Deborah Roberts

We are going to look into the fact that James was charged in his wife's murder.

And we're going to take you into the court proceedings and the sentencing and also the possibility that he may at some point be a free man again.

So stay with us.

We're going to talk more about what happened with James when we come back.

Welcome back, everybody, to 2020 The After Show.

I am talking with Juju Chang here about her most recent report, Footprints in the Snow.

And this one just had so many of us not only talking, but scratching our heads.

The wife of a firefighter, 38-year-old James Schwalm's wife, Ashley, was found dead.

And ultimately, police were able to zero in on him as the killer.

He was the one who killed his wife and tried to cover his tracks.

He eventually, Juju, pleaded guilty in this case.

His kids would have had to testify potentially.

So I guess presumably everybody wanted to spare them that?

Yeah, it would have been traumatic for everybody involved.

Well, he was charged with first degree murder, but then he pleaded to what was his second degree.

That's what I think really floors us.

I mean, in the U.S., we are more accustomed to stiffer sentences.

But in this case, it's a little different.

You mentioned her friends and the victim impact statement from the family.

I mean, there were 21 victim impact statements being read.