The story of Ashley Schwalm, a Collingwood-area mother whose 2023 murder drew national and international attention, is once again in the spotlight as Dateline NBC airs a two-hour special exploring the crime, the investigation, and the lasting impact on the community. The episode revisits a case that stunned Ontario’s ski region and exposed the dark reality of domestic violence hidden in plain sight.
Ashley, 40, was found dead on January 26, 2023, inside a burned vehicle along Arrowhead Road near Highway 26 in The Blue Mountains. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident quickly unraveled into a calculated homicide. Police revealed that her husband, former Brampton fire captain James Schwalm, had strangled her, dressed her in hiking clothes, placed her in the car, and attempted to stage an accidental crash before setting the vehicle ablaze.
Schwalm pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last summer and was sentenced earlier this year to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years. In court, the judge condemned his actions as a profound betrayal of trust and “completely appallingly at odds” with his duties as a firefighter—someone expected to protect lives, not take them.
During the trial, investigators detailed troubling evidence: a strained marriage, financial tensions, and online searches linked to alimony, erasing digital history, and fire-starting methods. Schwalm apologized during sentencing, telling the court he is haunted by what he did. The couple’s two young children now live without any contact from their father, as outlined in the sentencing terms.
Dateline correspondent Andrea Canning, who grew up in the region and has deep ties to the Collingwood community, returned home to report the feature. She described the case as one that “hit especially close to her,” both personally and geographically. Canning and her team spent a week in Simcoe County interviewing investigators, friends, family, and journalists who followed the case from its earliest moments.
Among those featured is CTV News videographer Mike Arsalides, who covered the trial extensively. He recalls how the community reacted as horrifying new details emerged. “It was surreal,” he said. “You don’t expect a case like this to unfold in a close-knit ski town.”
The Dateline special also highlights how Ashley’s family is working to turn grief into action. They have begun raising funds in her memory for My Friend’s House, a Collingwood-based domestic violence shelter long supported by many local families—including Canning’s. “It’s strange,” she said in the special. “We donated for years without ever imagining we’d know someone directly affected.”
Ashley’s murder remains a painful chapter for the community—one that exposed the complexities of intimate partner violence and the hidden struggles that can exist behind familiar doors. But through renewed public attention and community-led advocacy, her family hopes her story will help others recognize the warning signs and seek support before tragedy strikes.
The Dateline episode airs Friday at 9 p.m. on NBC and becomes available Saturday on Crave.
