Man Sentenced to Life in Prison Without Parole for Gruesome Murder of College Student on First Date

Maxwell Anderson, a man from Milwaukee, USA, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal killing and dismemberment of 19-year-old college student Sade Robinson. The two had met for the first time on a date before the murder took place in April 2024.

Anderson was convicted in June of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, arson, and hiding a corpse. Despite the evidence presented, he maintained his innocence throughout the trial and again during Friday’s sentencing in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Judge Laura Crivello, however, delivered a harsh rebuke, calling the crimes “unconscionable” and likening the case to “something out of a horror story.”

Emotions ran high in the courtroom as Robinson’s parents delivered powerful victim impact statements. Her mother, Sheena Scarbrough, said Anderson had “messed the entire community up” and urged the court not to protect him in prison. Her father, Carlos Robinson, stated bluntly that Anderson should face the same fate he inflicted on his daughter.

Although life in prison is mandatory for first-degree intentional homicide in Wisconsin, the judge had the option to allow for parole eligibility. Anderson’s defense attorney, Tony Cotton, asked the court to consider parole after 25 years, citing his client’s military service and mental health concerns. He also raised fears for Anderson’s safety in prison. Judge Crivello rejected the request, stating that Anderson is “irredeemable” and that his version of events “differs from the rest of the world.”

Anderson again declared his innocence in court and announced plans to appeal, continuing to claim that Robinson left his apartment voluntarily and was abducted by a stranger.

According to investigators, the pair met at a bar in March 2024. On April 1, they were seen on surveillance footage visiting two more bars before returning to Anderson’s apartment. Photos recovered from Anderson’s phone showed him groping Robinson while she was lying face-down, appearing to be unconscious or incapacitated. Later, surveillance captured her car being driven to a park near Lake Michigan, where prosecutors believe Anderson dismembered her body. He then set fire to her car and returned home by bus.

Searchers later discovered parts of Robinson’s remains in various locations. A leg was found in the park, a foot and another leg were recovered near a playground, and a torso and arm washed ashore in suburban South Milwaukee. Her head has never been found.

In addition to life without parole, Anderson received an additional 7½-year sentence for mutilating a corpse and 18 months for arson. The charge of hiding a corpse was dismissed.