Fire captain was 'inconsolable' when his wife was found dead in a burning wreck... then the chilling truth emerged

At archetypal glance, it looked arsenic though the mom-of-two had mislaid power of her car precocious astatine nighttime and swerved disconnected the snow-covered roadworthy successful the bitter acold down a steep embankment.

The conveyance burst into flames, sidesplitting Ashley Schwalm, nee Milnes, 40, successful a seemingly tragic mishap that shocked friends, household and community.

Her hubby of 10 years, James Schwalm - a firefighter - was inconsolable, near to rise their 2 children, aged six and nine, connected his own.

The heartbroken trio moved successful with his deceased wife’s household arsenic they picked up the pieces of their shattered lives.

Except Schwalm’s grief was a savage lie.

Police yet determined helium had strangled his woman astatine their three-bedroom location successful Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, portion his children were sleeping.

He past staged the full clang tract arsenic portion of an elaborate execution plot. 

A skipper with the Brampton occurrence department, Schwalm archetypal dressed his dormant woman successful hiking apparel aft the murder. 

He past near his sleeping children astatine location unsocial and drove the assemblage successful her 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV to a quiescent country adjacent Alpine Ski Club successful the Blue Mountains.

At astir 6am connected July 26, 2023, helium doused the conveyance successful gasoline and torched it with the assemblage wrong utilizing a lighter with his ain initials connected - JWS - which helium near astatine amid the flaming wreckage.

Surveillance footage captured a idiosyncratic with a ample backpack moving from the scene.

Schwalm, 40, past methodically embarked connected an elaborate screen up to fell his tracks.

He utilized his mother’s car, which he’d parked nearby, arsenic a getaway conveyance aft staging the fake crash.

He besides sent a bid of texts to himself from his wife’s telephone to unreal she was inactive alive.

In 1 text, helium asked her to capable up state cans for a snowblower.

Then, pretending to beryllium her, helium wrote: ‘Ok I’m going to zip retired I deliberation kids volition beryllium good their sleeping’. 

In another, arsenic the pistillate helium had conscionable killed successful acold blood, helium texted: ‘Eww I near the state cans successful my car and it smells.’

One much said: ‘Oh, I person vertigo. I’m going to unreserved home.’

Later, arsenic helium took them to school, helium told his 2 children their parent had near to spell connected a hike.

Ashley Schwalm, a task manager, was identified utilizing dental records. A post-mortem revealed his woman had been killed by strangulation and that she was dormant earlier the fire.

Two days aft the death, Schwalm gave a connection to officers from Ontario Provincial Police, saying helium had been walking the household canine successful the vicinity erstwhile his woman had seemingly crashed her car.

He handed implicit surveillance footage from their home’s information camera which helium claimed showed him leaving the spot with their favored - but constabulary aboriginal determined the movie had been ‘deliberately manufactured.’

Schwalm was yet arrested connected February 3, 2023.

The fairytale matrimony began erstwhile the mates wed astatine Craigleith Ski Club, with the bride arriving by equine and carriage.

‘I’ve been picturing that infinitesimal since I was a small girl,’ she told Wedding Bells mag successful 2012.

‘I genuinely felt similar a princess and isn’t that however you’re expected to consciousness connected your wedding day?’

A misspelled 2013 Valentine’s Day tweet to his woman read: ‘Lots of radical tin accidental your beauteous erstwhile they conscionable you Guys astatine the barroom accidental your blistery but I get to telephone you beauteous each day.’

But the fairytale began crumbling. Schwalm had discovered his wife’s matter with her enactment brag successful 2022.

She changed jobs and the mates tried marital counselling, hoping to prevention their relationship.

But helium was secretly ‘nurturing’ an matter with her erstwhile boss’ ex-wife. Days earlier the killing, helium had told the pistillate helium had beardown feelings for her and the pistillate replied she felt the aforesaid astir him.

In January 2023, a tribunal heard, helium besides told a pistillate person that helium would bash immoderate it took to marque himself blessed ‘regardless of Ashley inactive wanting to marque their matrimony work.’

Eventually, they were heading for divorcement and overnight connected the evening of January 25 past year, they had a furious row.

In the days starring up to the murder, Schwalm searched online for ‘alimony.’

He besides typed successful the questions ‘can you spot iPhone past aft deleted’ and ‘does a roadworthy flare wholly burn’.

Schwalm told investigators helium had been disquieted astir the imaginable outgo of divorce.

During a societal gathering, helium asked a doc contiguous if it was imaginable to termination idiosyncratic by snapping their cervix similar histrion Steven Seagal’s quality does successful his movies.

It emerged that his woman had a $1 cardinal ($712,000 USD) beingness security argumentation of which helium was the sole beneficiary. There was besides a $250,000 argumentation for their children successful the lawsuit of her death.

During a November 25 tribunal hearing, household and friends provided 21 interaction statements earlier sentencing.

They said ‘AJ’ was a beloved relation model, unthinkable mother, person and confidant for many.

Her sister described however the household had supported him erstwhile helium moved into their location pursuing the alleged accident.

‘James deceived us. No magnitude of justness volition ever beryllium capable for the monstrous enactment helium has committed,’ she said.

‘He sat present breached and grieving portion we consoled him, adjacent though helium knew what he’d done.’

Her begetter labeled Schwalm a ‘pure narcissist,’ adding: 'This selfish enactment lone benefited you, Jamie. This was perpetrated by a astute man, a leader, a archetypal responder.'

A household person said: ‘How connected world could helium bash this to his ain children?’

A relative said Ashley ‘was murdered by the 1 idiosyncratic who was expected to support her.’

A household person described however her four-year-old lad happily hugged Schwalm aft his wife’s decease due to the fact that the youngster ‘trusted firefighter Jamie.’

Then Schwalm ‘picked him up and gave him a long, choky embrace.

‘This representation volition haunt america for the remainder of our lives. We allowed the hands that conscionable murdered our person to clasp our child. 

‘I can’t wrapper my caput astir however helium could bash this to anyone, fto unsocial the parent of his children, a beauteous psyche who was loved by so, truthful galore people.

In June this year, Schwalm pled not blameworthy to first-degree murder, alternatively admitting to second-degree murder.

Prosecuting lawyer Lynne Saunders told the tribunal it was an 'exceedingly' brutal murder, 'thought about, considered, weighed and executed.' 

Her counterpart, defence lawyer Joelle Klein told the court: ‘This was not the enactment of an different untrustworthy and convulsive man.’

Schwalm is facing an automatic beingness sentence. In February, Justice Michelle Fuerst volition find however agelong Schwalm volition person to beryllium down bars earlier helium is eligible to use for parole, which could beryllium up to 25 years. 

Weeping, Schwalm said successful written statement: ‘I despise my actions and americium haunted that they proceed to wounded the radical I loved and cared for the most. I americium ashamed. 

‘This is wherever I request to be, merit to be.’ 

A GoFundMe leafage has been acceptable up to assistance the bereaved children. 

It says Ashley was 'an astonishing mother, friend, sister and daughter. She was arsenic treasured nonmigratory of Collingwood and a peculiar subordinate of the Brampton firefighter community.

'Her top joyousness was her beauteous children. Both of their worlds person been turned upside down and they present request our support, stability, and nurturing much than ever.'

Her member and his woman are present their ineligible guardians arsenic 'they prime up the pieces successful the aftermath of the devastation.'