One year after Milwaukee teen Sade Robinson vanished, investigators continue searching for remaining evidence and answers

A case that moved from missing-person report to homicide investigation

One year after 19-year-old Milwaukee college student Sade Carleena Robinson was reported missing, the investigation remains active in a crucial respect: authorities have continued efforts to locate additional evidence and missing remains connected to her death.

Robinson was reported missing on April 2, 2024. That same day, a severed human leg was found at Warnimont Park in Cudahy, prompting a multi-agency investigation that quickly escalated beyond a standard missing-person search. In the days that followed, additional human remains were recovered at multiple locations in Milwaukee County, and investigators treated the matter as a homicide.

Charging decisions, trial outcome and what remains unresolved

Maxwell Steven Anderson was arrested in April 2024 and later charged with first-degree intentional homicide and other counts tied to the death and the handling of Robinson’s body. In June 2025, a jury found Anderson guilty. He was convicted on charges that included first-degree intentional homicide, dismembering a corpse, arson and hiding a corpse.

Even with a conviction, the case did not fully conclude for Robinson’s family and investigators. The dispersion of remains across several sites created an ongoing recovery challenge, and officials have acknowledged that search efforts were aimed not only at corroborating evidence but also at locating what had not yet been found.

Community search efforts and law-enforcement activity

During the early phase of the investigation in April 2024, friends, relatives and community volunteers conducted repeated ground searches in parks and neighborhoods where evidence was recovered. Those civilian searches led to additional calls for law-enforcement response, including after items were discovered during volunteer efforts.

Law-enforcement agencies involved in the case have stated that operational details were limited by the ongoing nature of the investigation. Publicly described work in the initial period included returns to areas referenced in court filings, follow-up searches after new tips and discoveries, and continued coordination between agencies operating in different jurisdictions within Milwaukee County.

Why an anniversary can matter in missing-person and homicide cases

Anniversary dates can generate renewed attention that prompts tips, reexamination of timelines and outreach to potential witnesses. Investigators and advocates in Wisconsin have repeatedly emphasized that even small details—such as a vehicle sighting, a recollection of a route taken, or information about a phone or social-media activity—can help corroborate a timeline or identify locations needing another search.

• Robinson was reported missing on April 2, 2024, after she was last known to be in Milwaukee.

• Human remains connected to the case were recovered in multiple locations in Milwaukee County in April 2024.

• A jury found Anderson guilty in June 2025.

If you have information that could assist investigators in a missing-person or homicide investigation, contact local law enforcement immediately and provide as much detail as possible, including dates, times and locations.

As the case enters its second year since Robinson was reported missing, the central facts established in court coexist with a continuing recovery effort—one focused on locating remaining evidence and bringing fuller clarity and closure to what happened.