A Milwaukee man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal killing and dismemberment of 19-year-old college student Sade Carleena Robinson. The case shocked Wisconsin in April 2024, and Friday’s sentencing marked a final chapter in a trial that laid bare one of the region’s most disturbing acts of violence in recent memory.
Maxwell Anderson, now 34, was convicted in June on multiple charges including first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, arson, and hiding a corpse. Robinson’s remains were discovered in multiple counties, and authorities say Anderson murdered her following a first date and methodically tried to cover up the crime.
The sentence, handed down by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Laura Crivello, includes a life term for the homicide charge with no chance of parole, as well as additional years for the arson and dismemberment convictions.
“Your view of reality differs from the rest of the world,” Judge Crivello told Anderson in court. “Your actions were unconscionable.”
Robinson’s parents, devastated and angry, addressed the court before sentencing. Her mother, Sheena Scarbrough, called Anderson a “demon,” while her father, Carlos Robinson, condemned the killer in raw, emotional terms. “Everything he did should be done to him,” he said. “No man should be able to live after what he did.”
The trial detailed how Anderson met Robinson at a bar on April 1. Surveillance footage and cell phone records placed the two together at multiple locations before returning to Anderson’s apartment. Prosecutors presented damning evidence, including photos found on Anderson’s phone showing him groping Robinson while she was incapacitated. Her body was never found intact—only dismembered parts scattered across Milwaukee County.
According to Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, Anderson also had a detailed plan for the killing. A confidential informant testified that Anderson had spoken about his intentions before the murder took place. Video evidence showed Robinson’s car leaving his apartment the following morning and arriving near Lake Michigan—where prosecutors believe Anderson disposed of parts of her body.
Despite the mountain of evidence, Anderson has continued to maintain his innocence. Speaking at his sentencing hearing, he offered condolences to the Robinson family but reiterated his denial. “I took this to trial without ever once trying to make a plea deal of any kind because I did not commit these crimes,” he said.
Anderson’s attorney asked the judge to consider parole eligibility due to his client’s Navy service and mental health concerns. The judge declined.
Robinson’s murder has left deep scars on her community, where she was remembered as bright, kind, and ambitious. For many, the life sentence offers some measure of accountability, though her loss remains immeasurable.
As Anderson prepares to appeal, the facts remain clear: a young woman’s life was violently taken, and a community is left to mourn. For Sade’s family, justice came not as closure—but as a solemn promise that her killer will never walk free.
