Milwaukee fatal fire; woman charged, victim's sister speaks out
Milwaukee fatal fire, victim's sister speaks out
A 71-year-old man is dead after an apartment fire broke out in Milwaukee earlier this month, and a woman now faces charges.
MILWAUKEE - A 71-year-old man is dead after an apartment fire broke out in Milwaukee earlier this month, and a woman now faces charges.
But the woman has not been charged in connection with the death.
What we know:
Investigators say 28-year-old Milwaukee woman Rashamba Claybrooks started a fire in her boyfriend’s apartment near 30th and Capitol on Tuesday, April 8. Claybrooks has been charged with the following:
- Arson of a building
- Arson of property other than a building
- Disorderly conduct, domestic abuse assessments
- Bail jumping (misdemeanor), domestic abuse assessments (2 counts)
Rashamba Claybrooks
The backstory:
The Milwaukee Police Department said the fire happened around 2:20 p.m. near 30th and Capitol. The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the apartment fire and located the deceased man inside the residence.
Milwaukee 'suspicious' fatal fire, 30th and Capitol; police seek suspect
A 71-year-old is dead after an apartment fire broke out in Milwaukee on Tuesday, April 8.
Police said the cause of the fire was "suspicious."
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According to the criminal complaint, Claybrooks started the fire in her boyfriend’s apartment after they spent the day arguing, and he had asked her to move out. Hours later, the 71-year-old man identified as Sam Nash was found unconscious in his unit and later died.
What they're saying:
Debra Nash wants answers and, more than anything, for justice to be served for her brother.
"Help us understand, we just want a sense of peace so that we can begin to heal," Nash said. "What happened to my brother? He was everything. Sam was a former military veteran so his age was 71, but it was almost like he was aging backwards because every day."
She said she would like to see homicide charges filed.
"I hope that my brother’s picture is constantly in her mind when she closes her eyes, when she thinks, when she talks. I just want a memory of our brother in her mind because that’s so unfair," Nash said. "I feel like something is missing because nothing says anything about my brother’s death. None of those charges say that my brother is gone. I have to talk to him in heaven now."
Dig deeper:
She also wants accountability from the MIlwaukee Fire Department. She said her nephew found his father Sam unconscious almost two hours later.
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"I walked up to a fireman and said my brother is up there. I was just on the phone with him and now I’m not getting an answer. He said this building is listed as all clear," she said. "We want to know what happened. How did our brother out of all the tenants being rescued from this building? How did my brother get missed? So now we’re at a loss."
FOX6 News reached out to the MFD for comment but did not hear back.
What's next:
Claybrooks’ initial court appearance is set for Thursday morning, April 24. Regarding additional charges, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office said the investigation is ongoing.
If convicted, Claybrook could face more than 40 years in prison.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.