Dateline: Running Man - Everything we know about the latest true crime episode

Dateline: Running Man (Image via YouTube/@Dateline NBC)
Dateline: Running Man (Image via YouTube/Dateline NBC)

Dateline's latest episode, Running Man, is out now. The story is based in a town in the Blue Mountains of Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Running Man is narrated by Andrea Canning, a Canadian journalist who has been with Dateline NBC for over a decade.

The NBC show, featuring journalists Lester Holt, Keith Morrison, and Andrea Canning, is the longest-running investigative series as of today, with over fourteen hundred episodes.

The trailer for Running Man, which dropped on November 14, has already crossed twelve thousand views on YouTube, and viewers are clearly ready to dig deeper into this case.


What happens in Dateline: Running Man?

The Dateline episode Running Man follows the search for Ashley, the wife of James Schwalm. Her car was found burned about 75 feet off the road, and when detectives checked the details, they learned the vehicle was registered under James' name. The crime took place in January 2023.

In the trailer, Detective Shiffman is seen visiting James' home. Inside, he finds just one photo of James and Ashley standing in front of a fire truck, but there is no sign of James anywhere.

The episode also looks at firefighter Brittney Homberg, who worked with James for over ten years. The trailer shows that even she couldn't reach him, as he ignored her calls too.

Describing the process of the investigation, Canning said:

"We’re talking to a lot of different people, family, colleagues of Jamie, friends, law enforcement, the OPP - some from the Collingwood detachment, and the lead investigator who is based in Orillia"

The Dateline episode takes viewers through how police figured out what really happened to Ashley Schwalm. At first, it looked like her car had crashed and then caught fire, but the investigation quickly showed that was not the case.

When officers found the burned vehicle on Highway 26 in the Blue Mountains, the scene didn't match a normal accident. As they dug deeper, they learned the crash had been staged. Detectives later confirmed that Ashley had been killed before the fire, and the entire setup was done to make it look like an accident.

There was plenty of evidence, including surveillance footage, a statement from his son, and James' internet search history. Their work eventually led them to her husband, James Schwalm, and the case ended with his arrest and conviction.

During the court hearing, James, talking about his actions, said:

"I despise my actions and am haunted they continue to hurt the people I love and care for the most. This path is not one I thought I could ever take, but it is where I shamefully and sadly have put and forced others. This is where I need and deserve to be because of my terrible, awful actions."

His sentence bars him from contacting his children until they turn eighteen and gives him a chance at parole after twenty years.


Where to watch Dateline: Running Man?

Interested viewers can watch the Dateline: Running Man episode on FuboTV or Peacock TV. Dateline also releases episodes on Spotify, their official podcast feed, and the NBC app, which viewers can keep an eye on. The episode has already been released and has a one-hour runtime.


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Edited by Ritika Pal