MILWAUKEE — On Friday, jurors found Maxwell Anderson guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse, and arson in the 2024 homicide of 19-year-old Sade Robinson.
The verdict came on Day 9 of the trial, with the jury continuing deliberations, which lasted under an hour. After the verdict was read, the judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set a sentencing date for Aug. 15 at 10 a.m., before adjourning court just after 9:20 a.m.
Watch: Judge reads guilty verdict in Maxwell Anderson trial:
Sade Robinson’s mother reacts to Maxwell Anderson’s guilty verdict
Robinson’s family could be seen exiting the courtroom and embracing each other in the hallway after hearing the guilty verdict. Her family was in court for all nine days of the trial, watching witness testimony that included evidence that was at times disturbing and graphic.
Robinson's mother, Sheena Scarbrough—joined by the family's attorney and several relatives—spoke outside the courthouse, sharing her reaction to Anderson's guilty verdict.
“She will be forever remembered as an angel, a light worker who’s touched so many souls, so many lives in the Milwaukee community. She is our hero,” Scarbrough said. “She is forever leaving an imprint. She walked in her own path, her own light. She solved her own case. My baby solved her own case. That’s how I raised my kids. We don’t give up. We are fighters.”
The family's attorney said they will continue litigating a civil case against Anderson and the Milwaukee bars that served Sade while she was underage.
READ ALSO: Sade Robinson’s mother reacts to Maxwell Anderson’s guilty verdict
WATCH: Sade Robinson’s mother speaks out after Maxwell Anderson’s guilty verdict
Anderson’s attorney reacts to guilty verdict
Earlier on Friday, the defense attorney for Anderson pushed back on claims about how quickly the jury returned a guilty verdict, after deliberations lasted under an hour.
"Everybody had the night to think about things. They've been sitting through a two-week trial. It's quick in the sense that they deliberated for a short period of time, but the trial has lasted two weeks,” Anthony Cotton explained. “It shouldn't take people days and days and days to sort of know where they stand once they've been presented with this kind of evidence.”
Cotton said he has not spoken with Anderson’s family yet, who were not in court on Friday.
“I haven't talked to them yet, but I've texted with his father. They're sad. Max is holding up okay. They keep a close eye on him, and here I just saw him, and he'll be there for sentencing,” Cotton said.
READ ALSO: Defense attorney Anthony Cotton responds to guilty verdict in Maxwell Anderson trial
When asked why Anderson did not take the stand, Cotton explained that it was a personal choice and emphasized some of the risks it could have posed for the defense.
“That's a personal decision for him. I think there are a lot of reasons why somebody wouldn't take the stand,” Cotton explained. “I still think, even though I know it's a guilty verdict, there would have been a lot of problems potentially. With taking the stand, you get cross-examined. So I respect that.”
WATCH: Anderson’s attorney reacts to guilty verdict
Four jurors who found Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Robinson say the evidence was overwhelming, but the experience took a heavy mental toll.
You can read that full story here.
Watch: Legal analysis on Maxwell Anderson's guilty verdict
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