The elected board of supervisors in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, has caved to a flurry of “despicable” racist emails and cancelled a proposal to build a memorial to a 19-year-old Black woman who was killed and dismembered last year, allegedly by the son of a prominent Wisconsin insurance executive.
Six of the county’s 18 supervisors sponsored a resolution last month that would have spent $7,000 to build the memorial for Sade Robinson in Warimont Park in Cudahy, where some of her remains were found after her murder. But two of the supervisors withdrew their names as sponsors, including one who said his name was put on the proposal in error, and the other sponsors spoke with Robinson’s family and asked to withdraw the resolution.
Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez said he made the decision to withdraw the proposal after a “flurry of racist emails” and discussions with Robinson’s mother, Sheena Scarbrough, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
“People should be thoroughly ashamed of the way that Ms. Robinson has been treated for wanting this,” Martinez said at a meeting of the parks and culture committee. “I just want to say shame on people for treating a grieving mother this way and making it a race thing and treating her as subhuman when it’s absolutely unnecessary and absolutely unethical and it shows the most disgusting and detestable parts of our society.”
Other supervisors said they had received emails as well.
“It is most unfortunate that we’re at this moment in our country’s history where, once again, we feel very comfortable being overt with our prejudices, with our racism and with just plain evil, hateful thoughts,” said Felesia A. Martin, who also withdrew her name as a sponsor.
Jack Eckblad said the emails he received were “pretty despicable” and “crossed several lines.”
Steve Taylor, who said his name was placed on the sponsor list in error, said he saw comments about the proposal on social media that were “disgusting, absolutely disgusting.”
Robinson was reported missing in early April last year, and days later, her remains were found in several locations around Milwaukee, including her burning car. Police arrested 33-year-old Maxwell Anderson for her murder. Prosecutors say Anderson, who has pleaded not guilty, killed Robinson on their first date after going out to dinner and to a bar.
An informant told police that Anderson had made extensive plans for the murder, including setting a “kill room” in his house.
Anderson’s trial was initially to begin in December but has been postponed to May.
