hey everyone welcome back in this video we shine a light on a devastating story that is playing out in real time but before we jump into today's case I'd like to share a quick reminder the stories we explore on this channel involve real people who have suffered immensely while safety advice can be well-intentioned victim blaming is not helpful to the victim's families and shifts the responsibility away from the perpetrator relatives often read these comments and are aware of what's being said I know I've personally worked with many of them to ensure their loved ones stories are told with a respect they deserve let's focus on supporting the victims and their families by keeping our conversations kind and respectful thanks for your understanding and for being a part of this [Music] community around 5:29 p.m. on Tuesday April 2nd 2024 a seemingly Ordinary Day took a shocking turn for a local resident he had planned to meet a friend at warnimont Park a place known for its Tranquility but as they strolled towards the shoreline their peaceful walk turned into a nightmare when they came across a horrifying Discovery a severed human leg realizing the gravity of the situation the man quickly dialed 911 and soon the beach was swarming with law enforcement Guided by the distressed citizen deputies found the right leg of what appeared to be a female person of color the leg showed no signs of decomposition indicating it was recently severed the toes adorned with pink nail polish added a haunting contrast to the brutal scene the authorities were left grappling with disturbing questions who did the leg belong to how had this individual met such a fate who was responsible for this act and perhaps most alarming was there a broader threat to Public Safety lurking in the shadows let's Dive In Milwaukee is a lively city in Wisconsin on the western shore of Lake Michigan it's known for its Rich Brewing history Dynamic art scene and passionate sports fans the city's diverse neighborhoods reflect a range of influences from German and polish Heritage to a robust African-American Community Milwaukee stunning lakefront and legendary festivals bring people together to celebrate its vibrant culture of course it's not all fun in games every city has its soft underbelly and Milwaukee is no different the city has had its share of crime but recently a report by Fox 6 Milwaukee highlighted some positive Trends local police noted a significant decrease in crime in the first quarter of 20124 compared to the same period last year homicides dropped by 39% and property crimes such as Auto thefts fell by at least 10% a police spokesperson remarked overall our years off to a positive start however such statistics offer little Comfort to individual victims of crime heinous acts like those involving shade Robinson can dramatically impact the community's perceived safety suspicious death investigation is underway after a gruesome discovery on the shores of Lake Michigan the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office AT AP part goer found a severed human lag now some found the leg at the park in Cut outside of Milwaukee our Milwaukee affiliate was able to capture investigators at the bottom of a cliff searching the shoreline the discovery prompted questions from those who were visiting the nearby park on Wednesday yeah I definitely have thoughts about like their family and stuff like oh I wonder who it is could it be somebody we've known in the past could it how their family doing I know they're going to want answers investigators are not revealing much only calling the discovery suspicous supicious the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office reported that the leg was discovered in warnimont park along Lake Michigan East of the golf course it was transported to the county Medical examiner's Office where Dr Lauren Decker estimated the victim's height to be around 5T tall later that evening a woman walked into the Milwaukee Police Department's District 5 station to report her missing friend 19-year-old shade Robinson shade had not shown up for work and hadn't been returning calls or texts after a welfare check failed to locate her the Milwaukee Police Department issued a press release asking for the Public's help in finding sha who was considered critically missing due to her high-risk status shade was described as 5T tall weighing 135 lb and last seen wearing a black puffer coat light blue jeans and white shoes meanwhile shade's family along with community members searched tirelessly for her we are a community of people here and this young lady deserves help and the the mom and the family you know they really they need us to come together and um help bring Shady home she is somebody that is very special you know and I hope we can find some answers for her during an interview with a local news Outlet shade's mother mentioned that her daughter's last text message was a request for $15 which was very uncharacteristic of her shade was known for managing her money well having self-funded recent trips to Jamaica and Atlanta she was considered by many to be playful socially confident ambitious and responsible I'mma prank him later on today um it is going to be fake but um it is what it is um don't forget to like comment and subscribe shade was a diligent student and a hardworking employee who held two jobs including one at Pizza Shuttle on Milwaukee's East Side she studied Criminal Justice at Milwaukee Area Technical College and was just weeks away from completing her associates degree shade was considering joining the US Air Force after graduation following in the footsteps of her grandfather a retired US Navy veteran and her uncle a US Army veteran as the police investigation continued detectives received a lead from the local fire department firefighters had responded to a vehicle fire and found a 2020 Honda Civic with extensive fire damage a check of the vehicle's registration revealed it belonged to shade the police released no further information at that time 3 days after a citizen found the severed leg an additional Discovery was made just one block away from where someone set shade's car on fire good evening thanks for joining us I'm Siria samin tonight the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office confirms to 12 News the discovery of a human body part in Milwaukee's Walnut Hill Neighborhood investigators were at 31st in Walnut overnight searching at a park that is where 12 news reporter Emily Pall is live right now Emily you spoke with the neighbors yeah it's a very private neighborhood but it's definitely been a lot busier here since yesterday we also know that there are some family and friends of a missing woman searching the wooded area here right now this whole block was roped off with crime scene tape earlier today the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says they're investigating with the Milwaukee Police Department after someone found a human body part at this park at around 10:00 last night our crew saw investigators here at 2: in the morning searching around the playground after hearing about the discovery of additional remains sh's friends and family spent hours searching the area on Saturday afternoon they found a blanket that they w recognized as Shad they turned it over to Milwaukee Police who had not yet officially connected the prior findings to shade's missing person's case later that day and into the next morning Searchers found more unidentified human remains in two separate nearby locations this raised a chilling question if authorities couldn't link these discoveries to a single person would did that imply for the community safety so if you had have some questions that we can answer um can ask them now just to clarify so the severed leg has been confirmed connected to Robinson but not the human remains found Friday Saturday and Sunday by the Milwaukee Police Department a preliminary investigation have shown that the leg is Miss Robinson's and yes the the uh human remains um have not been identified yet are you looking into other missing women and reviewing those cases to possibly connected to this case this is an ongoing case and we have looked at other um um parts of the investigation to see if there are any uh others that could be linked uh and so far we there hasn't been any evidence that there is any other um victims are you concerned that there could be other victims there hasn't been anything that uh is pointed to that right now preliminary DNA testing of the human leg found in warnimont park confirmed that it belonged to shade with shade's death confirmed and the community growing increasingly dissatisfied with the police for withholding many details the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office made a major announcement their investigation had led to the arrest of a person of interest thank you good morning thank you for being here today we're going to give a brief update regarding the severed lag that was found and some of the human remains that have been found throughout Milwaukee County on Wednesday April the 4th our investigation led to a person of interest Maxwell Steven Anderson who lives in the 3100 block of South 39th Street where he was arrested after a traffic stop near the home a search warrant was conducted the severed leg has been preliminarily identified as belonging to Miss Robinson our thoughts and prayers go out to the Robinson family friends and the Milwaukee Community who have embraced this family we are sorry for your loss is such a tra tragic incident our investigators have worked around the clock on this investigation as a result of their diligence and with the help of our criminal justice Partners the District Attorney's Office issued charges today against Maxwell Steven Anderson for first deegree intentional homicide mutilating a corpse and arson of property other than building he remains in custody investigators alleged that Maxwell Anderson was on a first date with shade and was the last known person to see her alive he made his initial court appearance on the same day as the sheriff's press conference his attorney Tony cotton tried to get the homicide charge dismissed for lack of evidence but the judge disagreed Mr cotton also asked the court for Anderson's release citing his strong Community ties full-time employment and Assurance he would appear back in court he's been arrested now and held for over 4 days on nothing more than a written submission to the court indicating that he supposedly had contact with a missing person and there's some cell tower suspicion said cotton the court denied the release request and set Bond at $5 million 33-year-old Maxwell Anderson is a resident of Milwaukee and worked as a bartender at various establishments and as a security guard at a strip club raised in Suburban wesa County Anderson comes from a family with multiple homes collectively valued at around $2 to3 million his father is an executive at a major insurance company despite Anderson's seemingly affluent lifestyle his father emphasized in a report that the family did not provide him with unconditional financial support after graduating high school in 2009 Anderson enlisted in the US Navy with with a job specialty of Aviation Electronics technician however he did not complete his enlistment as the US Navy discharged him after just 8 months for undisclosed reasons a report published online by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel authored by Ashley Luther and Elliot Hughes details Anderson's troubled youth as a teen he was disorganized had trouble following rules frequently skipped classes and was caught at underage drinking parties but rarely faced severe consequences those who knew him used words such as weird awkward and spoiled to describe him as a young adult Anderson's paranoia about his home being broken into led to him setting booby traps inside it he often carried a gun and was preoccupied with fears about the collapse of society the report also recounts an incident with a former roommate where an upset Anderson confronted the roommate with a gun in his hand after an argument the detailed report paints a picture of a socially awkward young man who willingly violates societal norms and laws and is prone to using physical violence to address perceived threats in his life Anderson was no stranger to the court system since 2014 he had been arrested multiple times on charges including criminal property damage witness intimidation domestic abuse disorderly conduct resulting in broken ribs to a man who tried to stop him from stealing a car and the battery charge after he punch punched and bloodied a stranger who tried to intervene in an argument Anderson was having with a woman in public despite pleading guilty to most of the charges Anderson served a total of just 15 days in jail local activists and media were outraged over the apparent leniency in Anderson's criminal record despite his status as a habitual offender including multiple DUIs and failed drug tests while on probation Anderson managed to avoid significant jail time following Anderson's arrest police released a 10-page criminal complaint outlining the investigation and evidence leading to his capture officers believe shade and Anderson had connected on a dating app and agreed to meet at a seafood restaurant shade told a building worker how excited she was for the date she responsibly chose to meet Anderson in public and use the Life 360 app to share her location with family and Friends according to police records Anderson and shade met at his former workplace the Twisted Fisherman on the evening of April 1st surveillance footage showed them sharing food and drinks before leaving together at 6:24 p.m. and heading to the Dukes on water sports bar this was the last time shade was seen alive investigators obtained data from shade's Life 360 app tracking her movements and cell phone to Anderson's house from roughly 9:00 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. police believe Anderson lured shade to his home where she was subsequently slain and dismembered video evidence captured her car leaving Anderson's house on the night he allegedly killed her the car then traveled to waram mount Park and other sites to dispose of her body parts a witness later saw a man matching Anderson's description setting shade's car on fire and fleeing on a city bus the State Crime lab's search of the car revealed a black p for coat light blue jeans and white shoes the clothes shade was last seen wearing her cell phone was also found in the trunk these findings LED detectives to conclude that Anderson intentionally killed shade and dismembered her to conceal the homicide once they felt they had sufficient probable cause the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant for Anderson's home during the search detectives found blood on a comforter and on the walls leading to the basement which they suspected belonged to shade in addition they observed several gasoline containers in the garage investigators also noted what appear to be a Sex Dungeon including a sex sling restraints and handcuffs with basement windows covered to prevent others from seeing inside as reported by heavy.com Lisa McBride and an unnamed friend of Anderson's claimed he saw a massive hole about 5T long by 6 ft deep in Anderson's backyard when the friend suggested covering it up to prevent his dogs from falling in Anderson mentioned he was building a second underground basement prosecutors were certain that the strength of their case against Anderson was substantial as it combined direct physical evidence witness testimony and digital tracking that placed him with shade before her disappearance and connected him to the disposal of her body Anderson appeared in court on April 22nd 2024 at which time he pled not guilty to all charges [Music] P Wisconsin versus Maxwell Anderson 24 CF 1692 count one first degree intentional homicide count 2 mutilating a corpse count grief ARS of property other than building this case is assigned to judge k Branch 45 Ian Vance Kanan for the state good afternoon your honor attorney Anthony cotton with Maxwell Anderson he's here in person good afterno all right I have read the criminal complaint it does State probable cause wave reading we do all right I'm showing you a document as called preliminary hearing questionnaire and waiver is that your signature near the bottom of this page yes honor did you read this document or did your attorney read it to you or both both your honor and did you understand it yes you're honor did you understand that if you had a hearing the state would have to produce Witnesses and perhaps other evidence to show that you probably committed a felony yes did you also understand that by waving that hearing you are conceding that the state can establish probable cause and you will be ordered to stand trial yes your honor anyone make any threats to get you to give up your hearing no your honor anyone make any promises to get you to give up your hearing no your honor I will find that Mr Anderson has made a knowing intelligent and voluntary wave of his right to have a hearing and Order him bound over for trial I'm also in receipt of a request for substitution of Judge Against The Honorable Jean kais that is approved I filed a signed and dated information today I sent a copy of that document to defense Council prior to the evening acknowledge receipt enter not guilty please subject to our uh substitution request thank you this case will be reassigned to judge Sanders Ranch 28 I'm I'm there Thursday afternoon the 16th okay let's take that next four dat will be May 16th at 13 for a scheduling conference in Branch 28 thank you thank you have a good day your honor you too at the hearing prosecutors revealed preliminary DNA test results that left media members stunned and sent Whispers of fear Rippling through the community we're so pleased to have joining a scrips News Milwaukee correspondent Mariam marar she's standing by with the very latest for us miam good morning to you good morning Julie just like you mentioned the New Evidence added to the criminal complaint shows that the blood found found was not Anderson was not Robinson's the one that was found in Anderson's walls leading to the basement and and that's really the biggest turn in this case so far although the DNA results raise obvious questions authorities remain tight-lipped to avoid compromising the investigation they have not yet disclosed who the blood belongs to whether it was even human or how old it was they did state that while examining cold cases no evidence currently links Anderson to other murders or missing person cases despite this the jury trial is proceeding due to the strength of the prosecutor's evidence against Anderson shade's family continues searching for her remains including using drones but not all her body parts have been found in their pursuit of Justice they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Anderson on May 10th which would have been shade's 20th birthday friends and family gathered at the beard Center to remember her the following day the community came together to celebrate her life tragically later that evening a grim reminder surfaced a human arm washed up on a wagan beach and DNA testing leader confirmed it belonged to shade as the gruesome details of the crime emerged some members of the community were reminded of another notorious Milwaukee resident the serial killer Jeffrey dmer who also lured and dismembered his victims this comparison intensified the community's fear and anxiety drawing parallels between the past Horrors and the current tragedy amidst this heightened sense of fear the community found solace and in moments of remembrance and recognition at Milwaukee Area Technical College's annual graduation ceremony held on May 20th shade's family was on hand to observe a special moment in her honor well today the family of shade Robinson accepted her postumus honorary degree in criminal justice studies from Milwaukee Area Technical College her sister Adriana accepted the degree this afternoon at ferm Forum the MATC Community showing their support for the [Applause] family this is her diploma and she worked so hard to earn it but I'm glad that I could be here to be the steps that she didn't have to carry it and receive it for her because she really did deserve it she worked so hard for so long the Milwaukee Area Technical College awarded shade a poist degree to acknowledge her hard work dedication and aspirations offering a small measure of Solace to her family and honoring her memory in a meaningful way in the legal case against Anderson the defense asked the court to postpone the May 16th hearing which the court granted and rescheduled for July 12th Anderson remains in jail on a $5 million Bond facing a mandatory life sentence if convicted regarding the blood found in Anderson's home Sheriff Denita ball characterized the the amount as significant and said the investigation is ongoing this information has not satisfied residents the media or the online community who continue to press the sheriff's office for answers meanwhile shade's family continues to fight for justice and plans to honor shade's memory through the shade's voice Foundation supporting families of missing persons of color and raising awareness of their stories sh