Death threat directed at Maxwell Anderson defense attorney's family
Death threat directed at attorney's family
Waukesha police confirmed someone called the law office of defense attorney Anthony Cotton and made a death threat amid the Maxwell Anderson trial.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha police on Friday confirmed someone called the law office of defense attorney Anthony Cotton and made a death threat as the homicide trial of his client, Maxwell Anderson, is underway in Milwaukee.
What they're saying:
The call was reported to law enforcement on Wednesday, according to the Waukesha Police Department. It was the second day of the trial and first day of testimony at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
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Police said the person who called the law office threatened to kill members of Cotton's family if he did not drop the Anderson case. Anderson is accused of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson.
Officials noted they are actively investigating the threat and taking it seriously.
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Robinson killed, dismembered
The backstory:
Anderson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson of property other than a building. He is accused of killing Robinson after a date, dismembering her and dumping her body parts across Milwaukee County. One of her arms was later found on an Illinois beach.
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Prosecutors said Anderson and Robinson showed up at a Menomonee Valley bar on April 1, 2024 – the night she was last seen or heard from. The next day, Robinson's burned-out car was found near 30th and Lisbon in Milwaukee. Surveillance photos show a man investigators believe is Anderson walking away from the area, and who was later seen on a bus heading back towards his home on the city's south side.
Anderson had planned to kill Robinson weeks before her death, according to a statement from a "confidential informant" noted in court filings FOX6 News obtained. A search warrant also revealed prosecutors believe Anderson tried to cover up Robinson's death with a text message.
Sade Robinson homicide; Timeline of events leading to criminal charges
It's been more than a year since body parts surfaced throughout Milwaukee, which prompted a massive search for a missing teenager, Sade Robinson.
Complete coverage
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News is streaming the entire Anderson trial each day on FOX LOCAL. The app is free to download on your phone, tablet or smart TV.
- Open Record: Maxwell Anderson trial
- Day 4: Multiple detectives called to testify
- Day 3: Law enforcement, friends of Sade Robinson take stand
- Day 2: Opening statements, testimony begins
- Day 1: Jury selected in single day
- Sade Robinson homicide: Timeline of events leading to criminal charges
- Sade Robinson homicide: Parents navigate grief ahead of trial
- Sade Robinson homicide: The psychology behind the murder
- Sade Robinson homicide: Lasting legacy, from tragedy to advocacy
- Open Record: A Date With Death
Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that the death threat made to Cotton's law office was directed at family members, rather than the defense attorney himself.
The Source: Information in this report is from he Waukesha Police Department, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court, and prior FOX6 coverage of the case.