Kriti Mehrotra
On January 26, 2023, the entire world turned upside down for the loved ones of Ashley Jane Milnes Schwalm as her unrecognizable remains were recovered from inside her burned vehicle. However, as profiled in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Running Man,’ the fact that the 40-year-old mother of two from Collingwood in Ontario, Canada, had died from manual strangulation affected them the most. That’s because they never could have imagined that anybody would want to harm the proud family woman they affectionately referred to as “Boo Boo” or “Boob” in such a heinous way.
Ashley Schwalm’s Tight-Knit Family Has Endured Many Losses Over the Years
Around 1973, Ian Milnes married Shelley Stocks in a beautiful ceremony, following which they happily chose to settle in suburban Toronto, Ontario. That’s where they welcomed four children into their lives – Lesley Anne Milnes, Lindsey Patricia Milnes, Ashley Jane Milnes, and Ian Davis Milnes – proudly raising them in the wondrous neighborhood of Hoggs Hollow. According to records, while the family patriarch was a thriving finance professional who always worked hard to be a provider, the matriarch was an affectionate, devoted homemaker.
Shelley and Jane ensured that they gave their children the best possible life, full of a supportive home, everyday comforts, as well as some exclusive luxuries to help them be well-rounded. Therefore, when they all chose to pursue their own individual paths in this world while also maintaining the tight-knit familial bond they had grown up with, the couple knew they had done their job right. But alas, tragedy soon struck as Shelley was diagnosed with brain tumours and cancer, the complex as well as lengthy battle against which she lost at the age of 55 on September 25, 2004.
Shelley and Jane had been blissfully married for over 31 years before she passed away, so all 4 of their children also hoped to have such a forever, unwavering love for themselves one day. Eventually, their youngest daughter, Ashley, believed she had finally found it with firefighter James Schwalm, resulting in their marriage in 2012 before they started a family and relocated to Collingwood. However, the reality of their union was unfortunately much different, as he ended up being the one behind her 2023 murder – he strangled her before setting the scene to look like an accident.
Ashley Schwalm’s Family Never Believed She Died in an Accident
While Ashley and James often seemed like an idyllic couple with two adorable children, the former’s elder sister, Lindsay, knew that her brother-in-law was not as perfect as he came across. As per her own accounts, she never really thought of the firefighter as monstrous as the act he ultimately committed, but she had noticed some worrying details in how he treated his wife while angry. In an interview with the Toronto Star, she stated that she had heard him call the mother of his children the c-word during an argument in 2017, which made her so angry that she called him out on it.
Moreover, looking back in hindsight, Lindsay, as well as several of Ashley’s other loved ones, now allegedly believe that James was a cold, narcissistic, control freak when it came to his wife. That’s because, according to them, he reportedly isolated her from friends and family alike, made her follow his own strict diet, and pushed her to often partake in activities she had no interest in. Therefore, when he told officials all he knew was that Ashley had gone on a hike on the fateful morning and never returned, they didn’t believe him, despite the mother of two being passionate about it.
According to Lindsay, there was no way Ashley would have gone on a hike at 5 am to an exclusive ski club 20 minutes away from her home after a heavy snowfall, so she had her suspicions early on. However, she didn’t really voice them because she also knew it was a possibility that her sister had left early, following an argument with her husband, since they had been having marital issues. As days passed by, though, James’ narrative wasn’t really adding up in any way, driving investigators to look deeper, uncover the whole truth, and arrest him for his wife’s murder on February 3, 2023.
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Ashley Schwalm’s Family Largely Prefers to Lead Quiet Lives Today
When James was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years in exchange for pleading guilty to one count of second-degree murder, Ashley’s family members gave victim impact statements. One of her sisters said, “No amount of justice will ever be enough for the monstrous act he has committed,” before adding she still can’t stop wondering what he was thinking when he destroyed their family. “James deceived us,” she continued during the February 2025 hearing.“… (He moved into our home and) sat there broken and grieving while we consoled him, even though he knew what he’d done.” On the other hand, Ashley’s father, Ian, said, in part, “This selfish act only benefited you, Jamie.”
Regarding Ashley’s family, from what we can gather, the majority of them still reside in Toronto, Ontario, where they are raising their own families today. Ian is retired and making the most of his free time by surrounding himself with friends, children, and grandchildren. In contrast, Lesley, Lindsay, and Ian Jr. seem to be focusing on finding a balance between their careers and family lives. All we know for certain is that despite all the grief and pain the Milnes’ have endured, they remain a tight-knit unit to this day, dedicated to keeping the memories of Shelley and Ashley alive in their hearts. They are also determined to keep talking about Ashley’s case to raise awareness about domestic violence and are affiliated with a non-profit agency called My Friends House that offers support to survivors.
