OPP have upgraded charges laid against a man in connection to a fatal single-vehicle collision in the Town of The Blue Mountains.
Police say on January 26, 2023 the Collingwood and Blue Mountains OPP investigated an incident on Arrowhead Road involving a collision in which the vehicle was discovered on fire. A deceased person was located inside the vehicle.
The deceased was identified as Ashley Schwalm, age 40, of Collingwood.
As a result of the ongoing investigation into the fatality, the charges against 38-year-old James Schwalm of Collingwood have been upgraded to:
First Degree Murder, section 235(1) of the Criminal Code
Indignity to a Dead Body, section 182(b) of the Criminal Code
Schwalm had initially been charged with second degree murder and indignity to a dead body.
The accused appeared in Bail Court today, where the charges were updated. OPP say he remains in custody.
The investigation by the Collingwood and Blue Mountains OPP Crime Unit, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigations Branch, is ongoing with the assistance of the Office of the Fire Marshal, Ontario Forensic Pathology Services, Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, OPP Forensic Identification Services, OPP Regional Support Team, OPP Technical Collision Investigator and Reconstructionists, and the OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT).
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Collingwood and Blue Mountains OPP at (705)445-4321 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.