at 6:33 PM, left around 9:03 PM.
- Anderson seemed familiar with the bar and people there.
- Last known public sighting of Sade on video.
- Det. Nathan Spittlemeister (Recall)
- Retrieved surveillance of Robinson’s Honda Civic leaving Water Street (~9:05 PM), corroborating Life360 data showing next stop was Anderson’s home.
- Tim Sluga – Duke’s on Water (Manager)
- Confirmed Anderson came in with a date, played beer pong.
- No fighting or arguing observed.
- Det. JoAnn Donner – Lead Investigator
- Arrested Anderson near his home; SWAT redirected to do a traffic stop.
- No witnesses reported seeing Sade after April 1.
- Det. Hobe Love – Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
- April 2: Responded to discovery of severed leg near Lake Michigan.
- April 9: Responded to bloody gloves nearby (¼ mile from leg).
- Demonstrated gloves were placed, not thrown; terrain was hard to access.
- Det. Kayla Bjerke – Search of Anderson’s Residence
- Described house layout; search included basement and attic.
- Black Carhartt shirt from Twisted Fisherman video found in dryer.
- Basement had tools, makeshift bedroom area, and clothing not tied to Sade.
- 51 knives found in kitchen; more elsewhere.
- Red plaid jacket matching surveillance was found inside on couch.
- SWAT used ladder to clear attic; plastic bags put over windows to block media view.
- Det. JoAnn Donner (Recall)
- Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, lead investigator
- Returned to Anderson’s residence on April 16 after finding photos of Sade Robinson on his red couch
- Presumptive testing on couch stains came back negative for blood
DAY 4 – 6/2/25
- Pete Worbington, who rented the lower unit of Maxwell Anderson’s duplex, testified about the noisy living conditions he endured while renting from Anderson.
- WATCH: Jury Sees Inside Maxwell Anderson’s Home As Tenant Testifies
- Worbington testified he had known the defendant since they were children – Anderson’s father coached his Little League team. Worbington was relocating from Texas to Milwaukee when Anderson posted on social media that he had a lower unit for rent.
An evidence photo shows the interior of Maxwell Anderson’s basement. (Court TV)
- Worbington said Anderson was an “insufferable landlord,” to which the defense objected.
- Worbington said it would be loud at odd hours, and at least two or three nights a month, he didn’t get much sleep because of Anderson’s noise. He testified that Anderson would work on several home improvement projects and would frequently have people over into the early morning hours.
- The jury saw pictures of the exterior of the duplex and the interior of Anderson’s basement.
- Worbington testified that while he doesn’t remember the exact date, the last time he heard anything from Anderson was when he heard the defendant bringing something downstairs early one morning, days before the SWAT raid.
- Worbington said he moved out shortly after the SWAT team raided the duplex and pulled him outside on April 4.
- Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Lauren Decker supervised Sade Robinson’s autopsy.
- Dr. Decker said there were no signs of bleeding or vital reactions in the dismembered remains, suggesting Robinson’s remains were dismembered post-mortem.
- A toxicology report indicated that the muscle tissue tested positive for caffeine, but no alcohol or illegal drugs were detected.
- Dr. Decker testified that Robinson’s manner of death was determined to be homicide by unspecified means.
- Former Tenant of Maxwell Anderson (Unnamed)
- Heard nothing unusual on the night of April 1.
- Did hear Anderson moving something heavy (possibly a suitcase) between 5–6 a.m. on a day before April 4.
- Described Anderson’s home as noisy and chaotic but quiet that night.
- Det. John Guillot – Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
- Surveillance & Arrest: Watched Anderson approach his car outside Victor’s nightclub on April 4.
Trailed and arrested Anderson during a traffic stop. Anderson was visibly shaking and compliant.
Body Cam Footage: Showed Anderson’s arrest and different backpack than the one seen in earlier surveillance.
Confirmed Anderson’s vehicle was seized; his phone and wallet were confiscated.
- Surveillance & Arrest: Watched Anderson approach his car outside Victor’s nightclub on April 4.
- Det. Matthew Vandertie – Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
- Reviewed Robinson’s text messages between March 27 and April 3.
- Confirmed she had no other plans to meet anyone but Anderson on April 1 and no signs of conflict or drug use.
- Officer Brooke Tavajian – Waukegan Police Department
- Found a decomposed human arm washed ashore on May 11.
- Said the location was remote and the arm showed signs of water exposure.
- Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan (introducing footage)
- Twisted Fisherman Footage (April 1):
- Anderson arrived ~5:09 p.m., Robinson ~5:20 p.m.
- Shared drinks/shots; Robinson declined a second shot.
- Took a final shot with bartender around 6:20 p.m. before leaving.
- Robinson’s family later sued Twisted Fisherman and Duke’s, alleging failure to card her.
- Det. Jake Puschnig – Milwaukee Police Department
- Duke’s on Water Footage (April 1):
- Couple arrived ~6:30 p.m., drank and played beer pong.
- Anderson drank more, took extra shots, stepped outside briefly at 8:30 p.m.
- Left at 9:03 p.m.; Anderson put arm around Robinson; she appeared steady.
- Surveillance confirms Anderson’s identity across multiple video sources.
DAY 3 – 5/30/25
- Multiple detectives reviewed extensive surveillance footage showing Sade Robinson’s Honda Civic being driven around the area where her remains were later discovered.
- While the driver was never clearly identified in early footage, the car was seen near the park and train tracks on the morning of April 2.
- Later footage from a bus security camera appeared to capture the defendant, Maxwell Anderson, walking away from the scene of the car fire and later boarding a bus.
- Investigators found human remains over several days in different locations, including near a playground, train tracks, and eventually on a beach.
- The remains were spread out and recovered in phases, highlighting the scope of the crime scene and the ongoing nature of the investigation.
- Sgt. Cassandra Lindert testified about searching the park area with Det. Donahue and locating significant evidence, including a custom photo blanket belonging to Sade Robinson and nearby remains.
- She explained that Robinson’s friends and family actually found the blanket during their own search and alerted police.
- Sgt. Lindert also found Robinson’s left foot and pieces of her flesh.
- Detectives noted that the crime scene areas—particularly near train tracks—were heavily littered with trash, illegal dumping, and unrelated suspicious items, which made it extremely difficult to conduct a thorough search initially.
- This was cited to explain why some items, including Robinson’s blanket, were not discovered during the first canvass.
- On April 18, a civilian witness, Angela Sawyer, found a torso and arm washed up on a beach in South Milwaukee.
- This discovery, nearly two weeks after the initial finds, extended the known crime scene significantly and added another layer to the case timeline.
DAY 2 – 5/29/25
- Robinson’s coworker Evelyn Geurts and close friend Alana Fisher both described Robinson’s habit of sharing her phone’s location with friends and family for safety reasons. Jurors further learned from the two friends that Robinson’s last known phone activity was at Warnimont Park around 4:35 a.m. on April 2. That’s the same park where Robinson’s severed leg was found hours later.
- Footage from multiple surveillance cameras – pieced together after an exhaustive canvass of the area where Robinson’s Honda Civic was set ablaze – showed an unidentifiable individual driving Robinson’s 2020 Honda Civic just before dawn on the morning of April 2, 2024, then inching towards an alley near 29th and Lisbon. Another camera then captured two passersby reacting to something alarming in the alley where Robinson’s car was set ablaze, with one gesturing for help and calling 911. A man in dark clothing is then seen walking away from the alley. A fire truck arrives just a few moments later. That same individual, appearing to be a white male, is then seen toting a very full-looking backpack on a nearby surveillance camera, heading away from the fire scene.
- Through ATF and state crime lab analyst testimony, jurors were told Robinson’s Honda Civic was intentionally set on fire using a petroleum-based accelerant placed inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Burned clothing matching her last-seen outfit was found in the trunk, including. Bodycam footage from the first MPD officer at the car fire made for jarring imagery.
- MCSO detective JoAnn Donner told jurors about an informal seat position “experiment” she conducted with two of her colleagues. The clear implication, albeit an admittedly non-scientific one, is that the driver’s seat of Robinson’s burned-out Honda Civic was found adjusted for someone much taller than Robinson – someone closer to Anderson’s height.
DAY 1 – 5/28/25
- Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan detailed the timeline of Maxwell Anderson and Sade Robinson’s first date to Anderson allegedly disposing of her remains. Vance-Curzan said the evidence shows Anderson tried to make Robinson disappear.
- Defense attorney Anthony Cotton said the state’s case is filled with reasonable doubt, and defendant Maxwell Anderson had “absolutely no reason” to kill and dismember Sade Robinson.
- Osyrus Terrell found severed human leg near shoreline trail at Warnimont Park
- Initially thought it was a mannequin leg.
- Was emotionally unsettled, said it hadn’t fully “hit him” yet.
- Officer Zachary DeSmet was the first officer on scene after leg discovery.
- He met Terrell and a friend at the park entrance.
- Christine Schuda, a leasing agent, confirmed that Sade Robinson lived in Apt. 309.
- Became emotional identifying still frame of Robinson from elevator footage.
- Recalled police arriving with search warrant after Robinson was reported missing.
- Angela Jung, Sade Robinson’s coworker and friend, described the fear she felt when Robinson missed work without calling.
- Initiated missing persons report and welfare check
