Milwaukee man charged with dismembering Black woman after their date

Milwaukee authorities have a suspect in custody, and charges have been filed two weeks after college student Sade Robinson disappeared after a date. Maxwell Anderson, who is white, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson on Friday (April 12).

Robinson, who is Black, was reported missing on April 2 when she failed to show up for her shift at Pizza Shuttle. Her colleagues expressed concern given that she had excitedly spoken about meeting with Anderson the night before her death. “We kind of knew something was up; we had been calling her all day,” her manager, Justin Romano, told WDJ-TV.

Parts of Robinson’s body, including a severed leg, were found on the beach at Warnimont Park on that same day. Her severely burned 2020 Honda Civic, which contained her cell phone and clothes, was also found that morning near 29th and Galena streets. Additional findings by investigators in the area included “what appeared to be human flesh” and her foot on April 6. Preliminary DNA results identified her as the victim.

A timeline created by authorities pieced together that Anderson and the young woman met at Twisted Fisherman, his former place of employment, on Canal Street before going to a nearby bar and finally the man’s home on 39th Street and Oklahoma Avenue. Surveillance footage from a neighboring residence revealed activity around 12:45 a.m. at his home. Phone records revealed Robinson’s cell pinged towers around the city before ending up at the park. Authorities also discovered bloodied bed sheets and walls leading to Anderson’s basement, as well as gasoline containers and a “sex dungeon.”

The police’s complaint obtained by CNN concluded that “the defendant intentionally killed and then dismembered Robinson with the intent to conceal the homicide, and it occurred between the arrival at the defendant’s residence and his departure from the Warnimont Park area.” He was arrested in connection with the case on April 4.

Family members have since launched a GoFundMe for the Milwaukee Area Technical College student who was nearing the completion of an associate degree and pursuing a career in criminal justice. “The pain of losing Sade has left a void in the hearts of her family, especially her grieving mother and little sister, along with other relatives, friends and the entire community who loved and supported her. As we come together to honor Sade's memory, we aim to provide her with the dignified farewell she deserves,” reads the fundraiser. Its goal of $30,000 has been reached as donations continue to pour in.

A memorial service has been scheduled for May 10, though investigators are still searching for the rest of her body.

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