← Serialously with Annie Elise
Serialously with Annie Elise
298: He Hunted Her & Planned a First Date Murder: The Heartbreaking Story of Sade Robinson
01:13:28
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- [00:00]
Annie Elise
This episode of Serial Less ly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are all things that people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in.
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Co-host
Full, owning a home and more.
- [00:19]
Annie Elise
Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.
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News Anchor
A suspicious death, investigation underway following a gruesome discovery.
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Co-host
It's shocking. I've never covered anything like this before.
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Reporter
Some breaking news tonight and an investigation underway after a bizarre discovery.
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Co-host
A park goer had spotted a severed human leg. Their daughter was found dead and dismembered.
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Family Member
After a first date last April.
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She has the most angelic glow and aura around her.
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I just mentally, I can't accept it. I feel like I might lose the last piece of my sanity if I do.
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It's an unimaginable pain the parents of Sade Robinson simply cannot escape.
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Reporter
Cutting off the breast, dismembering limbs, beheading her. Those acts, simply put, ladies and gentlemen, are the acts of a killer.
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Co-host
Hey, true crime besties. Welcome back to an all new episode of Serial asleep. Hello, hello, hello. Welcome back to an all new episode of serial Aslee with me Annie Elise, your true crime bestie here to break down another case for you today. Now look, today's case that we're going to be talking about is one that happened just last year and it drew everyone's attention and I have received so many requests from you guys to cover this case there also, when it first had emerged, there were a lot of unanswered questions at the time, but now it's back in the headlines because the trial just recently wrapped up and it shed a lot of new light on what we thought this case really, really entailed. So today, because you guys have been requesting it because there is still so much information that hasn't really been talked about and details that weren't really shared, I wanted to dive into everything. Who the victim was, what her story was, and of course, the journey to getting her justice. So today's case we are going to be talking about the story of Sade Robinson in 2024. Shade Robinson was 19 years old and living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And Shade was absolute beautiful on both the inside and the outside. And you know when you kind of like look at a picture of somebody and you can almost just tell the kind of person that they are from that picture alone.
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Annie Elise
That's how it was with Sade.
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Co-host
And based on how her family and friends described her, her bright and happy smile that she possessed in almost every single one of these photos, it really did encompass the kind of person that she was. Her grandmother Linda also described her as being the sweetest person and somebody who was happy all the time. Her mother, Sheena described her as someone who had this almost angelic glow and aura about her, which I have to say that is like the nicest way that you could describe somebody saying that they have this angelic glow and an aura. I'll be honest, I don't think anybody's ever described me that way. Probably the opposite. They probably like, probably describe me as like a black cat energy, but, you know, whatever. But no. So everybody just said Sade was like this beam of light. Now some other descriptions of Sade were that she was very independent and that she was the kind of person who made sure that everyone around them was always taken care of, always happy, always had a smile on their face. And apparently she also had this very unique laugh which was described as, quote, unmatchable and iconic. Like, if Sade was laughing from a different room or from, you know, feet or yards away, you just knew it was her. You knew that it was her laugh. So all in all, she seemed like truly a one of a kind person, someone that was unforgettable with her friends and her family, with anyone she came into contact with. Now, like I mentioned, sade was only 19 years old. So she was still very young in so many ways. Yet despite her age, she was more than on the right track. And she had already made a lot of big strides toward the future that she wanted for herself. And really, if I'm being honest, I. I would say that for her age, she was more than above average when it came to her achievements. Like, not a lot of 19 year olds were doing what Sade had done from day one. Sade had always been this like, hustler and go getter. If she wanted something, she was gonna get it one way or another. She would figure out how to do it, but she would always get to it through hard work. She would never cut corners. She never expected any handouts either, or that things would be easy. She just would work hard and grind for the things that she wanted. And basically, if anybody out there were ever to call a sh day lazy, they would be like a bold faced liar. Just not at all true. She even Graduated high school a semester early, and she immediately enrolled into the criminal justice program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She was set to graduate at the end of spring 2024. On top of that, right out of high school, she immediately began working two jobs, like I said, a hustler. She worked at a local pizza shop called Pizza Shuttle, and then she also worked at a local country club. And something that I made note of when looking at her background was that even the people that she worked with had a lot of positive things to say about her, about her character, about who she was overall as a person. And I'm skipping ahead a little bit, but I am going to just kind of jump into why we're talking about this case today. Because it was after she had failed to show up at one of her shifts at Pizza Shuttle that people immediately felt like something was wrong. And what's interesting about that, and I want you to make note of, is that usually if a 19 year old skips out on their work shift, it typically is not a huge red flag. We know that a lot of 19 year olds are not very reliable, right? They're drinking, they're partying, they're doing whatever. Even though I get it, it's underage, like they're 19. I mean, hell, usually if a 19 year old didn't show up to work, you probably wouldn't think that something nefarious was going on. You would just think, maybe they're hungover, maybe they got a new job, maybe they're just quitting, who really knows? But the point being that when Shade didn't show up, they immediately knew that something was wrong. And I should just take a moment to mention here too, that even though Sade was born in Mississippi originally, Milwaukee was now her home. And it's what came to be her home. Her family had moved there when she was only two years old. And once her parents split up, she would split time between Milwaukee with her mom and then Florida, where her dad, Carlos lived. So Milwaukee was mainly what she knew from a very young age. So now that we've gone over a bit of Sade's background, who she was as a person, what she liked to do, her jobs, I want to get into more of the root of the case, the foundation of why we're here, and unfortunately, more of the disturbing and very heartbreaking parts of Sade's story. So April 1, 2024, was supposed to be a big day for Sade. You see, she had a date, and it was a first date at that. Now, for some people, the idea of going on a first date is a literal nightmare. It's awkward. You have to go through a lot of things. You have to figure out what you're going to say, what you're going to wear. Is it going to be like a super uncomfortable, awkward dinner date? What are you going to ask the other person? It can just be like, you know, foreign. It's a lot. I personally, when I think about first dates that I went on, it's like a horror show. I hated it. But Shade did not feel that way. She was not dreading it, not even a little bit. Now, whether it was because she was really into this new person that she was meeting or if she was just the type of person who didn't stress about this kind of stuff, I'm not entirely sure, maybe it was a little bit of both. But regardless, she was clearly very excited about the date and she was telling pretty much anyone in her life that was willing to listen all about the exciting news, all about this first date. And that's not an exaggeration either. She even told one of the workers in her apartment building that she was going on a date that night. And she was telling them how excited she was a maintenance worker at her apartment complex, so her friends knew, her co workers knew, everyone knew. And all day long, Sade prepared for her date. She was going through the tedious process of deciding what she wanted to wear, how she was going to do her hair, her makeup, all the fun stuff, you know, that us women have to worry about. And that day, Sade and her date, 33 year old Maxwell Anderson, were texting back and forth non stop deciding what place they wanted to go, where their first date was going to take place. And apparently Sade had told him that she was in the mood for seafood that night, which lucky for her, Maxwell knew of a couple places in town that they could go to. In fact, both of the places that he had suggested were restaurants or bars that he had previously worked at. So he had a really good idea of where to get the best food, where to get the best drinks, things like that. So the two of them started their night at a restaurant called Twisted Fisherman. They ate dinner, they chatted, and apparently the date was going pretty well because instead of calling it a night, they decided to keep the night going. Sade and Maxwell decided they were going to go to the next location. They were going to go to a bar called Dukes on the Water. Now Maxwell was a bartender and he had been for years. So just like the Twisted Fisherman, Dukes on the Water was also somewhere that he had previously worked. So the two of them arrived at Dukes around 6:15pm and they ended up staying until around 9pm or so. So again, this date was seemingly going pretty well. They were having a great time. They weren't gonna call it a night and wait for date two. They just wanted to keep it going even after Dukes. Because after Duke's that night, Sade and Maxwell went back to Maxwell's place. This was around 9:24pm now, at this time, it seemed like everything was okay. A nearby surveillance camera caught two people arriving at his home, which presumably was Maxwell and Sade. So by all accounts, you would think that this night went extremely well. Maybe even more than well. Maybe it had been a great first date. They were in fact going back to his house afterward. But what Sade had not realized is that once Maxwell's front door closed that night, she would never come back outside.
- [10:32]
Annie Elise
Of it, alive again. We are like finally in the middle of summer, like the full throes of summer.
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Co-host
The time where everybody is out there.
- [10:47]
Annie Elise
In the sun, some people are traveling. And here's the thing, something that doesn't belong in whatever epic summer plans you have going on is getting burned by your old wireless bill.
- [10:57]
Co-host
And just hear me out, okay?
- [10:59]
Annie Elise
You're planning your beach trips, your barbecues, your three day weekends. Your wireless bill should be the last thing holding you back. I made the switch many, many months ago to Mint Mobile. And I think you should too. Because with Mint Mobile, you can get the coverage and speed that you're used to, but for way, way, way less money. And for a limited time, Mint mobile is offering three months of unlimited premium wireless service for just 15 bucks a month. So while your friends are like sweating over their data overages and any surprise charges, you're just kind of chilling, literally and financially. Say goodbye to overpriced wireless plans, because Mint Mobile is here to rescue you. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text that is delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. You can also use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan. And you can bring your phone number along with all of your existing contacts so you can ditch all of those overpriced wireless bills and get three months of unlimited service from Mint Mobile for just 15 bucks a month. And like I said, I switched over so many months ago. And I have to just say too, I'm not somebody who likes a lot of like admin. I don't like calling, doing all the talking, trying to like fight to Keep things I want or a lower price I was able to change. Keep my number, keep my phone in 15 minutes. It was so, so easy. So I use it and you definitely should too. I also get just as good service, if not better. To be honest, on this new plan that I have, I'm not going to say who I was with before. I' say it was a big yellow logo. You can take what you want with that. And I would never get service in certain pockets of where I live and even when I travel. And now I never have a problem. So this year, skip breaking a sweat and breaking the bank. Get this new customer offer and your three month unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.comAE that's mintmobile.comAE upfront payment of $45 required which is equivalent to $15 a month limited time for new customer offer for first three months only. Speeds may slow above 35 gigabytes on a limited plan. Taxes and fees. Extra cement mobile for details. I recently talked to you guys about something that I've been obsessed with lately and I want to bring it up again because I chose Function because it's the only health platform that gives you access to the kind of data that most people never see. And it gives you the insights to actually take action. Inside function. You can test over 160 biomarkers from heart and hormones to toxins, inflammation, even stress. You can also access multi region MRI and CT scans and it's all tracked in one singular secure place. It's near 360. View gives you this like glimpse into what's happening in your body and that's why top leaders are using it. And let's just be honest, the summer grind, it is like definitely here. It's been real, it's upon us. The sun is up. Longer sleep, I know for me is shorter social pressure and outing and vacations with the kids. I mean it's non stop. It's like burnout mode, at least for me. And what I like is that I'm able to see exactly what is. I don't want to say falling apart, but kind of, right? I mean fragile mood, low libido, bad skin, breakouts, and it tracks your cortisol, your vitamin D, your magnesium, all of the things that are linked to inflammation, immunity, metabolism. And it just gives you a key to a healthy immune system function, puts names and numbers to the crashes that no one can see because seeking information about what's off is really the first step in getting yourself back. For example, I had no idea that vitamin D and it having low levels of it can slow skin cell turnover and healing. I also didn't know that vitamin A.
- [14:37]
Co-host
And zinc and iron are the key.
- [14:39]
Annie Elise
Nutrients for skin repair and resilience. And resilience.
- [14:42]
Co-host
So when I noticed that my skin.
- [14:43]
Annie Elise
Was starting to feel a little bit duller than usual, I looked at my function health stats and I noticed that my iron and my zinc was way off. So learn more and join using my link and the first 1,000 people get a $100 toward their membership. Visit functionhealth.com ae or use gift code ae100@sign up to own your health.
- [15:11]
Co-host
Just a few hours in the early morning hours of April 2, Shade's phone GPS showed that it had left Maxwell's house. Which was not that strange, right? I mean, maybe they had gone back to his house, hung out a bit, maybe even hooked up. Then maybe she decided that it was time to head home. I mean, she was 19. She was also living on her own. It's not like she had a curfew. If she wanted to go on a date until the early morning hours, I mean, she certainly could. However, instead of her phone showing that it went back to Sade's house and then stayed there for the rest of the night, like you would imagine would happen if she really was the one with her phone and going back home, the GPS location showed that her phone went to a bunch of very different and very odd locations. And these locations weren't places that could be easily explained away. I mean, it's not like she stopped at the local Taco Bell or Del Taco for a late night snack or something. Because at first the GPS showed that her phone went to a place called Pleasant Valley Park. And the thing that stands out most about that park, that one in particular, is that it is right alongside the Milwaukee River. Huge red flag. Why is she going to a park next to a river in the middle of the night? Then her phone went to yet another park, this time a park called Warnamart Park. Now by this time it was around 2:45am so obviously another huge red flag. Two separate parks in the middle of the night. It just screams that something's going on or someone is up to no good, right? Not to mention, this second park also has a body of water that's connected to it, only this time it's much bigger. In fact, the park itself is known for its stunning beaches that are connected to Lake Michigan, which for those of you who aren't familiar, it's not a small lake not by any stretch of the imagination. It is massive. It literally looks like you're on the ocean, like you're oceanfront. That's how vast it is. So do I need to mention how big of a red flag this is? Probably not. Now, Sade's GPS showed that her phone was at this park for quite some time. And on top of that, surveillance cameras were also able to catch her car on camera. However, with this footage, you couldn't really see much of who was on the inside, who was driving, or if anybody was in the passenger seat or what exactly was inside. It was grainy, it was difficult to see. But then eventually, at 4.31am, her car was seen leaving the park. However, at this point, her phone had died. So this point, the GPS wasn't tracking her phone and the phone's every movement at all anymore. It was almost like it just suddenly dropped off. And there was really no reason at all for her to be at all of these different parks. Whether she would have been alone, whether she would have been with a man that she had just met, it just, there was no reason for it. It just wasn't safe. And her friends and her family have all said that Sade was very big on safety. Then just hours later, a phone call came in to 91 1. They reported that a blue Honda Civic was on fire. And when officers arrived at the scene, they were immediately concerned. The car had been parked right behind this abandoned building, almost in a way that suggested that it wasn't meant to be seen right away. And luckily, I mean, nobody was inside of it. It wasn't like this tragic car accident or something. But with that, it indicated that it was purposeful. Somebody intentionally set this car on fire. Now, lucky for the police, yet unlucky for whoever set this car on fire. There had been two women who witnessed this entire thing and who called 911 as soon as it happened. On top of that, there were also surveillance cameras in the area that also caught some pretty helpful tips. In these videos, these two women are seen watching someone who had a bigger sized tan backpack on their back. And this person is like walking over to the car and then lights the car on fire and starts walking away. One of the women starts waving their arms in the air, you know, trying to get the attention of anybody else who is nearby, while the other person is seen pointing and even heard yelling at the person walking away saying, hey, look, he did it. He's the one. And just based on the witnesses versions of the story, even before checking that surveillance camera footage, the Investigators knew right away that this was sketchy. I mean, it doesn't take a trained professional to piece together that somebody who's lighting a car on fire early in the morning before most people are even awake, and then taking off and leaving it behind in abandoned building, I mean, that obviously screams, I'm trying to cover something up, right? Not to mention, whoever had done this really made sure that the fire would do some damage. I mean, the car was completely destroyed. Despite that, though, the investigators were able to piece together two very important pieces of evidence. Number one, the car's VIN number and license plate came back as belonging to none other than Sade Robinson, who at this point, was not somebody that they were familiar with. But then on the inside of the car, there was a charred black jacket and jeans that were inside out. And that was the same outfit that Sade was wearing the night before, the night that she went on her first date. Though, again, the investigators had no idea who Sade was at this point. They didn't discover the relevance of that information. Now, a lot of different things were happening simultaneously. On this day. On April 2nd, we have Sade's car that was discovered quite literally burnt to a crisp. It was in a very odd location that morning with no signs of her being anywhere. We also know that on that same day, Sade was scheduled for one of her work shifts, yet never showed up. So her manager and her co workers kept calling her, kept texting her, yet they were getting no response. And like I mentioned in the beginning of this episode, Sade was a hard worker. She was a very dependable employee. She had hardly ever called off, and if she did, she was the type of person that would have requested the day off ahead of time. One of her managers even said that if she was going to be just five minutes late, she always made sure to text them. She would always update them. So given that information, I'm not even sure if she had ever even done anything like this before, which was probably why everybody was so concerned. So the manager at the pizza shuttle continued texting Sade Just extremely worried that she hadn't come in for her shift that day. Messaging her multiple times, begging for her to just, you know, even if you're not coming in, let me know that you're okay. We're just worried about you. She wasn't going to ask why she didn't come in. She wasn't going to harass her for not giving them a heads up that she was not coming in. She just wanted to know and hear from Sade. That she was okay. She even drove by Sade's apartment looking for her car in the parking lot. Which I will say, in pretty much any other scenario, a manager showing up to your apartment building would probably be borderline harassment. But in this case, it just shows how quickly people noticed that Sade's absence of was a big deal and they were worried for her. I think it says a lot. Now, the manager also knew that Sade lived alone. They had come to know each other for quite some time at this point. So she kind of felt this sense of protection over Sade. Not to mention, I think that sometimes we just get those gut feelings, right, where it just like you can tell in your gut that something's truly wrong right now. At the same time, Sade's family and friends were also noticing her absence. They noticed that she was essentially silent. Again, she was someone who kind of followed a very strict routine in her daily life. She didn't just, like, fly by the seat of her pants and just do whatever. So none of this was typical behavior. If her friends or her family members ever called or ever texted her, she would answer. But now she wasn't. And the people who knew and loved Sade the most said she was not somebody who was naive, even though she was, yes, young. She knew how scary and how cruel the world could be, especially living in a bigger city. And like I said, she was big on safety, which is also why she always would share her location. And she shared it with multiple friends. She did that so that somebody would always know where she was at and remember all those different locations at very odd times that I had mentioned before. Well, the reason that those were even first discovered was all because her friends had started backtracking her movements after she didn't return their phone calls or their text messages. They knew that something was wrong, so they started looking at the tracking, seeing where she had gone. Where is the last time that she had any sort of movement. And then it was after they saw how odd all of these movements were that Sade's friends decided to call the police. They reported her missing at around 9pm that evening. Now, what nobody in Sade's life realized, though, was that just a few hours earlier, before Sade was ever even officially reported as missing, human remains had been found at that second park. And those remains would later be identified as belonging to Sade. But that was only the very beginning of this case. As soon as Sade was officially reported as missing, the investigators immediately got this, like, sinking pit in their stomach. You see, the Remains that were found hours before were just that, remains. It wasn't a full body. It was bits and pieces. And the sad truth of it all is the only thing that had been found that day was a leg.
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Police Officer
So this is Evan Millies. We've dealt with him before sometimes. Mostly a good guy. He's got into this trouble a couple times, but good dude. Okay, so they walked down the S curve from Sheridan, started walking south just for fun, you know, rough day on the beach. I had to there walking that. See that leg right there? Said that it was up about approximately where the end of that stick that, you know, branches that bushes. So that they saw it up.
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Co-host
Sounds like up on the hill kind of. Yeah.
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Police Officer
Okay, so said that he, him and his buddy who's in my squad right now, walked out, called us. When we came back, it was about, I don't know, maybe seven feet. Seven feet. He slid a rock, I moved it just for evidence purposes.
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Co-host
Okay, so they swept away.
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Investigator
Yeah.
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Co-host
Okay.
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Police Officer
And I've documented it while I'm riding him with different angles of where it was.
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Co-host
Okay, cool. All right, we gotta. What's your name again, buddy? Evan. Okay, Evan, how long were you out here? About probably an hour. An hour?
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Family Member
Yeah.
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Co-host
Okay. You used to come this way?
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Police Officer
Yeah, yeah.
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Co-host
Anything here? Yeah.
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Family Member
It's the first time you seen anything like this?
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Co-host
Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
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Family Member
All right, Evan, stay tight, don't go anywhere, okay?
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Yeah.
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Co-host
Now, through finding this leg, although they didn't have the full body, they were able to identify that the remains belonged to a black woman. A black woman who was about 5ft tall, which fit Sade's exact description. Then add on to the fact that her car was found earlier that day and was, you know, again had been burst into flames, her clothing was charred inside of it. It just didn't really feel like there was going to be some sort of positive resolution to all of this. So not too long after those remains were recovered, it was positively identified through preliminary DNA evidence that they belonged to Sade. Which I just cannot imagine how her friends and family felt in that moment. I mean, one moment she's alive, she's thriving, she's this young 19 year old with her whole life ahead of her, and then the next she's just gone. And not even just gone. You don't even know where her full body is.
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Family Member
I just got in at 1 o' clock on April 3rd and there's a loud bang at the door. I just seen my baby that Sunday on Easter. We just bit family dinner at my parents Monday morning. She FaceTimes me on her way to work. That Monday morning was the last time mommy got to talk to her baby.
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Co-host
I love you too. Yes, I love you too.
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Family Member
That's Shade. It's my baby. At what point did you realize that.
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Co-host
Your child was missing and she wasn't coming back?
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Family Member
I think when it came to, to my house, when the sheriff's department came like one o' clock in the morning to get my DNA, it kind of hit home because I was in denial. And you know, Sheena, I would tell Cena that it's not her.
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Co-host
It's.
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Family Member
It's got to be a logical explanation for this. And I'm still probably in denial to some point. I can't help it. I just. I just can't accept this. I just, mentally, I can't accept it. I feel like I might lose the last piece of my sanity if I do.
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Co-host
It's important to note that at this point in the investigation, the detectives did not believe, of course, that Sade was still alive. I mean, I know it's not too often that people would cut off body parts on their victims and then let them live, especially an entire leg. But I still wanted to just specify that just in case there was any confusion, nobody here thought that she could possibly, say, still be alive out there. And the truth of it was this wasn't just an act of torture. I mean, maybe so in the grand scheme of things, but they knew that this was an attempted cover up of a murder. Now, because Sad Day had made it known to literally everyone that she was going on that date the night before, there was immediately a rough timeline that was put into place. Even without many details, people, of course, started to guess what could have possibly happened to her or more specifically, who had done this to her. And I'm not sure if she had given her family all of Maxwell's details, you know, his name, his, all of this, I don't know, or if the investigators were just able to quickly identify and find all of that information. But regardless, they knew right away who the last person to have seen her alive was. And they very quickly zeroed in right on the fact that he was most likely the one who had done this to her. So on April 4, at around 1:15pm at, the investigators were able to track down Maxwell and sure enough, they arrested him in his car just a few blocks away from his house. Any weapons items, sir? No. And I stopped.
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Police Officer
What's going on?
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Family Member
Somebody just radio it.
- [29:47]
Co-host
Now, for those of you who might be listening to this, instead of watching the video version on YouTube. I'll briefly describe what happened in that clip to you. Maxwell was being handcuffed and kind of patted down by the officers. And his overall demeanor, it was cool, calm, collected. The only question he even asked was, what's going on? And he didn't even bother asking it twice. He just kind of said it, almost like to his surprise. Maybe it's because he knew what was going on. Maybe it's because he wasn't a total idiot and he knew to keep his mouth shut. Who the heck really knows? But when they checked his vehicle at the scene, they found the exact same hoodie in the back of his car that that mystery person had been seen wearing in that security camera footage, the footage where those two witnesses saw this person, you know, torch the car on fire and then walk away. So it was now just another piece of the puzzle that was coming together. And that same day, after Maxwell's arrest, the investigators were able to get a search warrant for his house. And once they were inside, they found some very interesting things. The first being several gas cans, which I think is probably pretty self explanatory considering that he, you know, set Sade's car on fire. But the main thing that I want to talk with you about, though, is that there was blood found in both his bedroom and his bathroom, which you would probably assume that if Sade was dismembered and if there was blood that was found at the place that she was last seen at, that that blood would probably belong to her. Right? Well, that's the interesting thing here. They tested the blood and the preliminary testing came back with some kind of odd results. It didn't match Sade's DNA. Now, does this automatically mean that he's innocent? No, not necessarily. However, it is odd. And I'll be honest, it's something that I was worried about and was worried was possibly going to throw a wrench into things during the trial. So as they're doing this investigating, they still, of course, are looking for the rest of Sade, for more evidence for her body parts, for just more evidence and clues into this investigation. And sure enough, one day after Maxwell's arrest. So now on April 6, 2024, a human foot was found. Now, this time, the remains were found in a different location. And there are two really big things about this finding. Number one is that it was found in the same general area where Sade's car had been burned, where it had been abandoned behind that building, which, coincidence, I don't know, you be the judge, but I would say unlikely. Now the second thing is that it was identified as being a positive match to the leg that was found, AKA the leg that had been identified as belonging to Sade. So the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote that there was also, quote, other human flesh that was found in the same area that her foot was found. Now, I don't know what that means. I don't know if that means tissue, skin or what. I think we can kind of guess exactly what that means. No specific body parts, just pieces of her that were scattered. And maybe the pieces had already been that way. Maybe it was the work of animals, I don't really know. But it is horrific to think about and to say out loud. Now, even though they were finding more evidence, it wasn't until a full week after Maxwell was arrested that he was officially charged with first degree intentional homicide. He also was charged with mutilation of a corpse and arson. And while Maxwell sat in jail awaiting his trial, sure enough, more of Sade's remains kept turning up.
- [33:27]
Annie Elise
You guys know that my husband is.
- [33:29]
Co-host
A massive coffee drinker, right? I've talked to you about it before.
- [33:32]
Annie Elise
I've like tried to test out coffees.
- [33:34]
Co-host
Here and there, find one that I.
- [33:35]
Annie Elise
Like the taste, it's been difficult. But then we kind of have like this bonus moment because it helped both of us. We discovered Everyday Dose. And not only was it finally a.
- [33:44]
Co-host
Coffee that I actually enjoyed and liked.
- [33:47]
Annie Elise
For the taste of, but for my husband, whenever he has his coffee, it may he doesn't love the way it.
- [33:52]
Co-host
Makes him feel like he likes that.
- [33:53]
Annie Elise
It alerts him and awakes him, but he starts to feel bloated. He feels like sometimes a little too jittery. And so Everyday Dose has the classic coffee taste that he loves and that he has been like striving for, but it doesn't have that. Those nasty side effects that come with.
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Co-host
It, plus they have added benefits.
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Annie Elise
So there's no crash, no jitters.
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Co-host
It also has collagen in it.
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Annie Elise
It has lion's mane proteins, things to help boost focus your brain. It just gives you this clean, sustained energy all day long. And like I said, no crash, no jitters, just sustained energy. Now the one that I tried and really like is Coffee plus, which is a mild roast.
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Co-host
It's kind of light, it's smooth, it's.
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Annie Elise
Low acidity, which is easy on sensitive stomachs.
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Co-host
And it's like just this mellow energy. I think it's perfect for me, just.
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Annie Elise
Kind of like getting my toes wet.
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Co-host
In the coffee world.
- [34:38]
Annie Elise
But my husband, he likes the Coffee plus Bold because it's a rich blend of medium roast and it's this robust plastic, full bodied coffee yet smooth and.
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Co-host
It gives this extra boost of energy. But I'm telling you it has totally.
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Annie Elise
Changed the game for both of us. And get 45% off your first subscription. Order over 30 servings of Coffee plus or Bold Plus. You'll also receive a starter kit with over $100 in free gifts, including a rechargeable frother and a gunmetal serving spoon. You get this by going to everydaydose.com ae or entering ae at checkout. You'll also get free gifts all throughout the year. That's everydaydose.com AE for 45 off your first order. We talk a lot about safety here on this podcast and I just have.
- [35:23]
Co-host
A question for you.
- [35:24]
Annie Elise
What is feeling safe at home really mean to you? Because for a long time I thought that it was enough to just have.
- [35:30]
Co-host
A good deadbolt, maybe an alarm that.
- [35:32]
Annie Elise
Would work, maybe something that would make noise, maybe even having like a sign out front that would deter people, something to like hinder people if they actually broke in. But then after people close to me were broken into and after I had a very real scare a couple of years ago, I realized that true security takes away more a system that actually works to prevent the break in, not just respond to it.
- [35:54]
Co-host
It's just when somebody's trying to break.
- [35:55]
Annie Elise
In or when somebody's lurking around your house. It's a violation of your space. It's. I don't even know how to really describe it until it happens to you. It just does feel like such a violation. And that's why I trust Simply Safe.
- [36:07]
Co-host
Not only to protect my home, but.
- [36:09]
Annie Elise
Also my office and my studio and my family. It's about security that is proactive, not just reactive. Most security systems only take action after somebody breaks in that's obviously too late. You're already in danger. Things have escalated too far. But SimpliSafe's new Active Guard Outdoor Protection helps stop break ins before they even happen. They have AI powered cameras, they have live monitoring agents who will detect suspicious activity all around your property. So for example, if somebody's lurking, agents.
- [36:39]
Co-host
Will literally talk to them in real time.
- [36:41]
Annie Elise
They also will like turn the spotlights on them. They can also call the police. So they proactively are deterring crime before it even starts. And with SimpliSafe, what I love is there's no contracts, there's no hidden fees, and they've also been named best Home security system of 2025 by CNET. Over 4 million Americans trust SimpliSafe, and they're ranked number one in customer service too by Newsweek and US Today. Monitoring plans start at just $1 a day and you also get a 60 day money back guarantee. So visit SimpliSafe.com Annie to claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan and get your first month free. That's SimpliSafe.com Annie there's no safe like SimpliSafe.
- [37:31]
Co-host
On April 7, what is vaguely described as, quote, several more body parts were found near 31st and Walnut street in Milwaukee. Then about 10 days later, on April 18, a torso and an arm were found in the beach on the south part of Milwaukee. Then on May 11, another arm washed up, this time in Illinois. And what's maybe the most heartbreaking thing about Sade's case is that to this day, all of her remains still have not yet been found, her head being one of them. Now, while we're on the topic of Sade's remains being found, I do want to go over what the medical examiners were able to determine as well as the autopsy report. Like in many dismemberment cases, it was really difficult to pin down an exact cause of death. Add to the fact that a lot of her remains were found in water and badly decomposed. I mean, it made this even more challenging, right? That being said, the medical examiner wasn't able to determine a cause of death, though Sade's manner of death has always, from day one, been listed as a homicide. Despite that, the medical examiner still was able to provide some helpful information though. For one, she believes that Sade was stabbed multiple times, though she was not able to tell if that was pre mortem or post mortem. Meaning she doesn't know if the cause of death was via stabbing or if this sick, twisted freak stabbed her body after the fact when he was doing the dismembering. She also believes that Sade was dismembered with some kind of knife and that the dismemberment was after she was already deceased. Which, thank goodness, can you imagine if this freaking barbarian dismembered her while she was still alive? That would be just like so vile and horrific. Now what I also want to mention too is that something really important to note in all of this is that there was absolutely no chance of any drugs or alcohol being being the cause of her death. So nothing that could have been construed as accidental or an overdose or anything like that. Not not in her talks, not at all possible, according to the medical examiner. And you might be wondering, okay, well, why are you saying that that information is so important? Well, it's because it eliminates Maxwell and his defense team from being able to come up with some sob story at his trial about her passing away in her sleep, from overdosing or from being too drunk that night after they went on their date, and then him just panicking over her death and dismembering her so wouldn't get in trouble. It kind of eliminates the idea of accidental death being a factor. And I know it sounds crazy and, like, nobody would ever believe that, but we have seen it happen before. It's almost like the go to story when somebody's defense team knows that they're screwed regardless of the situation, and they just want to aim for the least amount of jail time as possible. Because keep in mind, Sade was 19 years old. She wasn't of legal age to drink, despite, of course, being seen with Maxwell at two different bars on the night of her murder. So it could have easily been a strategy of theirs to say, well, yeah, she was wasted. She's young. She didn't know how to handle her alcohol. She died in her sleep. She choked on it. She had alcohol poisoning. He panicked. So then he didn't want to get in trouble since she was underage, so he dismembered her. And, like, so now that whole thing would go out the window. They would not be able to really have a leg to stand on with that argument. And I guess somebody could argue that maybe she wasn't drinking at all that night, that she was just sitting with him at these bars and wasn't participating in the drinking. But just this year, Sade's mom actually filed a lawsuit against both of the bars. The lawsuit was for negligence due to serving Sade and her being underage. More specifically, for never carding her in general, which was later seen on surveillance footage. They never checked her id so, again, had all of that not been specified, maybe his team would have been able to create some sort of convincing enough argument that these murder charges would have been off the table. Which, if that were the case, what kind of justice would that have left? Right? And no murder case is easy. It's gruesome, it's sad, and most of the time, it's completely unexplainable. But there's just something so raw when it comes to cases with dismemberment. It's like these killers wanted to make sure that their victims were Left with no identity, almost like they never even existed. And my heart just breaks for Sade and her family because seeing videos of her family actively going through this pain and this trauma, it's almost unbearable. And during this whole process, Sade's mother, Shayna, has been very active in the media, seeking justice for her daughter, demanding action and justice. And some days, of course, as to be expected, do seem better than others. Now, at one point, Sheena and her attorney publicly begged, as well as drafted a letter to Maxwell's parents, trying to convince him to come forward and tell the truth. All Shayna said was that she wanted to know where the rest of her daughter was, where the rest of her baby was, so that she can be laid to rest and so she can be given as much dignity and respect as possible, the dignity and respect that their son refused to show her.
- [42:37]
Family Member
We are at the point where we want to cut to the truth, cut to the heart of the matter.
- [42:43]
Co-host
His family should have the ability influence him. If they are in any way, shape or form decent human beings, they should take steps to convince him to tell the truth. Now, unsurprisingly, it was all for nothing. Maxwell pleaded not guilty since day one, and he has been less than forthcoming with information about Sade's case. And as for his family, they've just declined to make any comments in general. And it will never cease to amaze me how these people can just stand by family members who are being accused of the most heinous and vile violent crimes and just support them and stand by them and not help another grieving mother. It's just unspeakable. Now, the reason that this case has gotten so much traction again recently is because Maxwell's trial just began pretty recently. They started opening statements on May 28, so literally not very long ago. And this trial is one that had a lot of people just, just waiting, just on bated breath, just looking for the next answer. And that was long before it even began. Sade's family believes with 100% certainty that Maxwell was the one who killed her. And there's a lot of really great evidence to back up their beliefs, too. However, they also believe that during this whole process, Maxwell, as well as some of his unspecified family members have covered up or even gotten rid of as much evidence as possible possible. Sade's family even actually sued Maxwell, which this was a wrongful death lawsuit. And we've seen a lot of things like this before. But in this particular lawsuit, Sade's family claims that Sade was killed inside Maxwell's home. They also claim that Maxwell's family immediately got involved in the situation by going over to his home, throwing as much potential evidence away as possible, and then immediately jumping into selling his home after his arrest so that they could conceal and hide evidence. Obviously some pretty big claims, right? Feels like almost like the Laundry family and the Albert family had a baby from the Karen Reed case, right? It's like you're covering up for your kid. That's where you've got the Laundry family. Check. Trying to help them evade repercussions. Check. Quickly selling the house after the fact to try and conceal evidence. Not the laundries, but the Alberts. Check. I mean, I get it. Some big claims, but also some big red flags. And could there be any real validity to it? I mean, maybe Maxwell's home was put on the market after his arrest and it was actually successfully sold for just under 200 grand back in May. Now, was this an attempt to conceal evidence or was it a desperate move so that he could pay legal expenses? Or does his family know that he is never coming back to this house, so they might as well sell it, put it in the estate state or do something with that. Who really knows, right? But as of when I'm recording this episode, that lawsuit is still ongoing. Now, all of that to say Shade's family has been very concerned. Not that they had the wrong guy or they missed the guy who did this to their daughter, but rather that there might not have been enough evidence to convince a jury of his guilt. So like I said, his trial began not too long ago. I've been keeping an eye on things. I've been waiting to update all of you with everything that's been going down at trial as well as the final verdict. And here we are. Now, let's start with the basics. His jury, now unlucky for him. Maxwell's jury was one that might have seen Sade's case in a much different light had they been made up of different genders. But unlucky for him, it was made up of mainly women. That was the majority of it, which I know, I know as a juror, you're supposed to leave all bias out the door and at home. But let's also be real for a second. Other women perceive these sorts of events differently. They see their own faces, they see their daughters faces. They see different people that they know and love in victims like Sade, especially when it is an overly barbaric crime like dismemberment. And one thing that stuck out to me in particular with the prosecution's opening statements, was that they did not make any claim about why Maxwell murdered Sade that night. Of course, no reason would ever be excusable. But in a lot of cases, we at least see a guess as to a motive. And with this case, there was just nothing. I mean, typically, there's at least some sort of rough foundation to it because that's what the prosecution will use to bolster their argument. It just creates context. And as humans, we like to know why people do the things we do. It helps convince us of them being guilty of doing it. We want to know the motive behind it.
- [47:16]
Reporter
In total, what the evidence in this case is going to show that is that Maxwell Anderson murdered Shade Robinson the night of April 1st in Taylor, April 2nd. He then brutally and callously cut her apart, disposed of her body parts, and burned her car. Maxwell Anderson was the last person to text with Sade Robinson. He was the last person to be in public with Sade Robinson. He was the last person to have Sade Robinson's car. He was the last person to be with Sade Robinson. And the evidence will show that he is responsible for Sade's death.
- [47:52]
Co-host
Now, let's be real. We can all take guesses as to what his motive could have been. Her murder did occur after a date. She was a young girl. He was an older guy. I mean, he was much older than her. She was 19, and he was, what, 33. So, I mean, pretty significantly older. So it's possible that maybe when they went back to Maxwell's house, he tried to come on to her and she said no, she turned him down. And maybe that angered him, maybe he snapped. Or conversely, maybe he was just a complete psychopath and he was looking to kill that night. Looking to take someone on a date and then kill them after the fact, we don't know. And his team is obviously claiming that he didn't do it, so they wouldn't be the ones about to give a motive. And in fact, the defense's whole argument is that pretty much he had no motive. Therefore, because of that, he's innocent. Which, I'll just be honest. I've definitely seen better arguments, but I also was not on the jury. But take a listen.
- [48:46]
Investigator
Max being the last person to go on a date with Sade. And that's frankly why law enforcement zeroed in on Max. You are going to hear that the amount of law enforcement resources that were spent on this case by the Sheriff's department, the Milwaukee Police Department, the FBI, the amount of resources that were spent on this case, I think, is probably unparalleled in Milwaukee history. The amount of money and time and effort that was put into collecting video evidence, to searching Maxwell's home to examine, to interviewing co workers, interviewing people that might know him. An immense investigation. And the state knows that there are serious holes in their case. They know it. They know that there's reasonable doubt, and that's why they're coming at you with this phrase like common sense. So let's talk about that. There is absolutely no reason for Max to commit a crime like this. What you're going to hear in this trial is that Max and Sade went. Lined up a date together, like any couple of youngsters do. And they lined up a date at Twisted Fishermen. This is a place that Max used to work. You'll hear that they went there, they had dinner, and it was an ordinary evening from Twisted Fishermen, as the state just told you, they went to Duke's. This is another place where Max is known. There was no secret place that Max took Sade that night. Nowhere that anybody wouldn't have known him or recognized him. These are former places he worked and co workers that he interacted with. And what I didn't hear was the theory of why Max did this, how Max did this. But I think what I heard in opening just now is that Max must have done this at his home. That seems to be the theory. Max brought Sade back to his home and killed her. Why? It's a normal date. You'll see them camera footage leaving Duke's. You'll see them Sade driving back to his place. You'll see them going there. In this timeline you were just given, I don't know how many witnesses they're going to call throughout this trial to put in this video or that video. But one thing you'll see throughout this is that we don't dispute any of that timeline, that they went out together and went back to Max's house. But that doesn't mean he killed her. How did he do it? And why did he do it? Why would he ever do something like that?
- [51:10]
Co-host
So I guess my response to that is, does there always have to be a motive? And if we want to go even deeper than that, you could ask, does Maxwell's rougher background, with convictions of domestic violence and disorderly conduct and drunk driving, give us all the motive that we need to know? Does he just have a checkered past so it makes him capable of anything? I think you could argue both sides of that. I mean, not everybody has A great past. But that also doesn't mean that they are a murderer or that they would dismember somebody. And it might not be a definitive reason for why he did what he did that night, but his convictions, and, you know, the domestic violence one, at the very least, do show that he's not totally incapable of violent things. I mean, at least in my opinion. So, I don't know. Just kind of thinking out loud. So Maxwell's trial was very heavy on surveillance footage. And honestly, it was the main chunk of the evidence that the prosecution was able to even present against him. So let's go over some of the clips that were shown during that first week of trial. The first few clips that were shown had been pieced together from multiple different surveillance cameras, and they were in the area of Sade's car being dropped off and then later burned. In one clip, you can see someone driving the car towards that alleyway behind that abandoned building. But whoever is driving that car is unidentifiable. It's of course, believed by the prosecution that it's Maxwell who was driving the car. The next clip shows those two women who I mentioned earlier, and you can tell by their mannerisms and their expressions that they had just seen the car being caught on fire, or rather being set on fire. Then you see someone, presumably a white man who is believed to be Maxwell, crossing the street and walking away from the scene, just trying to be very nonchalant. Though these two women had already caught on to what was happening, and they were still there within eye shot. Also shown were pictures and videos of body cam footage of Sade's car, along with an explanation of how that fire was started. And I mentioned earlier how that fire completely totaled the car, just like burnt it to a crisp. Right. And I think that until you get a good look at this footage and the photos, you might not quite realize just how badly the car was burned. So I encourage you, if you're listening to the audio version of this, to go pop over to YouTube after this and take a look at this footage.
- [53:32]
Family Member
Looking at the passenger compartment, so the front seats, the back seats, we had heavy mass loss to contents as well as the seating, both the backrests, and there's more survivability to the seat cushion. But the backrests for the two front bucket seats and the backrests for the rear seat were uniformly consumed. And so it was very clear that the fire had originated inside the passenger compartment.
- [53:59]
Investigator
All right, for the record, while you.
- [54:00]
Reporter
Were talking, and I put up Exhibit 62, which has already been admitted.
- [54:03]
Police Officer
That would be an image of the interior compartment, correct?
- [54:09]
Family Member
Correct.
- [54:10]
Reporter
What can you tell us about the windows?
- [54:13]
Family Member
When I examined the windows, I had a lot of window remnants deep inside the window wells, indicative of the windows being at least partially open during the fire event.
- [54:23]
Reporter
Let's talk about excavation.
- [54:24]
Investigator
What happened?
- [54:26]
Reporter
What did you notice through that?
- [54:28]
Family Member
So, like I said before, when we determined origin, and that being the passenger compartment, we started excavating, looking for what are our fuel loads? The back seat, I remember seeing a fleece blanket, which I believe we see here in this photograph. There were remnants of cardboard, remnants of paper material. I do recall, I believe, a purse in the back seat. There was also remnants of a Bic lighter I recall seeing in the back seats. And as we excavated further now into the front of the passenger compartment, I reached the area of the floorboard on the front passenger side. So, front passenger bucket seat, right at foot level. During excavation, I located what appeared to be remnants of a stuffed animal, green in color, at least, majority of it green that had survived. And as soon as I turned it over, I was overwhelmed by an odor consistent with the possible presence of a petroleum distillate. It smelled like sometimes we can't tell what it is, but it could be gasoline, it could be lighter fluid, it could be any kind of controlling distillate. But whatever this stuffed animal was appeared to have been saturated with it because it had weight to it, and it was an overwhelming odor that I experienced.
- [55:48]
Co-host
Then more footage from week one showed different clips of Maxwell and Sade on their date. And it's not necessarily what is seen in this footage that's important. I mean, all in all, it kind of looks to be a pretty normal first date. They're just sitting at the bar area. They're talking to some of the workers. They're looking at the menu. No biggie. It was more so the date and time that was important because it showed that they were, in fact, out on a date and that Maxwell was, in fact, the last person to be seen with Sade while she was still alive. Stuff that we, of course, already knew, but now it was concrete proof, and it was important for the jury to see this. Now, one thing that was a huge point of contention between the prosecution and the defense during this entire trial has been that DNA evidence. So let's go over that a little bit. The things that were tested, what came back negative, what came back positive? All of it. I mentioned earlier how there had been some blood that was found in the bedroom and the bathroom at Maxwell's house. However, all of the testing came back, and it did not match Sade's DNA. So it's kind of concerning where that blood came from. But regardless, it wasn't hers. Now, during one of the searches, investigators found multiple different items that could have been used as a weapon or even an item that could have been used to dismember a person. For example, there was an ax. There were 51 knives, a firearm, and also seven knife sharpeners. Each one of those was, of course, tested, and the investigators really honed in on the knives in particular, since it's believed that the murder weapon was probably some sort of knife. But the tests all came back, and there was no blood or no traces of blood found on any of them. Then when it comes to DNA evidence that was found outside of Maxwell's house, that also was kind of a bust, because you see, just one week after Sade's leg was found at that beach at that park, three bloody latex gloves were also found.
- [57:55]
Annie Elise
Now, I have talked with you guys about Helix many, many times because I think I got my first Helix mattress. Gosh, back in. I think 2020, maybe 2021. And I still. I have not only this mattress in.
- [58:09]
Co-host
Our bedroom that my husband and I share. I have it in our guest room.
- [58:12]
Annie Elise
I'm so obsessed with it.
- [58:13]
Co-host
I think I've told you, too, that.
- [58:14]
Annie Elise
My mom one time was babysitting the kids and spent the night and slept in our bed. And she was like, what's with your mattress?
- [58:20]
Co-host
What is this? Why is it so comfortable?
- [58:21]
Annie Elise
So I ended up getting her Helix as a gift as well. And it is the most comfortable mattress I've ever tried.
- [58:28]
Co-host
And I've tried them all.
- [58:29]
Annie Elise
I've tried sleep number. I've tried the box mattresses.
- [58:32]
Co-host
I've tried.
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Annie Elise
I don't think I can say the.
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Co-host
Name, but I'll just say the Friendly.
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Annie Elise
Ghost most, if you get what I'm saying. I've tried them all, and Helix is the goat. Honestly, I'm telling you, like, firsthand.
- [58:42]
Co-host
It's been years now, and I will.
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Annie Elise
Never turn back now. What I love about Helix, too, is you take a quiz when you go on their site and it matches you to the exact mattress you need based on firmness, softness. I have the Helix Sunset Luxe, and it's perfect. It feels like a freaking moon cloud. It's so soft.
- [58:59]
Co-host
It's so fluffy.
- [59:00]
Annie Elise
It's so comfortable.
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Co-host
I, like, love getting in my bed at the end of the day.
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Annie Elise
And honestly, I love staying in my.
- [59:04]
Co-host
Bed when I wake up because because it's that comfortable.
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Annie Elise
My sleep has improved. I just feel so comfy. I've noticed my sleep stats and scores changing too. And like I said, anyone who has ever slept over, my sister, my mom, friends who have just sat on my.
- [59:17]
Co-host
Bed, they all love it.
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Annie Elise
And I always tell them it's Helix.
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Co-host
It's Helix.
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Annie Elise
It is a freaking moon cloud.
- [59:22]
Co-host
So I'm telling you guys, whether you.
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Annie Elise
Have snoring issues, back pain, hip pain, trouble sleeping through the night, sleeping too hot, and whatever it is you need to try helix, go to helixsleep.com serialisly for 27% off site wide that's helixsleep.com seriously for 27% off site wide helixsleep.com serial lessly but this is an exclusive deal for only you listeners of Seriously with Annie Elise. So again, helixsleep.com seriously for 27% off.
- [60:06]
Co-host
So these bloody latex gloves were found and this was an exciting find at first. Bloody gloves near where her remains were found. I mean, it had to be connected and if they were lucky, Maxwell's fingerprints would be all over them. But the gloves were tested and they all came back negative, all across the board. No DNA from Shod A, no DNA from Maxwell, and nothing found on either inside or outside of the gloves belonging to either one of them. Which let me be really clear on something. I'm not bringing up the lack of DNA because I think that Maxwell is innocent. I believe that there is too much that is left unexplained if he is innocent of any of these wrongdoings. Not to mention there's still plenty of other evidence, specifically the GPS locations that her phone went to that night, which happened to coincide with the same areas where her remains were later found. Also the surveillance camera clips that the investigators were able to pull together. There's still a lot of evidence and I 100 believe that with each pit stop that was made that night, it was to get rid of her remains as well as get rid of any other damning evidence that was attached to him, the murder weapon, anything with her blood on it, his bloody clothing, all of it. And I only want to bring all of this up because it was all pretty concerning stuff during the trial. And we've talked about this extensively in the Karen Reed case. But the burden is on the prosecution. They have to prove to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Maxwell is guilty. And again, not that I think that he's innocent, but the fear was that would the evidence that was being presented be enough if There's DNA that's found, but it doesn't match him. Is that compelling or not? There were too many question marks, and it made people very nervous. I also think that all of this ties back to that lawsuit that her mother, Sheena filed against Maxwell's family. Could they have gone inside his house at some point and destroyed any evidence or cleaned up anything that was left behind? Possibly. And it's really 50. 50, right? Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, but the issue still stood. Was it enough for a murder conviction? But then, just when people were concerned, bombshells dropped. Because as concerning as all of that was, there was DNA that was tied to Sade. Outside of Maxwell's house, in his neighbor's garbage can, the investigators had found a gray sweatshirt that belonged to Maxwell. And this sweatshirt was actually the same one that he was seen wearing in that surveillance video that morning that Shade discussed disappeared. And not only is this a big deal, because it shows that he was clearly trying to get rid of it in his neighbor's garbage can at that, which I know we're referencing a lot of cases here, but like, feels very Brian Coburger esque, where he was disposing of stuff in his neighbor's trash cans in Pennsylvania. But even more so than just being a red flag, that sweatshirt had Sade's DNA on it. And on top of that, Sade's DNA was also found on a red plaid jacket that Maxwell had that was just lying there on his couch when the investigators found it. It. And perhaps the most convincing piece of evidence that the prosecution has used during this trial was witness testimony that came from an alleged friend of Maxwell's. Now, they haven't been named. They've stayed anonymous. They've only been referred to in court documents as a confidential informant. But this informant had originally met with the investigators in April of last year after some of Sade's remains had already been found. And what this person had to say, it really shocked the investigators. They claimed that Maxwell had told them in confidence that not only was he planning a murder, but he was planning to murder a specific woman that he had recently met. And this informant was pretty specific with the details that they gave. They claimed that it was March 5, 2024, and that they were over at Maxwell's house. And at this point, he confided in them with all of this information. He told the informant that he had met Sade pretty recently. And then from there, after meeting her, he just came up with this plan. And again, not to reference a case feels Very much like Aiden Fuchi, right? Like with the Tristan Bailey case, he gave himself this deadline, told his friends that he was going to kill someone. He didn't name Tristan, but it's like he met her and then he just came up with this plan. Maxwell and Sade, not Tristan and Aiden. And there was no real reason as to why, just simply because he wanted to. The thrill of it all, a thrill kill. And Maxwell apparently did not stop there. He also told this informant that he had the entire thing planned already. He would invite her over and he would keep inviting her over until she said yes. Then once she was at his house, he would pull out his gun and he would threaten her with that gun, saying, you need to obey all of my commands. You need to walk down into my basement. And. And in his basement is where he would be prepared and keep all of his power tools and saws. Now, the scariest thing about this entire interaction was that Maxwell wasn't just explaining how he was going to do it, but he was showing him the equipment that he had already set up. There were allegedly already plastic tarps too, covering the floor, covering nearly every square inch of the area, almost like his own Dexter den. It was covering the ceiling, the floor, the walls, even inside the sink that was down there like a full on torture chamber. And apparently while the two of them were down in the basement, Maxwell was also explaining to this informant that once Sade was in the basement, he was going to shoot her, dismember her, and then dispose of her remains all throughout the city, which, I mean, how much more spot on could this story get right? And the vivid mental image of what Sade's last moments likely were is unbelievably upsetting. The fear that she must have felt going into that basement and then seeing those tarps laid out everywhere, knowing exactly what was about to happen, that's something that I cannot even begin to wrap my head around. Also, her poor parents having to hear all of this information and having it sink in that this is their baby that they were talking about, this is their baby who had to, you know, have this fear and walk into this murder den. It's unspeakable and it's not something that I would ever wish on anyone. My heart just has broken for them time and time again while researching this case and uncovering all of these details. So I really hope that they're taking care of themselves in the aftermath of all of this. Now, what is maybe the scariest part of all of this information is that the investigators do not believe that Sade was his first victim. And that kind of gives this perfectly good explanation as to why there was blood in his home, in his bedroom, in his bathroom that did not match back to Sade. Was he a serial killer? Did he have past victims? Now, the defense's only real argument against all of this information was that because the informant was confidential, they have more room to lie and exaggerate on things. Things which I'm not really sure how you could even exaggerate the things that they shared, but I don't know. Whatever, I guess so. The state and the defense both rested their case on Thursday, June 5, and by Friday, a verdict was reached.
- [67:24]
News Anchor
I will now read them into the record. As to count one, the verdict reads, we the jury find the defendant Maxwell Anderson guilty of first degree intentional homicide as charged in count one of the information. As to count two, we the jury find the defendant Maxwell Anderson guilty of mutilating a corpse as charged in count two of the information. As to count three, we the jury find the defendant Maxwell Anderson guilty of arson of property other than a building as charged in count three of the information. As to count four, we the jury find the defendant Maxwell Anderson Gill guilty of hiding a corpse as charged in count four of the information.
- [68:05]
Co-host
Guilty on all charges. And his sentencing is set for August. Immediately following the guilty verdict, Sade's mother, Sheena spoke. And I really wanted to include this for you because she mentions a lot of different things. Take a listen.
- [68:20]
Family Member
She will be forever remembered as an angel, A light worker who has touched so many souls, so many lives in the Milwaukee community. She is our hero. She is forever leaving a an imprint. She walks 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. I demanded justice. I stand tall. I stand affirmative. Sade will continue to walk with me daily and right beside me. Please continue to support us by walking in how you move every day. Like, live by your principles, live in your true spirit. That's how Sade is remembered. From every job, from every stranger, from every person she touched. Her energy is just. It will be forever with us. Please continue to support the foundation, shades voice foundation.com, myself and Adriana and all of the Shade's Voice angels and light workers that have been standing beside me, the whole team, we will definitely be advocating for all of the other missing, murdered, all of the other individuals in the community. I appreciate everybody in the community that's been standing beside us in FIAs. I know that there's a lot of other crime victim families in the community that have been outreaching me and I have, have to, you know, I have to take it one step at a time. I have to get my babies justice first before I can be able to help maneuver and support any other crime victim families. But that's definitely going to be our mission. That's how I'm going to carry on. Shade, you know her voice definitely. I'll be working with Representative Sheila Stubbs. Thank you so much for being here. We're pushing for the missing and murdered task force. It's mandatory. State definitely needs it for our, our bipoc woman, for all women. And just, just allow us time to just kind of grieve. I haven't really had a day to grieve since April of last year. Me and Adriana have been non stop all day, every day. We, we, my mom, my family, all of us, we, we don't give up.
- [71:05]
Co-host
Like Sheena said, Shade's family can now grieve. They no longer have to worry about all of the wh ifs. Is there enough evidence? Will the jury find this compelling? They can finally sleep at night knowing that their daughter's killer is behind bars and that he very likely will be behind bars until the day that he dies. Now, for more information on the foundation that was set up by Sheena and Shade's other family members, as well as the work that they are continuing to strive to do, you can head to Sade's voicefoundation.com but I'm curious to know from you guys, what do you think the motive was? Do you think that this was truly just a budding serial killer and that this was a thrill kill, that it could have been anybody? He just. His method to lure his prey in was by taking them on a date and then back to his house. And then that's where he was going to do this. Do you think that he has other victims? The blood in the bathroom and the bedroom didn't match Sade. It seemed like he was very prepared with his tarps and his basement. Are there more victims out there? And look, I know location wise it's not exactly spot on, but we've been talking recently about the New England serial killer. And if there is a potential serial killer, and if not a serial killer, why are all these remains being found over there on the East Coast? Like, is there any correlation? I know it's more in the middle and not all the way on the east coast, but I don't know. It makes you wonder. My personal opinion is I don't think that this was his first victim. Not only because of the blood, but also because of the precision of it all. Who sets up a torture chamber dungeon like Dexter on their first victim like that? Maybe. Maybe. But something is telling me that maybe there was somebody else else. But tell me what you guys think. I'm glad that Sade's family finally has some resolution in all of this and some answers so that they can begin to have peace. But as I said throughout the episode too, all of Sade's remains still have not been found, her head being one of them. So will Maxwell now do the right thing and let her family know where the rest of her body is so they can grieve her properly and put her to rest? Maybe. Probably not. He sounds like a piece of if you ask me. But we can only hope so. Thank you guys so much for tuning in today and listening to another episode. I know that this was a tough one, but so many of you have been requesting it and I'm curious to know your thoughts on what you think the motive was here. All right, I'll be back with you with an all new Deep dive very, very soon. And I also, of course, will be with you on Thursday with headline highlights where we talk about everything happening this week in True Crime. Alright, thanks for tuning in and until the next one, be nice, don't kill people, be careful on any first dates and just be a good person. All right, bye.