Sade Robinson case: Milwaukee man Maxwell Anderson charged after human remains found

A Milwaukee, Wisconsin man was charged on Friday in connection to the death of 19-year-old Sade Robinson who went missing on April 1.

Maxwell Anderson, 33, was arrested on April 4 after a traffic stop. Anderson was then identified as a person of interest in the missing person case that involved Robinson.

Anderson is being charged with the following:

• first-degree intentional homicide
• mutilating a corpse
• arson property other than a building

Around 5:29 p.m. on April 3 Milwaukee County 911 dispatch received a call from Cudahy Police Department regarding a report of a severed leg. It was located near the golf course at Warnimont Park and the leg was amputated from the hip down. The leg was of a female who was African-American, Milwaukee Police Department said during a press conference on Friday.

The Milwaukee Police Department said that there has been additional human remains found in the area, but they have not yet been identified as belonging to Robinson.

At a joint press conference Friday morning with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office and the Milwaukee Police Department, officials said a search for remains continues and an investigation into a motive remain active.

The police department does not know the relationship between Anderson and Robinson but does believe that the two met at Anderson's place of employment. A criminal complaint states that Anderson and Robinson met April 1 to go on a first date with each other.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Robinson family, friends and the Milwaukee community who have embraced this family,” Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball said during the conference. “We are sorry for your loss, it’s such a tragic incident.”

Sade Robinson:Family fears body parts, burned car belong to the missing Wisconsin woman

Remembering Sade Robinson

Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Sade Carleena Robinson moved to Milwaukee with her mother, Sheena Scarbrough, before she turned 2. She then split her time between here and Florida, where her father Carlos Robinson lives. Scarbrough told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, she and Robinson's father never married, but tried their best to co-parent.

After splitting her time between both parents, in 2019 Robinson decided to return to Milwaukee to live with her mother again.

Scarbrough was always impressed by her daughter’s determination, like when she graduated from high school a semester early after moving from Florida. She recalled her surprise when Robinson asked to be driven to a job interview, something Scarbrough didn't know was even in the works.

Robinson worked at Pizza Shuttle on Milwaukee’s east side as a cashier, where she was a favorite among coworkers and customers alike, a manager told the newspaper.

Robinson was only a month away from finishing her associate degree in criminal justice at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Scarbrough said her daughter was still figuring out her next steps, but was looking at joining the U.S. Air Force. The family has other veterans, with Robinson's grandfather a retired U.S. Navy veteran and her uncle a U.S. Army veteran, she said.

Robinson recently had gotten a passport and planned well with her money, self-funding recent trips to Jamaica and Atlanta.

The family is tight-knit, Scarbrough said, texting frequently and having groups on the family tracking app Life360. Robinson's last location on the app has been a source for searches, she said.

Scarbrough said she was a standout older sister, even getting her little sister Adrianna a job at the Wisconsin Club, where Robinson worked a second job, and often picked her sister up for work.

She lived in a small "bachelorette" apartment and her grandmother Linda would often visit her, where Robinson loved to cook seafood for her, Scarbrough said.

"Her whole life was so ahead of her, she was so, so amazing. So beautiful, such a beautiful angel. Everywhere she went, people just admired my baby," Scarbrough said.

A timeline of the day Sade Robinson disappeared

Robinson met with Anderson the evening of April 1 for a date at Anderson's former job.

From a complaint obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the following events occurred:

4:15 p.m.: Robinson sends text messages to a phone number later determined to belong to Anderson. The two arranged to meet at Twisted Fisherman restaurant for dinner. Anderson mentions he also needs to pick up a W2 form there since he used to work there.

5:20 p.m.: Robinson meets Anderson at the restaurant and the two have food and drinks at the bar. Anderson arrived first and told a bartender he was there for a first date. Staff later repeat this to investigators and confirm that Anderson used to work there.

6:30 p.m.: The two leave the restaurant and arrive in Robinson’s car. While there, Robinson sends a Snapchat message to a friend. The two leave the bar at 9:06 p.m.

9:24 p.m.: Robinson’s phone is located in the area of Anderson’s home. Surveillance video shows two human figures arriving at the house in the night.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X @forbesfineest.