Maxwell Anderson trial, Sade Robinson killed: Thursday, June 5

MILWAUKEE - The jury began deliberations in the trial of Maxwell Anderson, the Milwaukee man accused of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson, on Thursday, June 5.

In court

What they're saying:

The case reached the jury after a whirlwind day of court activity. Both the prosecution and defense rested within minutes of one another, and closing arguments lasted roughly 45 minutes each.

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A former girlfriend of Anderson was the first person called to testify on Wednesday. The 24-year-old said the two had been in a relationship for more than a year and broke up in 2023. She said they would often go to Warnimont Park in Cudahy, and she described Anderson as a "pretty secretive person."

Two detectives with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, John Guillot and Mason Kohlhapp, were next on the stand. Kohlhapp extracted Anderson's cellphone as part of the investigation and read through text conversations in court.

Prosecutors showed the jury photos that were later deleted from Anderson's cellphone that showed Robinson partially undressed, wearing the same clothes that were later found torched in her car. Kohlhapp testified that the photos showed Robinson face down on a couch, and said it was unclear whether she was dead or alive. There was also a screenshot on the phone of "what not to mix with bleach."

Jason Ruff, a digital forensic expert with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, also testified. The crime lab analyst said Anderson's phone was left untouched by user interaction from shortly after midnight until it died on the morning of April 2.

Ruff testified that Anderson's cellphone connected to power just before 9 a.m. on April 2. That time was roughly 15 minutes after surveillance video showed Anderson returning home and walking up an alley.

The state then called Jordan Karsten, a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh anthropologist known for his work identifying human remains and helping police with "cold cases." After Karsten's testimony, the state rested its case.

Anderson's defense said two counts relative to Robinson's course were multiplicitous and moved to dismiss, which the judge denied. The defense rested its case minutes after the state rested its, and the judge found Anderson had waived his right to testify.

Lead Prosecutor Ian Vance-Curzan delivered his closing argument first. 

"What Maxwell Anderson did to Sade Robinson was an intentional homicide. There is no question behind the intent and there's no question about the person responsible for doing it," Vance-Curzan said during his closing argument. "The killer is him, the last person to be with her, last one texting her, the last one whose residence she was at, the last one who had her car, the last one who had her phone, the last one who was with her. The one who burned her car.

"He did everything he could to try to get away with it. He tried to cover up, he tried to fool the police, he's trying to fool all of you, but he doesn't get to do that."

Defense Attorney Anthony Cotton delivered his closing argument second.

"You heard that he went to work at Dugout 54 the next morning. And his phone died, not turned off, intentionally. It died, during the hours that one would be asleep. And he went to Dugout 54, and he worked at Dugout 54, which was his job, the next day. No issue," said Cotton. "You didn't hear from one person who said suddenly his behavior is different or that he started acting strange, he continued to work, stayed in the area, didn't cut his hair, didn't change his appearance, didn't have a ton of cash in his car with a passport to Mexico. None of that."

A rebuttal from the state came after Cotton's closing argument. 

What's next:

The jury briefly began to deliberate on Thursday afternoon, and will return to continue on Friday morning. The jury is made up of nine women and three men.

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.

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 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

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