A 29-year-old Wisconsin woman has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after she intentionally set fire to her boyfriend's apartment when he told her to move out, resulting in the death of a 71-year-old man who lived two floors above the blaze.
Background
Rashamba Claybrooks and her boyfriend were living together in an apartment building located in the 3000 block of West Capitol Drive in Milwaukee. According to court records and police reports, the couple had been involved in an ongoing domestic dispute that escalated dramatically on April 8, 2025. Investigators learned that while the pair was shopping at Walmart, they got into an argument. The conflict continued after they returned home, where Claybrooks threw an object at her boyfriend. In response, he told her she would have to move out of the apartment.
The confrontation proved fatal for Sam Nash, a 71-year-old resident who lived in a third-floor unit directly above where the fire originated. Milwaukee police responded to the area shortly before 2:30 p.m. on that April afternoon following an assault call. While officers were en route, the call was updated to report an active fire at the building.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze on the western side of the structure. Investigators later determined the fire began in a first-floor apartment and smoke billowed upward into the units above. Nash's son told authorities he heard about the fire and went to check on his father. During his initial search, he missed spotting him, but a second look revealed Nash was wedged between a kitchen table and wall with a sweatshirt hood covering his face. Paramedics pronounced Nash dead at the scene. He died of smoke inhalation.
The Charges
Claybrooks pleaded guilty to felony murder and arson of a building. Milwaukee County Circuit Court sentenced her to 24 years in prison for the death of Sam Nash. Video footage from the fire showed smoke infiltrating Nash's window as the blaze spread through the building.
The case drew additional scrutiny after investigators discovered that firefighters had initially failed to locate Nash's body during their search of the structure. Two hours passed before Nash's son returned and discovered his father still inside the apartment.
Key Takeaways
- Rashamba Claybrooks, 29, was sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony murder and arson
- The victim, Sam Nash, 71, died of smoke inhalation in his third-floor apartment two floors above where the fire started
- Claybrooks set the blaze after her boyfriend told her to move out following a domestic dispute
- Firefighters initially missed locating Nash's body during their search of the burning building
- Claybrooks used cardboard and loose paper to ignite a closet filled with clothes before leaving the apartment
What's Next
Claybrooks will begin serving her 24-year sentence in the Wisconsin state prison system. The case remains closed following her guilty plea and sentencing, though Nash's family has spoken publicly about their grief over his death and their concerns regarding the initial emergency response that failed to locate him for two hours.