Sade Robinson Memorial held in Milwaukee as part of a murder investigation

On the day Sade Robinson would have turned 20, she was praised at a public memorial service Friday as a “remarkable” young woman who touched many different parts of the community.

The criminal justice student at Milwaukee Area Technical College was scheduled to graduate next weekend. This milestone for her family will not happen after she is murdered and dismembered after a first date.

Her death in early April shocked Milwaukee and other parts of the country.

Prosecutors believe 33-year-old Maxwell Anderson is responsible for her gruesome death. After a short night, the local bartender and Robinson went back to his house, where he killed her, dismembered her body and dumped the body parts throughout Milwaukee County, according to prosecutors. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains in custody on $5 million bail. The next hearing is scheduled for May 16.

Carlos Robinson, left, father of Sade Robinson, and Sheena Scarbrough, right, mother of Sade Robinson, talk about their memories with their daughter at Friday's public memorial service at the Baird Center in Milwaukee.

At Friday’s memorial service at the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee, feelings were still running high for family and friends as the investigation continues and searches help find the rest of her body.

Carlos Robinson, Sade’s father, lives in Florida and recently returned to Milwaukee to help find Sade. “On May 10, 2004, I was in college taking my final exams when my phone rang,” he said. “It was (someone) who called me and told me that Sheena (Sade’s mother) had just gone into labor.”

Robinson said he rushed out of class, jumped into his car and probably drove at least “a hundred miles an hour” down the highway to a hospital in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to witness the birth of his first daughter.

The birth of Sade “gave my life meaning,” said Carlos Robinson. “I watched her grow from a tiny baby into a beautiful young lady who would make any father proud.”

Participants, speakers and artists at Friday’s memorial demonstrated Sade’s impact on the Milwaukee community. In attendance were long-time friends, classmates, professors, pastors, activists, as well as their employers and colleagues.

No elected officials gave speeches, but Mayor Cavalier Johnson had a brief conversation with Sheena Scarbrough, Sade’s mother. Other statements were read or staff spoke on behalf of some officials, including U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and state Rep. Sheila Stubbs.

“Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you during this incredibly difficult time,” Moore said in her statement. “The person responsible for this heinous act will be held accountable and Sade’s memory will be heard through the pursuit of justice.”

Erika Brown, a friend of Scarbrough, provided the explanation for Moore. She reiterated that a nonprofit organization entitled Sade’s Voice Foundation will be created in Scarbrough’s name, with the goal of supporting families of missing black and brown women and raising awareness of their stories.

Sade Robinson was a high achiever from a young age

Sade moved to Milwaukee with her family when she was 2 years old. She was a curious child and always wanted to explore, according to her mother. She enrolled in the Milwaukee Public Schools and enjoyed Girl Scouts and soccer.

Sade was a talented dancer, Scarbrough said. Her passion for the arts only deepened as she found joy in rapping, performing and even tried her hand at ballroom dancing. In middle school, she was part of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). Her mother said she once dreamed of joining the U.S. Air Force.

Soon she was a teenager attending Riverside High School in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. She excelled academically and socially, Scarbrough said. Sade graduated from Riverside one semester early in December 2021. She completed the final phase with the class of 2022.

After high school, Sade enrolled at MATC to pursue a degree in criminal justice and began working both jobs while also renting an apartment. She recently considered continuing her studies at Concordia University in Mequon.

Sade Robinson influenced many lives

Sade’s father said he was pleased by the outpouring of support for the family since she was reported missing on April 2. “I see all the lives my little girl has touched over the last 21 years,” Carlos Robinson said. “I say 21 because (Sade) used to talk to me in my dreams when (her mother) was pregnant.”

Lifelong friends also spoke about Sade.

“Sade Carleena Robinson – she was the most beautiful girl in the world,” said Kara Quinnell, who met Sade in kindergarten. “Her laughter was contagious. …She was confident in the best way possible. … She was unstoppable and not in an arrogant way.”

“She would have been a great mother because she was the best big sister to Adrianna,” Quinnell said.

Another friend, Alana Fisher, said Sade wanted to attend the Nicki Minaj concert at Fiserv Forum, which took place about two weeks after Sade’s disappearance. “Right now she should have been celebrating on her birthday,” Fisher said. “She was just planning her birthday party.”

“I hope she is remembered not only for her death, but also for the amazing and strong life she lived,” Fisher added. “She was a kind soul, an independent woman.”

Sade worked at Pizza Shuttle on the east side of Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Country Club on the northwest side of Milwaukee.

“We were very lucky to have Sade as part of our family,” her boss at the country club said at Friday’s vigil. “And as you can see, we are a family.” Around 25 employees of the country club took part in the memorial service. Sade’s younger sister, Adrianna Reams, also worked at the country club.

Country club employees describe Sade as having a smile that was almost like a “superpower.” Another colleague described her as a strong person who had wisdom beyond her years. “She was a special person,” said the colleague.

Sade made most of her own living, Reams said. She did this by working, balancing hours at the country club with hours at Pizza Shuttle, an East Side staple.

Quincy Alexander, an East Side legend who suffers from disabilities that make walking difficult but still trudges around the area along Brady Street, said Sade would help him up the stairs at the entrance to Pizza Shuttle, where the two worked together.

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