Fact Check: Wisconsin Sheriff Addresses Rumors That Man Accused of Dismembering 19-Year-Old Woman Is Out on $5M Bond; Heartbroken Mother Calls Suspect ‘Sick Son of a B***h’
The sheriff’s office overseeing the Wisconsin county where a man was recently charged with the death and dismemberment of a 19-year-old woman had to dispel rumors that the suspect was free on bond.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office posted messages to social media in all-caps stressing that 33-year-old Maxwell Anderson had not paid his bond, which was set at $5 million.
“FOR REASONS WE CAN’T FATHOM, IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE ARE LYING THIS EVENING, CLAIMING ACCUSED MURDERER MAXWELL ANDERSON HAS MADE BAIL. FALSE!” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook Friday evening.
The sheriff’s office also posted a message to X that continued to scold the public for spreading the rumors.
“MAXWELL REMAINS IN CUSTODY ON $5 MILLION BAIL. SPREADING OTHERWISE IS INSANELY IRRESPONSIBLE, NO TO MENTION FALSE!” the X post states.
Sade Robinson’s body was found severed after allegedly going on a date with Maxwell Anderson, left. (Photos: Facebook/Sade Robinson)
Anderson is still in custody after being charged last week with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and arson in connection to the death of 19-year-old Sade Robinson.
Robinson’s mother, Sheena Scarbrough, called Anderson a “sick son of a bitch” after Anderson made his first court appearance last week.
“Sick son of a [expletive] hurt my baby. This sick son of a [expletive] is going to pay. This is justice for Sade,” Scarbrough told local news outlets. “Who the [expletive] would do something like this to my beautiful baby? She hurt nobody. She harmed nobody.”
Robinson was reported missing when concerned co-workers called police after she didn’t show up for her shift at a local pizza joint on April 2. Authorities then linked Anderson to Robinson after learning the pair went on their first date on April 1.
That same day, detectives found her scorched car in an alley. Not only was it set on fire, but the clothes Robinson wore on the date were found inside.
Shortly after discovering the car, police were called to a Lake Michigan beach park where someone found a “sawn-off” leg. Other human remains were also discovered in that area. In the days after Robinson’s disappearance, investigators found another severed body part just a block away from where her car was found.
Anderson was taken into custody on April 4 as a person of interest after investigators searched his home, but it took more than a week for authorities to charge him after finally connecting him to the body parts and Robinson’s disappearance.
According to a criminal complaint, authorities found texts between Robinson and Anderson confirming they would meet for dinner on April 1. Surveillance video also showed the pair eating at a local seafood restaurant, then going to a bar before heading to Anderson’s home.
Investigators also tracked Robinson’s phone to Anderson’s home, then to several places around Milwaukee, including the beach park where the leg was found.
Surveillance footage from the park shows a car matching Robinson’s and a person walking to the beach from the car multiple times.
Robinson’s uncle said his family is anguished by the 19-year-old’s death.
“Sade was more than a person, she was an angel. Not having her right now is very painful,” David Scarbrough told reporters. “We need justice for Sade. Me and my family will never be OK. My sister and parents won’t stop shaking, and it ain’t because they’re nervous. Imagine trying to bury your niece with no body for the service. I need justice for Sade.”
Investigators are still working to find Robinson’s remaining body parts. Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan said Anderson went to “tremendous lengths” to cover up the “abhorrent” crimes he’s accused of.
“It’s the highest level of violence imaginable,” Vance-Curzan said.
Anderson’s neighbor told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Anderson typically kept a low profile and was often seen walking his dogs in the neighborhood. A manager at a bar where Anderson worked described him as “well-liked” and a “good worker.”
Anderson is due back in court on April 22 for his preliminary hearing.