A Swanzey man is scheduled for trial next month for allegedly trying to kill a woman he knew.
James Bostwick, 32, faces one count of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree assault (domestic violence-strangulation), one count of witness tampering, two counts of domestic violence criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, and two counts of second-degree assault (domestic violence-strangulation) while released on bail.
Under New Hampshire law, strangulation is defined as intentionally applying pressure to someone's throat or neck or blocking their nose or mouth with the result of impeded breathing or circulation or a change in the person's voice.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, strangulation is a strong predictor of future lethal violence. Someone who has been strangled by an intimate partner is 10 times more likely to be killed by them, research shows.
Prosecutors say the alleged crimes happened in Swanzey over a period of about eight months, from October 2024 to May 2025.
They allegedly began around Oct. 15, when Bostwick allegedly told a woman he was going to burn her while holding a lighter.
Two months later, prosecutors allege, he threatened the same woman with a knife.
In February, Bostwick, who was out on bail in a separate case, allegedly strangled the woman on two occasions.
Prosecutors say Bostwick tried to get the woman to withhold information about those incidents, threatening to kill her in April if she went to the courthouse for a hearing in Keene District Court.
The following month, Bostwick again allegedly strangled the woman. Swanzey police said at the time that he fled from the scene after seriously injuring her. He turned himself in later that day, according to police.
The woman was taken to a hospital with airway damage, police said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can visit the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention’s website at https://mcvprevention.org/. Help is also available at the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Call 1-800-799-7233 or text “BEGIN” to 88788, or call the New Hampshire helpline at 1-866-644-3574.
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