Maxwell Anderson found guilty; juror discusses trial, verdict

Anderson guilty, juror discusses decision

Maxwell Anderson was convicted on Friday of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson. One juror told FOX6 News the decision was "easy."

MILWAUKEE - Maxwell Anderson was convicted on Friday of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson. One of 12 jurors who found the man guilty told FOX6 News the decision was "easy."

What they're saying:

After the jurors were fully assembled at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, the verdict was reached within an hour. The jury of nine women and three men found Anderson guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson of property other than a building.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

"Just emotionally exhausted," the juror said. "We had a big decision to make today, and there was a lot of momentum leading up to this."

Because it was such a high-profile case, the juror said she was not comfortable going on camera.

"The decision was easy, especially after that mic drop yesterday seeing those pictures," she said in reference to key evidence presented on Thursday.

That evidence included graphic photos, which the state said showed Robinson partially undressed and face down on what looked like Anderson's couch.

"That’s what I went home thinking about last night. He grabbed her right breast, that right breast has not been recovered, he was taking pictures to look back later at it," the juror said.

The juror said, beyond the evidence and testimony, much more was going on behind the scenes.

"There was knife found in the courtroom, under his chair, at some point this week," she said. "That happened, the judge told us."

The juror also told FOX6 that an internal investigation determined the knife potentially belonged to one of the courthouse cleaning staff, but that's not all.

"We actually got some insight on that from the detectives," she said. "They’re still actively looking into him, so it will be interesting to see the snowball effect from that in the future.

As for the outcome of the Anderson case, the juror said justice was served.

"Sade, she didn’t anticipate any of this, obviously, but she was just going on a date. She was 19. She was innocent," said the juror.

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.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

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.

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.

The Source: FOX6 News was in court for the Anderson trial. Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court, and prior FOX6 coverage of the case.

Maxwell Anderson News Crime and Public Safety Milwaukee

The Brief