Firefighter husband strangled wife, then burned her in their car

Ashley Schwalm was an interior designer, a mom of two and a wife with a marriage that was unraveling behind closed doors in ways that would ultimately turn deadly.

After her body was discovered in the front passenger footwell of her charred SUV, investigators would eventually learn that Schwalm's death was no tragic accident -- but the actions of the person closest to her.

A new "20/20" episode, "Footprints in the Snow" airing Friday, Feb. 13, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, examines the case.

You can also get more behind-the-scenes of each week's episode by listening to "20/20: The After Show" weekly series right on your 20/20 podcast feed on Mondays, hosted by "20/20" co-anchor Deborah Roberts.

In the early hours of Jan. 26, 2023, authorities found Schwalm's body in a fire-ravaged car off the side of a snowy road in Blue Mountains, Ontario.

Her family was devastated -- with her sister, Lindsay Milnes, honoring Schwalm in an interview with "20/20."

"She loved life," she said. "I rarely ever saw her without a smile."

Her father, Ian Milnes, echoed the sentiment in another interview with "20/20."

"You could just tell in her smile and her eyes that she was living," he said.

In the wake of her death, police began investigating her husband, firefighter James Schwalm.

He told police that he had an argument with his wife on the morning of her death because he wanted to go for a walk with their dog, Rocco, while she wanted to go for a hike.

Police then learned from the forensic pathology report that Ashley Schwalm was killed before her body was found in the burned car. The evidence from the scene also containing a Zippo lighter with the initials "JWS" -- the initials of his full name, James William Schwalm -- on it, according to authorities.

As the investigation continued, police learned that Ashley Schwalm previously had an affair with a former boss.

According to authorities, that man's wife confronted Ashley Schwalm about the affair, prompting her to reveal the relationship months before her death.

James Schwalm then began clandestinely flirting with the former boss's then ex-wife via text, eventually confessing his feelings for her. She acknowledged that she shared those feelings but wanted him to sort out his marital issues, according to police. 

Police arrested James Schwalm eight days after his wife's death on charges of second-degree murder and committing an indignity to a dead body. About a week later, prosecutors upgraded the charge to first-degree murder. Schwalm initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, but accepted a plea deal for the lesser charge of second-degree murder in June 2024.

He admitted that he strangled Ashley Schwalm before dressing her in hiking clothes and lighting the car on fire with her body inside, according to authorities.

In February 2025, James Schwalm was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole.

"I'm sorry for my terrible actions, and I want to return to the man that I once was, but this is the sentence. This is the fate that I deserve," he said at the sentencing hearing, according to people who were present.

Carrie Dyson, Ashley Schwalm's friend, remembered her as wonderful and kind individual in an interview with "20/20."

"She had the kindest heart, and I hope everyone can get a sense of who she was," Dyson said. "Her smile, her love for life was unmatched."

Ashley Schwalm's family honored her memory by partnering with their local women's domestic violence shelter, known as "My Friend's House" to bolster initiatives to end gender-based violence and hosted a memorial hike in September 2025.