James Schwalm, a former captain with Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, is serving a life sentence after admitting to killing his wife, Ashley Schwalm, and trying to conceal the crime by placing her body in a vehicle and setting it on fire.
The disturbing case — featured on the Nov. 14 episode of Dateline — struck a personal chord for correspondent Andrea Canning, who grew up in Collingwood, the community at the center of the investigation.
“In my entire career, I never imagined covering a Dateline case from my own hometown,” Canning shared in a preview.
A Look at James Schwalm’s Background
James — known to friends as Jamie — grew up in the Toronto region and pursued firefighting after high school. He built a successful career and rose to the rank of captain before his arrest.
He often spent his free time at the private Craigleith Ski Club, where he met Ashley in the early 2010s. She was launching an interior design business and was remembered by those close to her as warm, attentive, and someone who made others feel truly valued. The couple married at the same ski club in a lavish 2012 ceremony filled with personal touches and symbols of their love for the outdoors.
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They later settled in Collingwood at the base of the Blue Mountains, where they welcomed a son and daughter. But behind the picture-perfect surface, finances and marital strain slowly intensified.
What Led to Ashley’s Murder
By 2021, pressures from demanding work schedules and money problems had begun to fracture the marriage. Ashley then entered an affair with her boss in early 2022. Although the relationship was discovered and the couple tried counseling, tensions continued.
In late 2022, James began his own affair with the wife of Ashley’s former partner. Text messages in January 2023 revealed he was seeking a new life — and was contemplating a violent escape from their marriage. He even asked about lethal neck injuries and spoke to others about the cost and stress of a potential custody battle.
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At the time, Ashley had two life insurance policies. Their children were beneficiaries of $250,000 — but James was set to receive $1 million if she died.
The Murder and Failed Cover-Up
On Jan. 25, 2023, a late-night argument escalated into tragedy. Evidence later showed James strangled Ashley inside their home while their two young children slept nearby.
To stage a fake hiking trip and accident, he changed Ashley’s clothing and placed her body in her car. He then drove to a location he’d scouted in advance, poured gasoline inside the vehicle, and set it ablaze after pushing it off the road. He also sent messages between their phones to simulate a narrative that she’d felt ill and smelled gas in the car.
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Attempting to maintain a normal routine, James left the scene to pick up a second vehicle his mother had moved for him, and returned to everyday life — until evidence began to unravel his story.
The Investigation That Exposed the Truth
James initially told police that Ashley went hiking that morning and that the car must have crashed due to a gas smell. But his account didn’t align with physical and digital evidence.
Surveillance footage contradicted his alibi. Footprints near the driver’s door showed someone fleeing the scene, and Ashley’s body placement didn’t match his crash story. Searches on his device included instructions on deleting history and information about car fires. The lighter used to ignite the blaze was later found near the site — engraved with his initials.
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A week after Ashley’s death, he was arrested. The autopsy confirmed she died from asphyxiation — not from the fire.
Life Sentence and Consequences for the Family
James was originally charged with first-degree murder but later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in June 2024. At sentencing in February 2025, he expressed remorse in court, acknowledging the devastation he caused.
He received life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 20 years.
Their children are now being raised by Ashley’s brother and his wife. The family has since relocated to rebuild their lives, and James is prohibited from contacting the children until they reach adulthood.
Why the Case Hit Home for Dateline’s Andrea Canning
Canning spent her early career reporting in the region and returned to Collingwood to cover this heartbreaking crime.
She interviewed multiple sources — from family and friends to law enforcement officers and investigators — some of whom she had worked alongside years earlier.
During her reporting, she also learned that both her family and the Schwalm family had long supported the same local domestic violence shelter, deepening the personal connection she felt to the case and its wider message about the dangers of intimate partner violence.
