Jury selected in trial of Maxwell Anderson, accused of killing Sade Robinson
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The highly anticipated Maxwell Anderson trial got underway in Milwaukee Tuesday, May 27. The now 34-year-old faces several felony charges connected to the death of Sade Robinson.
Robinson went missing in April of 2024; some of her body parts were found in the weeks and months after.
Sade Robinson
The state is now charging Anderson with hiding a corpse, in which he pleaded not guilty. He faces a total of four felonies:
- First-degree intentional homicide
- Mutilating a corpse
- Arson of property other than building
- Hiding a corpse
A pool of 40 potential jurors were questioned by attorneys representing the state and Anderson.
Twelve women and three men were selected.
As the trial started, Anderson was led into the courtroom in handcuffs, which were removed once he reached the defense table. The judge said the media's video and livestreams are to only show Anderson not in handcuffs.
Anderson's parents and another family member were in the courtroom sitting in the first row behind him.
Maxwell Anderson trial
Robinson's family -- including her mother, sister, grandmother, uncle, and several others, were in the first few rows of the gallery opposite the Andersons.
There was no interaction between the families, nor did Anderson look out into the gallery when he entered.
The jury pool started with 73 potential jurors. The judge and attorneys whittled that pool to 40 people based on answers to a standard questionnaire.
Judge Laura Crivello swore the candidates in shortly before 12 p.m. Tuesday, then spent the early afternoon walking them through more disqualifying questions, the concepts of impartiality and reasonable doubt, and she read one by one the more than 250 names on the potential witness lists. She also spoke with them about the importance of keeping their thoughts to themselves throughout the duration of the trial.
The district attorney prosecuting the case alluded to some of the evidence that will be shown during the trial. There was a lot of discussion between the attorneys and the potential jurors about seeing traumatic images of body parts.
Once the jury is seated, the trial will resume with opening statements.
The breakdown of the daily trial schedule is as follows:
- Morning session begins between 8:30-9 a.m.
- Lunch break from 12-1:30 p.m.
- Afternoon session from 1:30-4:45 p.m.
Trial of Maxwell Anderson
We were joined by Attorney Justin Padway Tuesday night, who explained a bit about what happened in court Tuesday.
And as court proceedings begin, the Milwaukee community continues to honor Sade's memory and grieve the loss of a young woman with so much life ahead of her.
Outside Pizza Shuttle, on Milwaukee's east side, the sidewalk has become a space to honor and remember Sade Robinson.
We watched people come to the area throughout the day Tuesday to pay their respects.
Flowers surround the spot where Sade Robinson once worked.
As court proceedings for the trial of her accused killer begin, many are focused on remembering Sade's life.
"I feel very sad for her family," said Laurie, a visitor at the memorial. "I have a daughter myself. If this happened to me, it would be devastating, absolutely devastating. But we gotta find justice for Sade."
The trial is expected to last at least two weeks. That will be an emotional time for friends and loved ones of Sade, and as we saw Tuesday, even for community members who never knew her.
CBS 58 will bring you live coverage from the trial as well as livestream in its entirety on our website, Facebook, and YouTube pages.
