What happened to Sade Robinson and how did she meet Maxwell Anderson?

This article contains graphic descriptions of murder and domestic abuse. Please read with caution.

Sade Robinson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, went missing on April 1, 2024, and two days later, human remains were discovered in the area, including a severed human leg. The leg was determined to likely be Robinson’s, as testing continued on the other body parts police recovered. On April 4, Maxwell Anderson was arrested and later charged with her death.

To date, Anderson’s motive for allegedly murdering Robinson, who was 19 when she died, is unclear. However, evidence has emerged that Robinson, 33, had only just met Anderson before she was killed. Meanwhile, text messages and witness testimony have established a timeline of Robinson and Anderson’s whereabouts that night, offering insight into why they were together when prosecutors say the murder happened.

Sade Robinson and Maxwell Anderson were on a date

Sade Robinson and Maxwell Anderson were on a first date the night she disappeared, based on text messages Anderson sent to Robinson. According to Robinson’s building secretary, Robinson also mentioned a date on April 1. Reportedly, the couple arranged to meet at the Twisted Fisherman restaurant where Anderson used to work, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Witnesses at the restaurant, who knew Anderson from his time as an employee there, said he arrived first and mentioned the date with Robinson at around 5:20 p.m.. Robinson also sent a Snapchat message to a friend from that location. At around 6:30 p.m., Robinson and Anderson left the Twisted Fisherman and went to a bar before returning to Anderson’s home at around 9:20 p.m., according to Robinson’s phone data.

At nearly 1 a.m., Robinson’s phone left Anderson’s house and was tracked to a Milwaukee area near where Robinson’s suspected dismembered body parts were later recovered. Robinson’s phone battery died around 4:30 a.m. that morning. She was reported missing on the evening of April 2 when she failed to arrive for work. Robinson’s burned vehicle was found that same day.

Maxwell Anderson was arrested at a traffic stop

On the night Sade Anderson died, Maxwell Anderson was seen in surveillance footage boarding a bus near where Robinson’s suspected remains were found and traveling back to his home. Meanwhile, on April 4, Anderson was arrested at a traffic stop, charged with Anderson’s murder and dismemberment, and held on a $5 million bond. Blood was found in Anderson’s home, as well as gasoline canisters, possibly used to burn Robinson’s vehicle, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Anderson has a lengthy criminal record, including a domestic abuse conviction, disorderly conduct, and a history of alcohol and substance use issues. After Anderson was charged, Robinson’s mother, Sheena Scarbrough, said, “Who the [expletive] would do something like this to my beautiful baby? She hurt nobody. She hurt nobody.”

Meanwhile, Robinson’s uncle, David Scarbrough, said, “We need justice for Sade. Me and my family will never be OK. My sister and parents won’t stop shaking, and it ain’t because they’re nervous. Imagine trying to bury your niece with no body for the service. I need justice for Sade,” CBS58 reported.