Maxwell Anderson verdict, push for task force on missing Black women
Push for missing Black women task force
On Friday, June 6, 2025, a jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson. Her mother now looks to the state legislature for help.
MILWAUKEE - A jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson on Friday. Robinson’s mother now looks to lawmakers for help, wanting the state to set up a task force on missing and murdered Black women.
Task Force
By the numbers:
Columbia researchers found Black women in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2020 were 20x more likely to be murdered than white women. The researchers said that was the worst disparity in the country.
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What they're saying:
For four years, Wisconsin Representative Shelia Stubbs urged the state to set up a special task force on missing and murdered Black women and girls.
The group would be made up of police, survivors, attorneys, and victims' rights experts. It would look into what leads to violence against these people, and the task force would have to give recommendations on how to stop it.
Rep. Shelia Stubbs speaks following guilty verdict
Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) spoke to the media following the guilty verdict in the trial of Maxwell Anderson, who was accused and now convicted of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson.
The Wisconsin State Assembly passed Stubbs' bill in 2024, but it stalled in the Senate.
On Friday, Stubbs joined Sade Robinson's mother and family in court and then spoke with FOX6 News.
"We need the state to pass this legislation. We couldn’t save Sade, but we have a chance to save somebody else. And that’s what I stand here today. With this verdict, I stand here with the family. And it’s the right verdict," said Rep. Stubbs.
Stubbs said the guilty verdict motivates her to rally her fellow lawmakers to make her bill a law. It's had bipartisan support. The governor has supported it, too. His budget proposal even included money for this proposed task force.
Maxwell Anderson verdict: Sade Robinson's parents, community react
Sade Robinson's family has seen a flood of community support throughout the investigation into Sade's death and the Maxwell Anderson trial.
More reaction
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
"My thoughts are with the family, the friends, and the community of Sade Robinson who are deserving of our continued support. Regardless of today’s verdict, real justice is living in a world where Sade Robinson is still alive and her killer never had the chance to take her life. As a husband and father, I can’t imagine the pain, anger, and grief that Sade’s loved ones are carrying. It’s my hope that the Robinson family can rest tonight knowing that Sade’s killer will be held accountable. Looking ahead, we all must recommit ourselves to protecting the lives of innocent women – particularly Black and Brown women – and working towards a community where everyone is safe from violence."
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.
- Day 9: Jury finds Anderson guilty of killing, dismembering Robinson
- Day 8: Closing arguments made, jury deliberations begin
- Day 7: Sade Robinson killed; mapping path of Robinson's car
- Day 6: Jurors get look inside Anderson's home; see clothing
- Day 5: Testimony provided our first look at Anderson's arrest
- Open Record: Maxwell Anderson trial
- Day 4: Video from Milwaukee, discovery of Sade Robinson's remains
- Day 3: Testimony resumes; 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
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.