James Schwalm of Collingwood, Ont., is pictured right here after he was promoted to captain at Brampton Fireplace and Emergency Providers. (Twitter/Brampton Fireplace and Emergency Providers – picture credit score)
A former Brampton fireplace captain has been sentenced to life in jail with no probability of parole for 20 years for killing his spouse in January 2023, an Ontario choose has dominated.
James Schwalm, a former fireplace captain with the Brampton Fireplace and Emergency Providers, pleaded responsible final June to second-degree homicide within the dying of his spouse Ashley Schwalm.
Schwalm confirmed no emotion within the prisoner’s field Monday, as Ontario Superior Court docket Justice Michelle Fuerst delivered the sentence in a Barrie courtroom.
Some members of his spouse’s household had been current and gave the impression to be visibly relieved.
Fuerst referred to as Schwalm’s actions chilly, callous and, in some methods, calculated.
The choose mentioned he was financially motivated as a result of the couple was having marital issues and she or he believed Schwalm was involved about the price of a divorce. She mentioned he additionally stood to achieve an insurance coverage settlement from his spouse’s dying.
Life in jail is an computerized sentence for pleading responsible to second-degree homicide, with parole eligibility starting from 10 to 25 years.
Based on an agreed assertion of details, Schwalm strangled his spouse inside their Collingwood residence, then tried to make it seem like she had been concerned in a crash. Her physique, burned past recognition, was present in an SUV within the City of Blue Mountains on Jan. 26, 2023.
Susan Milnes, Ashley’s aunt, mentioned whereas the household welcomes the courtroom’s determination, however it’s troublesome to have a good time it.
“It should by no means deliver her again. It simply will not,” Milnes mentioned.
The assertion of details within the case says dental information had been used to determine Ashley. She was 40 on the time of her dying, whereas Schwalm was 38. Ashley had been a venture coordinator with Farrow Venture Administration in Collingwood earlier than her dying.
The couple, married on the time, had two youngsters, a woman who was six and a boy who was 9 when their mom was killed.
Homicide made to seem like automobile crash, courtroom paperwork say
Based on the assertion of details, Schwalm strangled his spouse then dressed her in mountaineering garments and positioned her physique within the SUV she often used to drive to work.
Within the early morning of Jan. 26, 2023, whereas the couple’s youngsters had been nonetheless asleep, Schwalm then drove the SUV together with his spouse’s physique inside from their Collingwood residence to the realm of the Alpine Ski Membership, based on courtroom paperwork.
Schwalm proceeded to drive the automobile off the street to make it seem like it had been concerned in a crash, the courtroom paperwork say, earlier than protecting the within of the automobile and his lifeless spouse’s physique with fuel and lighting it, then taking off.
Schwalm was arrested a couple of week later.
A forensic pathologist’s investigation later revealed that Ashley was not alive on the time of the hearth, however as a substitute had died of neck compressions. Police discovered a lighter on the scene with the initials JWS. Schwalm’s full identify is James William Schwalm.
Each spouse and husband had affairs earlier than the homicide
The assertion of details says Ashley had an affair along with her boss in early 2022. In April 2022, the affair got here to mild, Ashley and Schwalm determined they wished to repair their marriage and she or he sought new employment.
Round Christmas, each Schwalm and Ashley advised relations they weren’t positive the wedding would work. Schwalm started having an affair with the ex-wife of the person with whom Ashley had had an affair.
On Jan. 21, 2023, Schwalm texted the lady to say he had decided and he wished to be glad no matter his spouse’s efforts to restore their relationship.
Additionally on Jan. 21, 2023, Schwalm requested a health care provider at a social gathering if one particular person may kill one other by snapping his or her neck. Schwalm had apparently mentioned he was making an attempt to settle a debate in regards to the veracity of Steven Seagal motion pictures.
On Jan. 25, 2023, two life insurance coverage insurance policies had been in place for Ashley. The couple’s youngsters had been the beneficiaries of 1 coverage, for $250,000, whereas Schwalm was the only beneficiary of the second coverage, which was for $1 million.
Schwalm arrested, charged
When questioned by police on Jan. 26, 2023, Schwalm mentioned his spouse had gone for a hike that morning on the Craigleith Ski Membership.
Schwalm then confirmed police textual content messages from Ashley — ones, the Crown argued, he used her cellphone to ship himself so as to steer police that Ashley had been alive when she left the home that morning.
Schwalm didn’t admit his guilt in a Jan. 28, 2023 assertion to police. However 5 days later, “after police had performed a complete and sophisticated investigation which required them to unravel his quite a few makes an attempt to divert suspicion to himself,” Schwalm was arrested and charged with the homicide of his spouse and inflicting an indignity to her physique, the assertion of details says.
