More remains found along Lake Michigan linked to murder of college student Sade Robinson

Updated

Several more human remains believed to belong to homicide victim Sade Carleena Robinson were discovered along the shores of Lake Michigan in south Milwaukee early, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.

Maxwell Anderson, 33, has since been arrested and charged on multiple counts relating to Robinson's murder, including mutilating a corpse and arson.

Sade Carleena Robinson
Sade Carleena Robinson

Shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, a person walking along a remote, tree-lined stretch of beach in south Milwaukee discovered an arm and torso, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Tapanga Brogdon, a resident of the nearby Lake Bluff Apartments, woke up an hour later. Her backyard overlooks the beach, and she watched as officers carried a body bag down the cliff and toward the lake.

"I used to take walks down there all the time," Brogdon told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, while standing outside her apartment. "I don't want to go down there anymore. I don't want to be the one who finds what they just found."

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Who was Sade Robinson?

Robinson, 19, would have turned 20 in May and graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College with an associate degree in criminal justice, her mother, Sheena Scarbrough, told the Journal Sentinel.

Her mother said that Robinson dreamed of joining the U.S. Air Force and that she loved to take solo trips. This year she had taken several trips, including to Jamaica, New Orleans and Atlanta, among other places.

Who is suspected in Sade Robinson's death?

Robinson was last seen April 1 and reported missing April 2. That same day, a leg was found on the lakeshore in Cudahy. Additional remains and Robinson's burned-out car were found in Milwaukee in the following days.

The investigation eventually led to Maxwell Anderson, who was arrested at a traffic stop April 4 has since been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson in Robinson's death. In the days since Anderson was charged, volunteers have continued searching the Milwaukee area.

Anderson remained in Milwaukee County Jail on $5 million bail. He's due back in court April 22 for a preliminary hearing.

"Our thoughts and prayers and the full support of this agency remain with Robinson’s family and loved ones as they grieve and process her tragic loss," the Sheriff's Office said.

Robinson's mother called the situation an "ongoing nightmare" in a brief interview with the Journal Sentinel on Thursday.

"It's horrible," Scarbrough said. "It's excruciatingly painful every day."

The Sheriff's Office said it planned to continue its search for evidence using a sonar detection boat to scour the lake.

Her family launched a GoFundMe account to help pay for Robinson's memorial service. As of Friday morning, it had raised more than $52,000.

Anderson's father, Steven Anderson, released a statement Thursday through the law firm representing his son offering condolences to Robinson's loved ones, saying, in part, that his family was "shocked and devastated by her senseless death." The statement came out before the sheriff's discovery was made public.

Contributing: Julia Gomez and Drake Bentley, USA TODAY NETWORK

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sade Robinson: More remains found in Milwaukee, believed to be victim

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