MILWAUKEE — Local defense attorney Pat Cafferty provided insight into the first day of testimony in the trial of Maxwell Anderson, who is accused of murdering and dismembering 19-year-old Sade Robinson.
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Prosecutors laid out their case in opening statements, emphasizing that circumstantial evidence would help prove Anderson's guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
"A lot of people, when they hear the term circumstantial evidence, they think it means weak evidence," Cafferty told TMJ4. "The reality is, it can be really strong evidence."
Cafferty explained the concept with an analogy about snowfall.
"If there's a snowstorm and you sit up all night and you watch it, that's direct evidence. You saw the snowstorm directly," he said. "If you go to bed at nine o'clock and you get up at six o'clock the next morning and the ground is covered with snow. You say to yourself, 'there was a snow storm last night.' You didn't have to see the snow storm to know that it happened."
Watch: Analyst breaks down opening statements in Maxwell Anderson trial
This is precisely the state's approach, according to Cafferty.
"They're saying we don't have anyone who was in the room when Miss Robinson died — when Mr. Anderson killed her. But the circumstantial evidence, when it all adds up, will prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that he did what he is accused of," Cafferty said.
The defense kept their opening statement broad, highlighting gaps in the prosecution's case.
"Basically what they're saying is the state lacks direct evidence," Cafferty said.
Watch Previous Coverage: Milwaukee defense attorney surprised by quick jury selection in Maxwell Anderson trial
According to Cafferty, the defense is focusing on several key points: no eyewitnesses to the murder, inability to prove the exact manner and time of death, and lack of evidence regarding the tools used in the dismemberment.
Despite these challenges, the defense acknowledged certain facts, including that Anderson was the last person seen with Robinson.
"Tony Cotton is a real good lawyer," Cafferty said of the lead defense attorney in the case. "He understands what his role is here, and he's certainly not going to destroy his own credibility at the beginning of this case by denying facts that are going to be proven readily,"
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