Man Brutally Murders Teen College Student During First Date

A chilling case that shocked Milwaukee has ended in conviction. Maxwell Anderson, 34, has been found guilty of killing and dismembering 19-year-old college student Sade Carleena Robinson during what was supposed to be their first date.

On Friday, June 6, a jury convicted Anderson of first-degree intentional homicide, dismembering a corpse, arson, and hiding a corpse. The verdict comes just over a year after Robinson’s remains were discovered scattered across Milwaukee County in April 2024.

Authorities say Anderson and Robinson met for drinks at two bars before returning to his apartment. That night, according to prosecutors, would end in horror. Surveillance video and cell phone records placed the two together on the night of April 1, with video later showing Robinson’s vehicle leaving Anderson’s apartment and heading toward Lake Michigan in the early hours of April 2.

Prosecutors alleged Anderson killed Robinson, dismembered her body in the dark near the lakeshore, and then returned home on a city bus, leaving no sign of distress or attempt to conceal his identity. To further cover his tracks, he allegedly set fire to her car in a separate location to destroy evidence.

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan told jurors that graphic photos were found on Anderson’s phone showing him groping Robinson while she was facedown and seemingly incapacitated on his couch. “She was not in a position to resist,” Vance-Curzan said, describing the disturbing images.

The case took an even darker turn when a confidential informant came forward, telling investigators that Anderson had openly discussed a plan to kill someone and had shown him the tools and location a month before Robinson’s death. According to the informant, Anderson had already met Robinson and described a detailed plan to carry out the murder.

Authorities later confirmed that when the informant visited Anderson’s apartment, he saw tarps covering the windows and walls from floor to ceiling.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, Anderson’s defense attorney, Tony Cotton, argued there was no proof his client had intended to kill. Cotton also claimed that none of Anderson’s neighbors heard a struggle and that he made no effort to hide his identity afterward, citing surveillance footage that showed him wearing clean clothing while riding the bus.

But the jury didn’t buy it.

Following the guilty verdict, Milwaukee County authorities expressed condolences to Robinson’s family. “We are hopeful that this verdict brings some amount of solace to them,” an official stated at a press conference.

Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, where he faces mandatory life in prison.