What we know about Maxwell Anderson, the person of interest in the severed leg case
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Prosecutors have taken steps to ensure a person of interest connected to a severed human leg found in a Milwaukee County park will stay jailed as investigators gather more evidence.
Maxwell S. Anderson appeared in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Tuesday, where a court commissioner granted prosecutors' request for him to be held for another 72 hours before charges are filed.
No officials have publicly connected Anderson to the disappearance of 19-year-old Sade Carleena Robinson, and the human remains discovered in several Milwaukee-area locations in the last week have not yet been identified.
But events of Tuesday's hearing suggest Anderson is at the crux of both cases.
Here’s what to know about Anderson:
Who is Maxwell Anderson?
Anderson, 33, owns a brick duplex on South 37th Street, near West Oklahoma Avenue, which was searched by law enforcement last week. A neighbor, William Rosario, said Anderson kept a low profile and would be seen occasionally walking his dogs.
Anderson has worked at several area bars and has often looked for seasonal work or temp jobs, according to Vic Jones, the manager of Victor’s Nightclub, 1230 N. Van Buren St. Anderson has worked part-time at the club, where he has been “well-liked” and known as a “good worker,” Jones said.
Anderson has previously worked at The Rave/Eagles Club, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave, according to employees there.
Anderson also has a criminal record, including drunk driving arrests and domestic violence-related charges.
What is Anderson’s criminal background?
In 2014, Anderson was charged with two counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. A relative of his told Waukesha County sheriff’s deputies he shoved her, smashed a cell phone and broke items in the kitchen, according to a criminal complaint.
When confronted by a deputy, Anderson reportedly said, “What are you gonna do, shoot me?” before running into the garage and fleeing in the woman’s car, the complaint said. He later returned, crashed the woman’s car into a deck and eventually was arrested.
The woman told investigators she believed Anderson was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Anderson pleaded guilty in the case.
One year later, at another relative’s home in Door County, Anderson was arrested after smashing a glass, punching a hole in a wall and grabbing a phone out of another relative’s hand who was trying to call police, a criminal complaint said. A relative suggested he seek mental health treatment.
Anderson was charged with four misdemeanors and pleaded guilty to three of them.
In 2019, he was accused of beating a stranger who tried to intervene when he saw Anderson and a woman arguing on the 2300 block of West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee. A recording of the assault by a witness showed Anderson on top of the man, punching him multiple times before dragging him on the ground.
Anderson admitted to hitting the man but did not say why. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and was sentenced to one year of probation and 25 hours of community service. He was ordered to pay $7,000 in restitution to the victim for medical bills and lost wages.
What connects Anderson to these two cases?
Thursday, Anderson was arrested and categorized as a person of interest by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the severed leg case.
During Tuesday's court hearing, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, a member of the office’s homicide unit, said authorities found blood on the stairwell of Anderson’s house and on a comforter.
Vance-Curzan suggested investigators have obtained additional blood evidence as well. Blood testing results from the state Crime Lab are expected within two days, he said, and additional testing for the human body remains is also underway.
Anderson’s attorney, Anthony Cotton, also appeared to allude to a potential connection between his client and Robinson.
“He’s been arrested now and held for going on over four days… on nothing more than a written submission to the court indicating that because he supposedly had contact with a missing person and there’s some cell tower suspicion that he continues to remain detained,” Cotton said.
Relatives of Robinson attended Anderson’s hearing Tuesday, accompanied by a victim advocate arranged by the district attorney's office.
Robinson was last seen April 1. The next day, a severed leg was discovered in a Cudahy park. Additional remains have been discovered in Milwaukee in the days since.
In addition, on the morning of April 2, a car was found burning in an alley about two miles from Robinson’s home in Milwaukee. Robinson’s family told WISN-TV the car was hers. A human body part was found one block from the car fire days later.
David Clarey, Adrienne Davis, Claire Reid, Drake Bentley of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What we know about Maxwell S. Anderson, person of interest
