As previously reported by Law Enforcement Today, Borgwardt supposedly disappeared in August when his vehicle, trailer, and kayak were found at Green Lake. The search which lasted for 54 days changed track in October when per WFRV-TV, police discovered that Ryan’s name was run through law enforcement databases in Canada after his purported disappearance. A search of his laptop yielded data showing he had planned his own ‘death’ and worked to conceal his efforts by replacing his hard drive and clearing his browser’s search history. The father of three is also alleged to have signed a $375,000 life insurance policy and bought airline cards to facilitate his travel.
According to CBS News, Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll confirmed to reporters Wednesday that the allegedly missing man returned to the U.S. “on his own” after he faked his demise and fled to Eastern Europe. Podoll told the press, "He got on an airplane and landed in the United States.”
The Chief continued explaining that Borgwardt confessed to staging his flight by deliberately capsizing his kayak on the lake and paddling ashore on a child’s inflatable raft. He then rode his e-bike to a nearby bus station where he boarded a bus from Detroit to Ontario, Canada before boarding a flight to Europe. Police discovered his hop over the border into Canada in October and traced him via a sync from his laptop to the cloud.
Podoll said that Borgwardt was in contact with a woman in Uzbekistan, and they were eventually able to contact him through a Russian-speaking woman. Demurring from providing any additional detail or describing the Green Lake father’s relationship with the woman, he simply stated that Borgwardt returned to the U.S. of his own free will and was cooperating with authorities.NEW: Wisconsin man and married father of two who faked his own de*th after going kayaking, posts a proof of life video saying he is totally fine.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 22, 2024
Ryan Borgwardt is alive and well after staging a kayaking accident in August.
Authorities believe Borgwardt has fled to Uzbekistan… pic.twitter.com/Uf9OyhAGzN
"We brought a dad back on his own accord," he concluded.The Wisconsin man who police say faked his own drowning in August is now charged with misdemeanor obstruction.
— Janel Klein (@JanelKlein) December 11, 2024
Investigators say Ryan Borgwardt turned himself in, four months after staging an empty kayak and flying to the country of Georgia to see a woman he met online. pic.twitter.com/vMQNA3BONd
Reporting from The Daily Mail indicated that Borgwardt’s wife Emily, 44, has filed for separation from her husband writing in a petition obtained by the outlet, “The marriage is irretrievably broken.” Per the Mail, Ryan could be liable for the $35,000 spent on his manhunt.
