An O.C. man killed his neighbor over his smoking habit. Now he'll spend 50 years to life in prison

"Kahmar, a young father who lived with his girlfriend and infant daughter, had a regular habit of sitting on his balcony to smoke cigarettes and marijuana. It was a routine that prosecutors say slowly grated on Clarke, eventually to the point that his "anger consumed him," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing brief filed in court. Tensions got so high that Clarke allegedly threw water on Kahmar's girlfriend as she smoked on her balcony, police said."

"But the situation came to head on the evening of Aug. 30, 2023, when Kahmar, who was alone with his infant daughter, stepped outside to smoke. Clarke grabbed a 9mm Glock from his gun safe, went downstairs to Kahmar's apartment and shot him several times, prosecutors wrote in the sentencing brief. Kahmar called 911, screaming that he had been shot. When police arrived a few minutes later, Clarke had fled and Kahmar was dead in the apartment."

Sidney Bararchi Clarke shot and killed 21-year-old Logan Kahmar after ongoing complaints about Kahmar's balcony smoking of cigarettes and marijuana. Kahmar lived with his girlfriend and infant daughter and routinely smoked on his balcony, a habit that escalated tensions with Clarke, including an incident where Clarke allegedly threw water on Kahmar's girlfriend. On Aug. 30, 2023, Clarke retrieved a 9mm Glock from his gun safe, went to Kahmar's apartment and shot him multiple times; Kahmar called 911 but died at the scene. Investigators found Clarke's open gun safe and vehicle paperwork; Clarke was arrested the next day and later convicted and sentenced to 50 years to life.

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