Conviction of Maxwell Anderson for the Murder and Dismemberment of Sade Robinson – On Friday, a Milwaukee jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of the brutal murder and dismemberment of 19-year-old college student Sade Robinson. The crime, which occurred in April 2024, shocked the local community and brought to light chilling details surrounding a seemingly innocent first date that ended in tragedy.
Anderson was convicted on four charges: first-degree intentional homicide, dismembering a corpse, arson, and hiding a corpse. Prosecutors presented a disturbing timeline of events leading up to Robinson’s death, starting with their meeting at a bar a week prior to the fatal night. Surveillance footage, along with cellphone records, revealed that Anderson and Robinson spent the late afternoon and early evening of April 1, 2024, drinking at two separate bars before returning to Anderson’s apartment.
Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, in his closing arguments, painted a grim picture of what transpired that night. He showed jurors photos from Anderson’s phone, which depicted Anderson groping Robinson while she was unconscious on his couch. The prosecutor contended that Robinson was incapacitated at the time, unable to resist Anderson’s advances. This was central to the case as it suggested that the murder was premeditated and intentional, rather than an accident or act of self-defense.
The prosecution’s case was further supported by surveillance footage that captured Robinson’s car leaving Anderson’s apartment early on the morning of April 2. The vehicle was then seen arriving at a county park along the shores of Lake Michigan. There, under the cover of darkness, Anderson allegedly dismembered Robinson’s body. The remains were scattered across the county, and Anderson later burned Robinson’s car behind an abandoned building to cover up the evidence.
The defense, however, offered a different narrative. Anderson’s attorney, Tony Cotton, argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence that Anderson had intended to kill Robinson. Cotton questioned whether there was any physical evidence of a struggle in Anderson’s apartment, pointing out that no one had heard any disturbance that night. Additionally, he claimed that Anderson did not appear to be attempting to conceal his identity, as evidenced by the fact that he boarded a bus to return to his apartment in clean clothes despite the serious crime he was accused of committing.
In a statement to the press, Cotton acknowledged the difficulty of the case for the jurors and expressed respect for their deliberations. However, the jury ultimately sided with the prosecution, finding Anderson guilty on all counts.
The case has raised questions about the chilling reality of violence in seemingly ordinary circumstances. What was intended to be a simple first date between two strangers ended in a tragic and horrifying crime. Anderson’s actions on that night have left a lasting impact on Robinson’s family, friends, and the community at large.
Anderson now faces a mandatory life sentence in prison, with his sentencing scheduled for August 15, 2025. His conviction marks the conclusion of a harrowing chapter in a case that has captured national attention, highlighting the dangers of domestic violence and the brutal consequences of seemingly inconsequential encounters.
