A man in Milwaukee, Maxwell Anderson, has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole after he brutally killed and dismembered a 19-year-old college student named Sade Robinson, whom he had just met for the first time.
Anderson was found guilty in June of several serious crimes including first-degree murder, burning a body, and trying to hide it. Despite the evidence, he insisted he was not guilty during the entire court process.
At the sentencing held on Friday, the judge, Laura Crivello, strongly condemned Anderson’s actions, saying what he did was beyond understanding and compared it to a horror movie.
The courtroom was filled with sadness and anger as Sade Robinson’s parents spoke about their pain. Her mother, Sheena Scarbrough, said Anderson’s crime had hurt the whole community and begged the court not to give him any special protection in prison.
Her father, Carlos Robinson, was even more direct, saying that Anderson deserved the same suffering he caused and that someone who did such a terrible thing should not be allowed to stay alive.
Although the law in Wisconsin demands a life sentence for first-degree murder, the judge still had to decide whether Anderson could ever be released. His lawyer, Tony Cotton, asked for the chance of parole after 25 years, bringing up Anderson’s past Navy service and mental health issues. He also said he feared for his safety in prison.
But Judge Crivello said no to parole, calling Anderson someone who cannot be changed. She said his version of what happened made no sense to others.
Anderson again said in court that he was innocent. He claimed that Sade left his apartment and was kidnapped by someone else. He also said he plans to appeal the decision.
According to police, the two met at a bar in March 2024. On April 1, they went drinking at two different bars and later returned to Anderson’s apartment. Photos found on his phone showed him touching Sade inappropriately while she lay face-down, suggesting she may not have been conscious.
Later that night, a camera caught her car being driven to a park near Lake Michigan. Prosecutors believe Anderson dismembered her body at that location. He then set her car on fire and took a bus home.
Different parts of Sade’s body were later found in separate locations. A leg was found in the park, a foot and another leg were discovered near a playground, and her torso and one arm washed ashore in another part of Milwaukee. Her head was never found.
Apart from the life sentence without parole, Anderson also received 7½ years for cutting up the body and another 18 months for setting her car on fire. The charge for hiding the body was eventually dropped.
