In Aug., Wisconsin man Ryan Borgwardt left his family deeply distressed after he mysteriously disappeared while kayaking. It was initially believed that the father of three had drowned, and authorities put in time, effort, and resources to find his remains. However, startling details surfaced, as Borgwardt’s secret plan was to abandon his family to be with another woman.
Investigators followed Borgwardt’s digital trail and discovered he’d been communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan. In November authorities confirmed that Borgwardt was alive and they had made contact with him. He was given questions that only he would know the answers to and gave video evidence that he was safe. However, he refused to disclose his whereabouts but admitted that he faked his death.
He went to Green Lake, flipped his kayak, tossed his phone in the lake, and used an inflatable boat to get back to shore. Then, he traveled to Detroit, caught a bus going to Canada, and took a flight from there to Eastern Europe. As for why he did it, Borgwardt said it was due to “personal matters.”
On Dec. 10, Borgwardt returned to the U.S. and willingly turned himself in. He was charged with a misdemeanor count of obstructing an officer for “knowingly placing physical evidence with the intent to mislead officers.” A judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf and set a $500 signature bond. According to reports, the runaway dad was released from custody after posting bond.
Ryan Borgwardt knew his plan had failed
More details emerged about Borgwardt’s case in court documents, and according to him, he realized that his plan to fake his death had failed after receiving an email from Chief Deputy Matthew Vande Kolk of the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 8. They knew that he was alive, and they even had a photo of the woman from Uzbekistan that he had been in contact with. Borgwardt said that his “heart hit the floor” upon learning that authorities were onto him. Per the criminal complaint, he said he “made a mistake, the one mistake he couldn’t make.”
That statement, however, didn’t refer to the fact that he came up with an elaborate plan and left his family to be with another woman. Instead, the mistake was how he faked his death, particularly by leaving his laptop behind. The crucial error led the authorities to uncover the truth. He left it by choice, though, as it would have been suspicious for him to take his laptop kayaking, and he needed to “sell the death.” In talking to investigators, he admitted that he intended to “mislead the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office.”
Following Brogwardt’s return, his wife, Emily, filed for annulment/legal separation, citing their 22-year marriage was “irretrievably broken” after what her husband did. Furthermore, Emily is requesting sole custody of their three children. The separation hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2025. It isn’t known if Borgwardt has made contact with his wife or children since coming back to the country. Meanwhile, Borgwardt’s next court date is slated for Jan. 13, 2025, and he is facing the possibility of a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to 9 months in prison.
Published: Dec 13, 2024 07:13 am