Sade Robinson murder: Maxwell Anderson pleads not guilty to all charges
Accused murderer Maxwell Anderson pleaded not guilty to all charges he faces in the Sade Robinson case.
By Adam Rife
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MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Accused murderer Maxwell Anderson pleaded not guilty to all charges he faces in the Sade Robinson case.
Prosecutors also shared more information about evidence that was found in Anderson’s house.
Anderson appeared in person in Milwaukee County court Monday afternoon, April 22, to formally waive his preliminary hearing.
Anderson held a small bound booklet when he walked into the courtroom.
He remained handcuffed throughout but did speak several times when the judge asked him if he understood he was waiving his preliminary hearing.
His attorney entered a not guilty plea to all charges, which include 1st degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and arson.
Robinson’s family was not at the court hearing Monday.
But many community members were.
April Bentley attended the hearing to support Sade Robinson’s family. She told us, “I can’t put it into words. It makes me want to cry, but you can’t cry. You have to be strong.”
Bentley runs a nonprofit organization that raises awareness of sex trafficking and missing girls.
She said Sade’s case hits close to home. “I’m hurt. I’m angry. There are a lot of emotions, they’re just jumbled right now. I needed to be here to support the family even though they weren’t here.”
Earlier in the day, state prosecutors amended the complaint against Anderson to show the blood investigators found at his home was tested and is not Robinson’s blood.
Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan said, “There is no support for inclusion of Robinson’s DNA in the blood or swabs that have been tested.”
Exactly where Anderson killed Robinson is still uncertain.
Prosecutors say 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.
Last week we secured home surveillance video that shows Robinson’s car leaving Anderson’s home at 12:47 a.m. before it goes through Milwaukee and eventually ends up at the park.
But no new evidence has been publicized since Robinson’s arm and torso were found Thursday morning along a South Milwaukee beach.
And a sonar-equipped search and recovery boat found nothing Friday.
After Monday’s hearing, Anderson was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs and taken back to jail where he remains on a $5 million bond.
He’ll next appear in court May 16.
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