Milwaukee man charged in murder of Sade Robinson asks for charges to be tried separately

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The man accused of killing and dismembering 19-year-old Sade Robinson has asked for his charges to be tried separately. 

Maxwell Anderson made a court appearance Friday, Sept. 13. He's facing three charges in connection to the April murder of Robinson -- a woman he allegedly killed on their first date. 

As the case prepares to go to trial in December, the defense on Friday asked for the three charges to be separated. 

Anderson is facing first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and arson of property other than a building. 

The defense asked for each to be prosecuted separately, but the state argued they are all connected because Anderson allegedly killed Robinson, used her car to dispose of her mutilated body parts and then set that car on fire to cover up his crimes. 

The judge laid out both sides and ultimately denied the request because the evidence provided connected the three charges. 

"The state in its brief asserts the killing of Robinson, dismembering, disposing, setting vehicle on fire. He destroyed her vehicle and any connection he had to the vehicle. These actions all were connected together," Milwaukee County Judge Laura Crivello said.

"What I learned through the briefing and the criminal complaint is that all counts relate to the plan to kill, dismember, and dispose of the body of Sade Robinson."

She also said a separation would increase the time it takes to prosecute. 

"It would be difficult, devastating I would say, in order to have to be at two different trials. So, severance of the charges in this case would prolong the proceedings and would be contrary to the interest and rights of the victims," Crivello explained. 

Anderson pled not guilty to all charges. Right now, everything is on track for his trial to begin in December.