A Woman Set Her Boyfriend’s Home on Fire Aft...

A Woman Set Her Boyfriend’s Home on Fire After He Asked Her to Move Out… But the Person Who Lost Their Life in the Blaze Was Someone No One Ever Expected

A Wisconsin woman has been sentenced more than a year after she set her boyfriend’s home aflame and killed his elderly neighbor.

Rashamba Claybrooks, 29, pleaded guilty to felony murder-arson of building in a case filed in April 2025, according to online court records reviewed by PEOPLE.

Sam Nash, 71, died after he was found unconscious in his unit at a Milwaukee, Wis. apartment building on April 8, 2025, hours after Claybrooks set her boyfriend’s apartment on fire in the same building, according to a criminal complaint cited by FOX 6 and CBS 58.

The investigation determined Claybrooks set the fire during a domestic dispute, according to both outlets.

After spending the day arguing, Claybrooks set the fire after her boyfriend asked her to move out, FOX 6 reported, citing the complaint.

Sam Nash.Sam Nash/Facebook

Nash was was a beloved father and brother who was always looking out for his family members, his sister Debra Nash previously told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

After their parents died, Nash took on a guardian role for both his siblings and three children, she said.

A former U.S. Marine Corps member, he would take care of his siblings with Alzheimer’s and lupus. He paid for Debra’s exam for a substance abuse control license, called to check whether she was studying and celebrated with her after she got the license, the grieving sister had told the outlet.

On Facebook, Debra posted a tribute to him for his birthday on Dec. 3.

“Please continue to Watch over your Little Sister! I can’t say much cause I’m still tender,” she wrote alongside a photo of his.

Rashamba Claybrooks.Milwaukee Police Department

Claybrooks pleaded guilty in April to felony murder-arson of building and arson of property other than building, according to online court records reviewed by PEOPLE.

She had also been charged with disorderly conduct and bail jumping, but those charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, the records show.

She had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease to all charges.

A judge sentenced her 32 years, and she has been ordered to serve the initial 24 years in prison and be under extended supervision for eight years, according to the records.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

SOURCE: PEOPLE

https://people.com/elderly-neighbor-died-after-couple-s-argument-led-to-arson-12057147