James Schwalm Went From Being a Respected Member of His Community to Becoming a Killer
This is a tale as old as time.
Published Nov. 14 2025, 1:18 p.m. ET
No marriage is perfect, but the union between James Schwalm and his wife, Ashley, was bumpy at best. By the time Christmas 2022 rolled around, their lives looked like something one would stumble upon in a Lifetime movie. Ashley had an affair with her boss earlier that year. At some point, James started stepping out with the ex-wife of Ashley's lover. It was less of a love triangle and more of a love labyrinth.
Ashley found a new job, so the couple started working on their marriage. Ultimately, James decided he was happier with the woman he had been seeing on the side. On Jan. 21, 2023, he texted his gal pal to tell her he was all in. Five days later, Ashley's body was found inside her 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander, per Timmins Today. It didn't take long for authorities to direct their attention to James. Where is he now? Here's what we know.
Where is James Schwalm now?
In February 2025, James was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years for the murder of his wife. According to the CBC, the former fire captain with the Brampton Fire and Emergency Services pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in June 2024.
As Ontario Superior Court Justice Michelle Fuerst handed down the sentence, James remained stone-faced. Judge Fuerst described his actions as cold, callous, and calculated. She went on to say that Ashley's murder was financially motivated because James didn't want to go through a costly divorce. There were also two life insurance policies in Ashley's name. James stood to get a little more than $1 million for himself and their children.
What happened to Ashley Schwalm?
James had already been acting strangely in the days leading up to Ashley's death. While at a party on Jan. 21, he asked a guest who was a doctor if it was possible to kill someone by snapping their neck. He attributed his odd question to a debate he was having with a friend about the accuracy of Steven Seagal movies.
When law enforcement sifted through James's search history, they discovered he had been looking up information about alimony. He also wanted to know if a person's iPhone history can be seen after it's been deleted. Perhaps the most damaging question was, "Does a road flare completely burn?" One would think a fire captain would already know this.
On the day of Ashley's murder, James arrived home around 7:00 a.m. after working a 12-hour shift. He had already begun building his defense by texting Ashley to ask if she could pick up gasoline for their snowblower. This was later used to explain why her burned car reeked of gas. James dropped one of their kids off at a horseback riding lesson while Ashley was at work. She got home at 4:30 and took their dog out for a walk.
An argument that evening, on Jan. 25, ended with James strangling Ashley. Early the next morning, James drove Ashley's body in her car to an area near the Alpine Ski Club, where James had already left another vehicle he borrowed from his mother. He set Ashley's car on fire and ran to his mother's car. When police pressed James about the many discrepancies in his story, he confessed a little over a week later.