Maxwell Anderson trial, Sade Robinson killed: Thursday, May 29
Testimony covers Robinson's burned-out car
Testimony in the trial of Maxwell Anderson focused on Sade Robinson's burned-out car on Thursday.
MILWAUKEE - Testimony in the trial of Maxwell Anderson, the Milwaukee man accused of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson, on Thursday focused on her final hours and the discovery of her burned-out car.
In Court
Robinson's final hours:
Milwaukee Police Det. Nora Donegan, an officer at the time, was working overnight when she learned a leg was found near Warnimont Park in Cudahy. She saw a missing person report for Robinson had been filed the same day and learned Robinson's car had been found torched as well.
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It was near the end of her shift, but Donegan said she and her partner went to Robinson's apartment building for a welfare check.
"Looked around to see if she was there, or if anything seemed out of place or suspicious," said Donegan.
Milwaukee Police Officer Nicholas Kropp followed Donegan. The state then called a friend of Robinson's, Evelyn Guerts, who said she had known Robinson for about a year and also worked with her at the Wisconsin Club.
Video showed Robinson walking out of her Brewers Hill apartment around 9 a.m. on April 1, 2024 – the day she was last seen. She got into her car and drove to work at Pizza Shuttle on Milwaukee's east side. She worked nine hours, then left.
Surveillance shows Sade Robinson leaving her apartment building and arriving at Pizza Shuttle on April 1, 2024
"I spoke to a general manager and obtained video from her last shift," said John Guillot, a Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office detective. He further testified that the video showed an employee waving goodbye to Robinson.
After Guillot, Milwaukee Police Officer Keyona Vines took the stand. Then came Alana Fisher, who described herself as a best friend of Robinson's. She said she contacted police when she learned Robinson was missing.
"Her last locations I had on my phone," she said.
Screenshots of Robinson's cellphone location history show she left work until the phone stopped moving. It last connected to its network near Warnimont Park.
Screenshot shows last location of Sade Robinson's cellphone near Warnimont Park
Search of Robinson's apartment:
After a brief recess, the state recalled MCSO Det. Joseph Blanchar and then MCSO Det. Kayla Bjerke. Bjerke was one of the people who went to Robinson's apartment as part of a wellness check after Robinson was reported missing.
Detectives said they found marijuana and pills locked in a safe in Robinson's apartment. The pills field-tested positive for methamphetamines, but they were not sent to the state crime lab. Judge Laura Crivello allowed that evidence in as Anderson's defense team tried to suggest someone else could be responsible for Robinson's death.
No drugs were found in Robinson's system.
"This is not a case about drugs," said Verona Swanigan, the Robinson family's attorney. "The police testified that the drugs were irrelevant, that the murder was not in any way associated to drugs. The investigation flushed out, it was not related to drugs and to bring up drugs that have never been tested, so we don't even know if they actually were drugs. It is highly prejudicial to the victim, and it's a red herring to the jury."
Anderson trial: Attorney analysis of Day 3
Defense Attorney Jonathan LaVoy, who is not associated with the case, discusses testimony in the trial of Maxwell Anderson that included locations of key evidence, the judge's decision to admit evidence of drugs in Sade Robinson's apartment and what it means to prove reasonable doubt.
Robinson's burned-out car:
The morning session on Thursday wrapped up with testimony from Milwaukee Fire Capt. Christian Hoose. Milwaukee Police Officer Derek Kolb was the first to testify after the break. He was called to the fire involving Robinson's car near 30th and Lisbon.
"Super weird, because it looks like it's in pristine condition," he recalled, noting the car sustained "complete damage" to its interior from the fire.
The fire was deemed arson, and investigators believe the fire started in the passenger compartment. Detectives also conducted an experiment that found the distance from the seat to the gas and brake pedals was consistent with Anderson's height and too far back for Robinson.
A detective found clothing inside the car: a black puffy jacket, underwear and ripped jeans that were inside out, and a pair of partially charred shoes. It was the first time physical evidence was presented in court. Robinson's father, overwhelmed with emotion, had to leave the courtroom.
Bodycam from scene of Sade Robinson's burned-out car near 30th and Lisbon
"I think looking at how these were recovered, it could be consistent with somebody assisting in the removal," said Alexis Krusic, an MCSO detective with the Investigative Services Bureau and a federally deputized Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The clothing items matched the description of what detectives said Robinson wore on her date with Anderson the night before investigators said her car was set on fire.
Defense Attorney Anthony Cotton asked Krusic if there were any identifiers for Anderson inside Robinson's car. She said there were not.
Prosecutors said video showed Anderson walking away after setting the car on fire. The state then called ATF's Ricky Hankins as an expert witness.
Maxwell Anderson trial: Sade's final hours
Testimony in the trial of Maxwell Anderson, the Milwaukee man accused of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson, on Thursday focused on her final hours and the discovery of her burned-out vehicle.
"A witness statement was reported that they had seen an individual walking away from the 2020 Honda Civic after throwing what the witness claimed appeared to be a lit lighter into the driver window," said Hankins.
Before that, prosecutors said Anderson was seen on surveillance driving Robinson's car in the area where some of her remains were later located.
Megan McMahon, a trace analyst with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, was next on the stand. MCSO Det. Jo Ann Donner, the lead detective on the case, found herself on the stand again Thursday after she testified on Wednesday morning.
Milwaukee Police Det. Casey Donahue, who said he was involved in recovering human remains, was the last to testify on Thursday.
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 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.