Maxwell Anderson trial, Sade Robinson killed: Wednesday, June 4

MILWAUKEE - Sade Robinson's car was the focus of testimony and evidence presented on Wednesday, June 4, in the Maxwell Anderson trial. Anderson is the Milwaukee man accused of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson.

In court

What they're saying:

Robinson went on a first date with Maxwell Anderson on April 1, 2024. The next day, her car was found torched and her body parts started appearing along the shore of Lake Michigan. Anderson was later charged in the case. 

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Investigators on Wednesday walked the jury through video evidence of when Robinson's car and cellphone left Anderson's house. 

It was around 1 a.m. on April 2, 2024, when Sade Robinson's car drove past Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. The car had left Maxwell Anderson's home on the city's south side about 20 minutes earlier. 

Investigators used Robinson's cellphone records to look for video along the path her car took. The state showed video highlighting Robinson's distinct taillights – at one point, it was heading toward Robinson's apartment building. 

The car eventually headed towards Warnimont Park in Cudahy, where prosecutors said it broke through an access gate to the lake. That is where Robinson's leg would be found later that day. A shadowy figure is seen in the video.

Before the discovery of Robinson's leg, her car was picked back up heading past the St. Francis Police Department around 4:40 a.m. That is when her phone died. 

The car would not be picked up again on camera until it was found near 27th and Wells, where it circled the neighborhood for about two-and-a-half hours, until it was set on fire near 29th and Lisbon. A person was seen walking away from the fire, and Anderson is seen boarding a bus at 35th and Lisbon to head back to his home. 

Wednesday witnesses

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 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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