A Hometown Tragedy in Collingwood, Ontario

Collingwood, Ontario—a picturesque town on Nottawasaga Bay—has long been the gateway to the Blue Mountains, home to one of Canada’s largest ski resorts. With its outdoor lifestyle, small-town charm, and year-round tourism, the region is hardly the place one expects a brutal homicide. But on January 26, 2023, everything changed.

That morning, firefighters discovered a burning SUV in a wooded ditch near the Blue Mountains. Inside were the charred remains of Ashley Jane Schwalm, a 40-year-old mother of two. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident was quickly revealed to be a deliberate killing.

Discovery: From Accident to Homicide

The autopsy confirmed Ashley had been manually strangled before the fire. Snowy footprints around the scene and a lighter engraved “JWS”—James William Schwalm’s initials—raised immediate red flags.

OPP investigators built a timeline pointing to a staged crime, and soon the spotlight turned to Ashley’s husband, James (Jamie) Schwalm, a respected fire captain.

The Dateline Episode: “Running Man”

Dateline NBC’s “Running Man”, which aired on November 14, 2025, meticulously reconstructs the investigation. Reporter Andrea Canning, who grew up in the Blue Mountains and began her broadcasting career in nearby Barrie, returned home to cover the case.

Her emotional connection to the community—and to My Friend’s House, the local domestic-violence shelter supported by both families—brought added depth to the episode.

Victim Background

Ashley was remembered as a dedicated mother and accomplished project manager in real estate and construction. She and James met at Craigleith Ski Club, married in 2012, and raised two children in Collingwood.

But by 2022, their marriage had deteriorated. Both had extramarital affairs, finances were strained, and life-insurance policies valued at over $1 million named James as beneficiary.

The Night of the Murder

On January 25, 2023, an argument erupted in the Schwalm home. The couple’s son later recalled hearing his mother plead for her phone and the sounds of a violent struggle.

James strangled Ashley, then staged the cover-up:

• Dressed her in hiking clothes
• Placed her body in her SUV
• Drove to a secluded location he had previously scouted
• Doused the vehicle in gasoline
• Pushed it into a ditch and set it on fire
• Ran from the scene—captured on surveillance video, earning the case its “Running Man” name

He then sent text messages from Ashley’s phone to himself to fake a hiking mishap.

Key Evidence

Investigators uncovered:

• Surveillance video of a man matching James’ build running near the dump site
• Internet searches about starting car fires and deleting phone data
• Footprints in snow leading away from the SUV
• Engraved lighter with his initials
• Inconsistent alibi
• Testimony from the children about the fight the night before

The case against James grew overwhelming.

Investigation Timeline

Trial and Aftermath

Faced with overwhelming forensic and digital evidence, James accepted a plea for second-degree murder. In February 2025, he received life imprisonment with the maximum 20-year parole ineligibility.

James is now barred from contacting his children before adulthood. The children live with Ashley’s brother and sister-in-law.

Ashley’s family now works closely with My Friend’s House to advocate for domestic-violence awareness—ensuring her story protects others.

Why the Story Resonates

Canning’s Dateline special underscores that even the most peaceful, scenic communities can face devastating violence. Her return to the place where she grew up added a powerful emotional layer to the investigation.

As she stated in the episode, “No one expected something like this to happen in their own backyard.”