Life in prison for confessed wife murderer and ex-Brampton fire captain

The former Brampton fire captain who confessed to killing his wife and leaving her body in a burned-out SUV will spend life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years.

In June, James Schwalm – a former Brampton Fire and Emergency Services captain and Collingwood resident – pleaded guilty to the 2023 second-degree murder of his wife Ashley Milnes.

Milnes’ body was found in The Blue Mountains after Schwalm strangled her to death at their Collingwood home on Jan. 26 while the couple’s two children were asleep inside the home at the time.

After a delay in sentencing, Schwalm has been handed down a life sentence for Milnes’ murder with no chance of parole for at least 20 years, according to reports.

Life in prison is the automatic sentence for a second-degree murder guilty plea, with parole eligibility ranging from 10 to 25 years.

A Brampton firefighter at the time of the murder, Schwalm was promoted to fire captain in February 2019, according to Brampton Fire and Emergency Services.

He was let go from BFES once the service was made aware of the charges.

Former Brampton fire captain James Schwalm initially told investigators his wife took the SUV to go hiking, and the court heard he took steps to cover his tracks – including sending text messages to himself from his dead wife’s phone.

The couple’s 10-year marriage was on the rocks at the time of the murder, court heard, and Schwalm had reportedly learned of an affair Milnes had with her boss before starting an extra-marital relationship of his own.

After strangling Milnes to death in their home with their two children in another room, Schwalm dressed her body in hiking clothes before putting her inside the SUV, according to an Agreed Statement of Fact. He then drove the vehicle and crashed it down an embankment before setting the SUV on fire.

Schwalm initially told investigators his wife took the SUV to go hiking, and the court heard he took steps to cover his tracks – including sending text messages to himself from his dead wife’s phone.

He had researched how to start a fire without leaving evidence, the court heard.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the impacted family and friends, and those grieving the loss during this very difficult time,” read a statement from the city in 2023.