Sade Robinson's Murder Highlights Crisis of Missing Black Women in Wisconsin
For Sheena Scarbrough, being a mother to two daughters was her greatest pride.
She envisioned watching them grow into adulthood — side by side, thriving, and supported. But those dreams were shattered in April 2024, when her 19-year-old daughter, Sade Robinson, went on a first date with an older man and never came home.
'This is the worst type of pain and hurt. I just miss her being present. I miss her — her life, her spirit, her calls. Just her. Her laughter, her character, her loving nature. She was just so loved,' Scarbrough told Capital B. 'I just miss her being there with us every day.'
The grieving mother decided against publicly celebrating Robinson's second heavenly birthday on Mother's Day weekend this year. She would have been 21.
Last year, Scarbrough organized a balloon release in her honor at a park near their home. But this year, her oldest daughter's birthday came just weeks before her accused killer's trial. Maxwell Anderson, 34, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and arson of property other than a building. He has been held in jail on $5 million cash bail. If convicted, he faces life in prison. Jury selection begins May 27.
Capital B has reached out to Anderson's attorneys Anthony Cotton and Jason Findling for comment. Beyond Anderson's not-guilty plea to the criminal charges, they declined to comment via email.
Robinson's death underscores the dangers for Black women living in Wisconsin, where, a 2024 Columbia University report found, they're 20 times more likely to be murdered than their white peers. The state's Justice Department says there are 175 missing people from the state, but advocates say those numbers aren't complete, especially as violence against Black women is on the rise.
In the weeks leading up to the trial, Scarbrough referred to Anderson as a 'demonic entity, an entity or the demon' throughout her interview with Capital B.
'That demonic entity,' she said with conviction. 'A normal person would not move in that…level of behavior.'
Robinson's case also highlights disparities in police investigations in Wisconsin and across the country when it comes to missing Black people. When Robinson did not show up for work at Pizza Shuttle on April 2, 2024, she was reported missing by co-workers, but Scarbrough wasn't notified for two days of her disappearance. This is an example of the disconnect law enforcement has with Black families when investigating missing loved ones, said state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, who — along with other lawmakers, including Republican state Rep. Jesse James — has been advocating for an investigative task force to address these disparities.
Once contacted, Scarbrough was able to assist detectives in their investigation by providing Robinson's last known phone location — the mother and daughter had been tracking each other's phones for safety.
'I never imagined this would be my, where I would be placed in life,' Scarbrough said, adding, 'This is something I never expected to walk through — being a crime victim.
'My daughter [was] taken from me in the most brutal way.'
'I just miss her being present. I miss her — her life, her spirit, her calls. Just her.'
Sheena Scarbrough, mother of Sade Robinson
According to multiple news outlets, Anderson has prior convictions for domestic violence, disorderly conduct, and drunk driving. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also reported that court records highlight concerns about his mental health and substance abuse.
'I will be at court every day. This is, you know, a long wait,' Scarbrough said. 'Definitely, I will be at court every day to get justice for my daughter, most definitely.'
Scarbrough said there are 'a lot of different layers' in connection to her daughter's death that she cannot get into publicly but that will come out at the criminal trial or through civil litigation she has pending in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
'We have definitely stopped this demonic entity in their tracks,' she said.
She filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Anderson in June 2024, and this April she filed another suit against two bars, accusing them of contributing to her daughter's death by allegedly over-serving alcohol to Robinson, who was underage, while she was on a date with Anderson. There's video surveillance of Robinson's last moments alive in those bars, according to television station WISN.
Anderson's attorneys argued in court earlier this year that there's a potential alibi through Anderson's phone records. He may have allegedly been in his home using the internet at the time when someone was driving Robinson's car.
Scarbrough couldn't quite put into words what justice would look like at the end of the criminal trial. She still has a 17-year-old daughter, Adriana, who she says is grieving the loss of her big sister.
'Not having my baby present, like nothing's going to replace that. There will never be justice. I want my daughter back,' she said. 'But definitely making sure those types of demonic entities are not on the streets to harm or hurt anyone else.'
Nonetheless, she said: 'The truth will be told. My daughter's voice will be heard.'
The post Sade Robinson's Murder Highlights Crisis of Missing Black Women in Wisconsin appeared first on Capital B News.
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