A Birmingham woman has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for arson. U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco handed down a 135-month sentence to Kimberly Lanetta Blackmon, aged 39, following her guilty plea in July 2024.
The case stems from an incident on October 18, 2022, when Blackmon placed an incendiary device outside an apartment door in the Lakeview District of Birmingham. According to court documents, she believed the apartment was occupied by someone romantically involved with her ex-boyfriend. The device exploded and caused a fireball that resulted in moderate damage to the apartment's door and interior threshold. Although the fire was extinguished by the building's sprinkler system before it could cause injuries or further spread, nearly $470,000 in property damage occurred.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz announced the sentencing alongside U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Birmingham Police Department, while Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer prosecuted the case.
