Sade Robinson case: Jury finds Milwaukee man Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing, dismembering 19-year-old woman after trial
Share and Follow

MILWAUKEE — A jury found a Milwaukee man guilty Friday of killing and dismembering a 19-year-old college student on the night of their first date.

Prosecutors charged Maxwell Anderson in April 2024 with first-degree intentional homicide, dismembering a corpse, arson and hiding a corpse in connection with Sade Robinson’s death. The jury convicted Anderson on all four counts.

Investigators believe Anderson killed her on their first date on April 1, 2024, dismembered her body and spread her remains around Milwaukee County. They also believe he burned her car to hide evidence.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan told jurors during closing arguments Thursday afternoon that Anderson and Robinson had met at a bar a week before her disappearance. Surveillance video and cellphone text and tracking records show they spent the late afternoon and early evening of April 1 drinking at two bars before going back to Anderson’s apartment.

Vance-Curzan said photos on Anderson’s phone show Anderson groping Robinson as she lay face down on his couch. The prosecutor said Robinson was incapacitated at that point and could not have resisted.

Surveillance video shows her car leaving the apartment early on the morning of April 2 and arriving at a county park along the shores of Lake Michigan. There, under the cover of darkness, he cut her body into pieces, Vance-Curzan said. Later that morning, he burned her car behind an abandoned building before taking a bus back to his apartment, Vance-Curzan said.

One of Robinson’s arms was found on a Waukegan beach, as well.

Anderson’s attorney, Tony Cotton, said during his closing arguments that prosecutors failed to show Anderson ever intended to kill Robinson, a key element in the first-degree intentional homicide charge. Cotton also argued that nobody heard a struggle in his apartment. Anderson never tried to conceal his identity when he boarded the bus and his clothes and shoes were clean then even though he had been supposedly dismembering a body in a muddy park, Cotton added.

Asked to comment on the verdicts, Cotton said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that he’s sure it was a difficult case for jurors and he respected their time and attention.

Anderson faces a mandatory life sentence in prison when he’s sentenced Aug. 15.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Tyler Robinson prosecutors say Charlie Kirk shooting texts show confusion, not bias, to rebut conflict claim

Prosecutors Argue Charlie Kirk’s Texts Indicate Confusion Over Bias in Tyler Robinson Case

Prosecutors are pressing a judge to reject Tyler Robinson’s effort to remove…
Justice Department sues landlords for rent-hiking algorithm scheme

Former Congressional Staffer Allegedly Involved in Massive Government Cellphone Theft, Authorities Report

Federal prosecutors have revealed that over a span of five months in…
LA protesters swarm U-Haul truck that drove through anti-Iranian regime gathering

Chaotic Scene in LA: U-Haul Truck Plows Through Protesters at Anti-Iranian Regime Rally, Driver Detained

The driver of a U-Haul truck that plowed through a crowd of…
Ohio dentist double murder: Fmr police chief reveals ‘multitude’ of reasons ex-husband allegedly killed couple

Ohio Dentist Double Murder: Unveiling the Shocking Motives Behind Ex-Husband’s Alleged Crime

A former law enforcement leader has shed light on the possible motivations…
Nathan Chasing Horse, right, talks to his attorney Craig Mueller during his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Trial Date Approaches for ‘Dances with Wolves’ Actor Nathan Chasing Horse in Child Sexual Abuse Case

The trial of Nathan Chasing Horse, known for his role in “Dances…
Dilbert creator Scott Adams dies of cancer aged just 68

Renowned ‘Dilbert’ Creator Scott Adams Passes Away at 68 After Cancer Battle

Scott Adams, the renowned creator of the “Dilbert” comic strip, has passed…
Real reason Amanda Seyfried grimaced at Golden Globes

Amanda Seyfried’s Surprising Reaction at the Golden Globes: What Really Happened?

At this year’s Golden Globe Awards, held at the Beverly Hilton hotel…
Dilbert creator 'has DAYS to live' as ex-wife shares health update

Urgent Health Update: ‘Dilbert’ Creator Scott Adams Faces Critical Prognosis, Ex-Wife Reveals

Scott Adams, the renowned creator of the Dilbert comic strip, is facing…