Maxwell Anderson verdict, Sade Robinson killed; jury finds man guilty

Maxwell Anderson trial, breaking down the case

Maxwell Anderson was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, among other charges, in the death and dismemberment of Sade Robinson. It wasn't an easy case to try, as there was a lot of work for the prosecutors and detectives.

MILWAUKEE - A jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson on Friday, June 6 after a days-long trial.

Guilty verdict

Timeline:

After the jurors were fully assembled at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, the verdict was reached within an hour. The jury of nine women and three men found Anderson guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson of property other than a building.

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The verdict came on the ninth day of the trial. The first day was devoted to jury selection, followed by seven days of testimony. The jury got the case on Thursday after the state and defense rested their cases and delivered closing arguments.

Maxwell Anderson found GUILTY; Judge Crivello reads verdict

Judge Laura Crivello read the guilty verdicts against Maxwell Anderson, the Milwaukee man accused of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson in April 2024.

When will Anderson be sentenced?

What's next:

Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, Aug. 15.

Prosecution team

What they're saying:

Hundreds of hours of work over 14 months went into the investigation and preparation for a trial that was repeatedly delayed. The case was not clear-cut from the beginning; it was a puzzle with pieces that are still missing.

Working together on cases is common, but prosecutors and law enforcement said what was different in this case was how much cooperation and manpower took place – something that has not been seen in Milwaukee County for some time.

Maxwell Anderson trial guilty verdict, prosecution speaks

The prosecution spoke to the media following the guilty verdict in the Maxwell Anderson trial. On Friday, June 6, a jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty on all counts, including 1st-degree intentional homicide, in the death and dismemberment of Sade Robinson.

"While we are satisfied with this verdict, our hearts go out to the family of Sade Robinson," said Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, the lead prosecutor on the case.

Some of Robinson's remains were not recovered, and it may never be known how she died. Even with those gaps, prosecutors and law enforcement said their job was to paint a picture for the jury.

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Multiple agencies, detectives, officers, deputies and analysts recovered Robinson's remains, processed crime scenes, searched homes, collected evidence, examined electronic devices and found video. They put it all together to prosecute the case with nearly 500 exhibits and 62 witnesses called to the stand. Thirteen of those witnesses were recalled several times.

"I've never called that many witnesses, but that was necessary to lock-in the timeline and be very clear," Vance-Curzan said. "One of the things when you're dealing with a case that involves such a large geographic range, and a timeline, a long timeline, it's going to require a lot of people to help explain all of that."

MCSO Det. JoAnn Donner laid flowers at Warnimont Park gate

Milwaukee County Sheriff's Detective JoAnn Donner, who spent months investigating the death of Sade Robinson, laid flowers at a Warnimont Park gate on Friday afternoon.

Milwaukee County Sheriff's Det. JoAnn Donner was one of the people who spent the past months working exclusively on the case. She said it's hard to keep emotion out of it.

"My heart goes out to the family and (Robinson's) friends and really, the community at large," Donner said. "It's everyone's come together, and it's really hard to take that step back as a law enforcement officer and not get that emotionally involved during the case," she said. "I will admit that I did go back to my office after the verdict, and I had a good cry because I finally got to have that emotion. It does affect us, too."

On Friday afternoon, Donner made time to drive to the gate at Warnimont Park in Cudahy and laid some flowers for Robinson.

By the numbers:

0 – Defense witnesses take the stand
1 – Jury selection completed in a single day
4 – Counts Anderson was convicted of
7 – Days of testimony
12 – Jurors who delivered guilty verdicts
62 – State witnesses take the stand
496 – Exhibits presented in court

Defense team

What they're saying:

Anthony Cotton, Anderson's defense attorney, was among the first to speak with news media after the verdict was delivered. He said he approached the case like any other defense.

"I take on every case with the same vigor and effort that I can do for everybody, regardless of what the circumstances are," he said. "In our system, everybody deserves a defense. Everyone's entitled to a defense, and I work hard to make sure a person gets that."

Anderson did not take the stand, and the defense did not call any witnesses to testify – instead leaning on cross-examination during the trial.

Maxwell Anderson verdict: Defense attorney Anthony Cotton speaks

Defense attorney Anthony Cotton offered his reaction to the jury finding Maxwell Anderson guilty in the murder of Sade Robinson.

"We did everything in our power to cross-examine every witness the state had and show where we thought the holes were in the state's case," he said. "Obviously, Max made a decision not to testify, and so we respect that decision because it's his to make, not ours."

Cotton later sent a simple statement from the Anderson family on the outcome of the trial. It reads simply: "We respect the jury's verdict."

"I told them in opening that my heart goes out to them," Cotton said of Robinson's family. "We have a job to do to defend our client to the best of our abilities, but we're not – I'm not – inhuman. It's horrendous, right? I mean it's horrendous what happened to Sade, I think everybody agrees on that regardless of where you fall in this case. And so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to reach out to them, but obviously my heart comes out to them."

Cotton told FOX6 News that, while in court, Anderson was asking him about the sentencing process and what it looks like.

Maxwell Anderson verdict: Attorney Jonathan LaVoy breaks down the trial

Defense attorney Jonathan LaVoy broke down some of the key points of the Maxwell Anderson trial for FOX6 News.

Robinson killed, dismembered

The backstory:

Anderson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson of property other than a building. He is accused of killing Robinson after a date, dismembering her and dumping her body parts across Milwaukee County. One of her arms was later found on an Illinois beach.

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Prosecutors said Anderson and Robinson showed up at a Menomonee Valley bar on April 1, 2024 – the night she was last seen or heard from. The next day, Robinson's burned-out car was found near 30th and Lisbon in Milwaukee. Surveillance photos show a man investigators believe is Anderson walking away from the area, and who was later seen on a bus heading back towards his home on the city's south side.

Anderson had planned to kill Robinson weeks before her death, according to a statement from a "confidential informant" noted in court filings FOX6 News obtained. A search warrant also revealed prosecutors believe Anderson tried to cover up Robinson's death with a text message.

Complete coverage

Dig deeper:

FOX6 News is streaming the entire Anderson trial each day on FOX LOCAL. The app is free to download on your phone, tablet or smart TV.

The Source: FOX6 News was in court for the Anderson trial. Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court, and prior FOX6 coverage of the case.

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