A Milwaukee woman is headed to prison after admitting she set her boyfriend’s apartment on fire during an argument, a blaze that ultimately killed a 71-year-old man who lived two floors above them.
Rashamba Claybrooks, 29, pleaded guilty to felony murder by arson of a building and arson of property other than a building in connection with the April 2025 fire. A Milwaukee County judge sentenced her to 24 years in prison followed by eight years of extended supervision.
The deadly incident happened on April 8, 2025, at an apartment building near 30th and Capitol Drive in Milwaukee.
According to investigators, Claybrooks and her boyfriend had been arguing throughout the day. The situation reportedly escalated after they returned from Walmart, where the two had continued arguing. Her boyfriend eventually told her that she needed to move out of the apartment.
Investigators said Claybrooks responded by starting a fire inside the apartment.
According to the criminal complaint, she used cardboard and loose paper to ignite a closet containing clothing. She then left the apartment.
Her boyfriend reportedly smelled smoke shortly afterward and discovered flames coming from the closet. He attempted to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, but later noticed the fire had grown larger. Investigators ultimately determined that the fire had been intentionally set.
The fire quickly became deadly because smoke traveled through the apartment building.
One of the victims was Sam Nash, a 71-year-old former U.S. Marine who lived in an apartment on the third floor—two floors above where the fire started.
Nash’s son went to check on him after hearing about the fire. He initially couldn’t locate his father, but during a second search, Nash was discovered unconscious in his apartment, positioned between a kitchen table and a wall with the hood of his sweatshirt covering his face.
Paramedics pronounced Nash dead. His cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation.
The aftermath was especially painful for Nash’s family because firefighters had initially cleared the building without finding him.
His sister, Debra Nash, questioned how her brother could have been missed during the emergency response. She later spoke publicly about the devastating loss and said Nash was a major source of support for their family.
Debra described her brother as someone who had always looked out for his loved ones. According to PEOPLE, Nash had taken on a guardian-like role for his siblings and children after their parents died and had also helped care for family members dealing with serious illnesses.
When Claybrooks was initially charged in 2025, prosecutors accused her of arson, disorderly conduct and bail jumping, but she was not initially charged with Nash’s death. The investigation and prosecution later progressed, and Claybrooks ultimately pleaded guilty to felony murder connected to the arson.
The sentencing brings the case to a close more than a year after the fire.
Claybrooks will spend the first 24 years behind bars, followed by eight years of extended supervision, for a total sentence of 32 years.
What began as an argument between a couple ended with an apartment building engulfed in smoke, a family losing a 71-year-old loved one and Claybrooks facing decades behind bars for a fire investigators say she deliberately started.
Old Video Below
Leave a Reply