Kriti Mehrotra
It was on January 26, 2023, when Ashley Milnes Schwalm’s remains were discovered inside a burned vehicle off a road near Alpine Ski Club in The Blue Mountains in Ontario, Canada. The 40-year-old mother of two was beyond recognition, as explored in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Running Man,’ but investigators were still thankfully able to arrest her perpetrator in a week. That’s because all signs only led towards the man she once trusted with everything, her husband of over 10 years, as well as the father of both her young children, James William Schwalm.
Time Had Taken a Toll on Ashley and James Schwalm’s Marriage
While it’s unclear when Ashley Milnes first met James Schwalm, they quickly realized they shared an innate connection and began dating. In fact, they fell so head over heels in love that they soon decided to tie the knot in a beautifully cozy, intimate ceremony in September 2012 while surrounded by most of their loved ones. They eventually settled down in suburban Collingwood, where they welcomed a kind son and a loving daughter before completing their family by adopting an adorable pup named Rocco.
Honestly, the Schwalms seemed like an idyllic family in every sense, but the reality was much different behind closed doors as Ashley and James were having serious marital issues. According to records, they had not only drifted apart but were also struggling with infidelity because they had both stepped out on one another by the time early 2023 had rolled around. It was in 2022 when the then-Captain with the Brampton Fire & Emergency Services learned of his wife’s affair with her boss, following which they went to counselling in the hopes of repairing their relationship.
In a rather twisted turn of events, though, James was the one who subsequently began nurturing an illicit involvement outside of his marriage, and that too with Ashley’s boss’ ex-wife. In fact, it was in mid-January 2023 that this new duo essentially made their affair official, with him pouring his heart out in a romantic confession and her making it clear the feelings were reciprocated. What’s more is that the firefighter had reportedly told her he was wondering about a divorce before later asserting he had made a decision that would be best for their new future together.
There Was a Mountain of Evidence Against James Schwalm
When Ashley’s charred remains were recovered from inside her burned car on January 26, 2023, investigators obviously didn’t hesitate to delve into her personal life and question her husband of 10 years. As per records, during his first interview, James told officials that all he knew was his wife had gone for an early morning hike at the Craigleith Ski Club and hadn’t returned home. He even showed them their text thread to indicate he had an alibi since he had messaged her to say he had taken Rocco out for a walk just prior to her leaving, and her having responded.
However, an interview with Ashley and James’ 9-year-old son changed everything because he candidly told detectives he had heard his parents fight in the early hours of that fateful day. According to his accounts, he had awoken to the loud voices of his parents arguing, and his mother allegedly asked him to get her phone so that she could call the police as soon as she saw him. His father’s response to this, the young boy reportedly said, was to order him back to his bedroom, so that’s precisely what he did before opening his door again at around 3 am after hearing James cry.
As per the 9-year-old’s statements, James noticed him watching as he put on his coat, so he declared he was taking the dog for a walk, but the child later saw Rocco still in the sunroom. With all this, investigators dug deeper into the couple’s personal life, uncovering their respective affairs as well as the firefighter’s interest in divorce expenses and his wife’s life insurance policy. They learned he had not only made cryptic remarks to his lover but also surfed the internet about alimony, car fires, and whether search history is saved even when deleted mere days before Ashley’s murder.
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James Schwalm is Currently Behind Bars, Serving a Life Sentence
James was arrested for his wife’s first-degree murder on February 3, 2023, with officials hypothesizing that he believed removing her from the picture was better than going through a divorce. The fact that they had surveillance footage from near the vehicle fire site, circumstantial evidence from the firefighter’s internet history, and his son’s statements only solidified their argument. According to court records, James was accused of strangling Ashley following their argument, changing her clothes, and then driving her to the cliff near Alpine Ski Club before setting the car on fire.
In the end, in June 2024, James pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, with the prosecutors suggesting the sentence of a life term with the possibility of parole after 21-22 years. On the other hand, the defense requested parole after 13-14 years, asserting he had taken responsibility for his actions and was genuinely remorseful about what had transpired. However, in February 2025, the judge ultimately sentenced James to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years, along with an order to have no contact with his children until they are 18.
“I never thought I saw myself capable of these horrendous actions,” James said in court during one of his hearings in November 2024. “I despise my actions and am haunted they continue to hurt the people I love and care for the most. This path is not one I thought I could ever take, but it is where I shamefully and sadly have put and forced others. This is where I need and deserve to be because of my terrible, awful actions.” Therefore, today, the fired firefighter is incarcerated at a correctional facility in Ontario, Canada, where he is expected to remain until at least 2053.
