A Wisconsin father, who was reported missing in August after an alleged kayaking accident, is now believed to have staged his disappearance and fled overseas.
Ryan Borgwardt, a 42-year-old married father of three, has not been seen by his family or authorities since he was last reported missing in Green Lake County.
Police now suspect that he is alive and hiding somewhere in Europe.
The search for Borgwardt began after deputies discovered his vehicle and trailer near Green Lake.
A capsized kayak was found, and the following day, searchers located Borgwardt’s fishing rod and tackle box in the water.
Inside the tackle box was his driver’s license, but there was no sign of Borgwardt. Despite a 54-day search involving dive teams and search dogs, authorities were unable to locate him.
However, new evidence surfaced on October 7, when investigators learned that Borgwardt’s name had been flagged by Canadian authorities the day after his disappearance.
Further examination of Borgwardt’s laptop revealed that he had erased his browser history, replaced his hard drive, and taken photos of his passport before vanishing.
Authorities also discovered that he had been in communication with a woman from Uzbekistan and had moved money to a foreign bank account.
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It was also revealed that Borgwardt had taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy months before his disappearance.
These discoveries led police to believe that Borgwardt had staged the kayak accident to fake his death. “We are now certain that Ryan is not in our lake,” said Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll.
Sheriff Podoll stated that Borgwardt is now believed to be somewhere in Europe.
Borgwardt’s family, who initially feared he had drowned, was informed of the new developments, and his children recently learned that their father is still alive.
The sheriff urged Borgwardt to contact his family, emphasizing that they want him to return home.
“Ryan, if you are viewing this, I plead that you contact us or contact your family. We understand that things can happen, but there’s a family that wants their daddy back,” Podoll said.