It was January 26, 2023, on a frigid, stormy morning in the Town of the Blue Mountains, a picturesque ski destination two hours northwest of Toronto.
Just before dawn, a volunteer firefighter came upon a car, engulfed in flames just over an embankment. He called 911.
First responders raced to put out the flames. There was no driver inside the charred Mitsubishi SUV.
But when they checked the passenger side, the firefighters found remains.
Investigators with the Ontario Provincial Police arrived on the scene and were able to identify the car as belonging to a man named James Schwalm, who lived 10 miles west in the town of Collingwood. They headed to his home, but no one was there.
They needed to find his wife to inform her that they believed James was dead.
It turned out, Ashley Schwalm didn’t show up to work that day. And her husband, James, was very much alive…
To find out what happened, watch the full episode “Running Man” on Peacock now.
You can also watch on the NBC app or listen to the full episode on our podcast.
Plus, learn more about My Friend’s House, a women’s and children’s shelter in Collingwood.
And watch as Ashley’s loved ones remember her as a creative and loving woman whose laugh was infectious.
Then listen to this week’s episode of Talking Dateline, in which Andrea and Blayne Alexander take you behind the scenes of the episode and Andrea shares what it was like to cover a story that took place where she grew up.