The suspect accused of murdering Sade Robinson, a Black Wisconsin college student, after their first date has entered a plea of not guilty on all charges. The accused, 33-year-old Maxwelll Anderson wants his day in court, asking for the case to head to trial.
During his appearance in court on April 22, Anderson “appeared in person…to formally waive his preliminary hearing.”
Robinson’s family members were not at the April 22 hearing, but many community members showed up to offer their support.
Even though almost a month has gone by since Robinson was reported missing and “later found to be killed and dismembered,” questions are still lingering in this shocking case.
Members of Robinson’s family and the community have been extremely vocal in their “criticism of law enforcement’s investigation into the case. Among the criticisms is that, early on, community members found a blanket of Robinson’s in an area police had already searched and that, so far, many of her remains have been located by community members.”
Furthermore, the same day Anderson maintained his innocence in court, “state prosecutors amended the complaint against Anderson to show the blood investigators found at his home was tested and is not Robinson’s blood,” KION 46 reports.
Per Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, “There is no support for inclusion of Robinson’s DNA in the blood or swabs that have been tested.” Prosecutors are still unclear on where the murder and dismembering occurred, but do believe “it happened sometime between when the two arrived at Anderson’s house at 9:24 p.m. April 1, and when Anderson left Warnimont Park at 4:30 a.m. April 2, a span of more than seven hours.”
Sheriff Denita Ball told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “the sheriff’s office doesn’t have information about who the blood belongs to.”
In addition, even though the police have searched Anderson’s house twice, community members have come forward stating that “Anderson’s father, Steven Anderson, has been at his son’s home on the south side of Milwaukee and took photos that show a man appearing to remove items from the property.”
Given their distrust in the thoroughness of the authorities’ investigation, “Robinson’s family and friends are continuing to search for the rest of her remains.”
Currently, Anderson remains in custody, and is “being held on a $5 million bond.” Anderson’s next court appearance will be on May 16, to face down his “felony charges of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson of a property other than a building.”