By A.J. Bayatpour

    MILWAUKEE, Wisconin (WDJT) -- Maxwell Anderson will go on trial Tuesday in a case that has captured this community's attention. While prosecutors have shared some of the evidence they believe connects him to the death of Sade Robinson, legal observers are fascinated by some of the biggest unknowns that remain.

Anderson, 34, was arrested after Robinson, 19, went missing last April. She was on a first date with Anderson during the last known time she was alive. GPS data tracked Robinson back to Anderson's south side home, then placed Anderson at Warnimont Park, where Robinson's leg was later discovered.

Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) surveillance video then placed Anderson near a north side location where Robinson's car was found burnt out with other parts of her body found nearby.

Defense attorney Jonathan LaVoy, who is not representing Anderson, said he was most curious to see how Anderson's lawyers have to say when opening statements begin.

"That's what makes this case so interesting. We don't know what the defense is going to do," LaVoy said. "We know that Mr. Anderson didn't provide a statement to law enforcement and has been fairly quiet as this case has progressed."

LaVoy said one of the biggest unanswered questions is what happened when Robinson's phone placed her inside Anderson's house before showing it traveled to Warnimont Park later that night.

"We have a three-hour chunk of time where we know that Ms. Robinson was at Mr. Anderson's house, but we don't know what happened during that time," he said. "And we know there was blood found at his residence, but it doesn't match Ms. Robinson."

Anderson is charged with First-Degree Intentional Homicide, Mutilating a Corpse and Arson of a Property Other Than a Building.

Another criminal defense lawyer, Justin Padway, said the intentional homicide charged will be especially difficult for the state to prove. He questioned whether Anderson's lawyers will acknowledge he was present when Robinson died but argue there's no evidence he killed her, let alone proof he planned her death.

"Something could have happened in between, whether it was intentional or non-intentional, I don't know those specific facts, where it caused a panic or a freakout," Padway said. "Maybe it was an accidental death, and all of a sudden, he doesn't know what to do, so he mutilates the corpse. That is a potential possibility; I don't know if the defense will explore that angle, but just because you do something after the fact doesn't mean you intended to do whatever occurred previously before that fact."

The trial could be lengthy as the state attempts to plug any possible holes in their case. Prosecutors have indicated they could call as many as 250 witnesses to testify.

Padway said while it's unlikely that many people end up being called to the stand, it shows the state has gone to great lengths to ensure it has experts who can answer any question a juror might have.

"Generally speaking, when you have this many witnesses, it's because you're going through your chain of custody," he said. "You're making sure you can authenticate all the physical evidence, whether it's DNA evidence, whether it's MCTS footage."

It will all begin Tuesday morning with jury selection, which the lawyers said will be a challenge of its own. As many as 80 potential jurors will come in for questioning throughout the day.

In a typical trial, it wouldn't be hard to find jurors who know nothing about the case. However, in this high-profile trial, LaVoy said it's all but certain some of the jurors will have at least some knowledge of Robinson's death. At that point, it's a matter of both sides narrowing the list to jurors who might be familiar with the case but have not displayed any signs of bias.

"Maybe people that have said, 'Yeah, I've heard of that before' or, 'I saw it on the news,' but individuals that are gonna keep an open mind," LaVoy said. "Individuals that don't know a lot of the intimate details of what's been reported."

To find those jurors, both sides will need to comb through juror questionnaires, then ask a series of direct questions about the beliefs a prospective juror holds.

"I think the defense attorneys and the state will both flesh out a lot of questions that follow up if a juror says they're aware of this case," Padway said. "They're gonna want to know what they've read, if they're created any preconceived notions, and it's gonna be up to both sides to ask the appropriate questions."

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