The bizarre case of Ryan Borgwardt has left many concerned as he faked his own demise and left his wife and children. Ryan didn’t leave any notes behind but assured authorities he was safe at his new home.
The Wisconsin native was last seen on August 12, 2024, and made it appear as if he had drowned while fishing in Green Lake. His kayak was overturned in the water, and his car was unattended.
His wife, Emily, reported him missing, and the authorities were called for emergency investigations. Authorities found Ryan’s fishing rod, wallet, driver’s license, and tackle box with his keys at his last location.
As the investigation continued, Emily pleaded on social media for her husband’s safe return. The pair had been together for over two decades. She stated that he was a loving father to their three children, who are all in high school.
REPORTS: Wisconsin kayaker, Ryan Borgwardt allegedly took a $375K life insurance policy, faked his own drowning in Green Lake to abandon his family and escape to Eastern Europe. A 50-day search followed, but investigators now believe he staged the incident to disappear. pic.twitter.com/yoqx8XdPGd
— Manokekame (@Manokekame1) November 13, 2024
Similarly, community members helped her raise funds for a particular search team, Bruce’s Legacy, which covered over 1,500 acres of the lake in hopes of finding evidence for the case.
Before Ryan’s disappearance, his wife sold shirts with religious texts and often organized garage sales. Later, as a single mother, Emily returned to work teaching at a parochial school.
Further, 54 days after the incident, officials revealed that Ryan hadn’t drowned in the lake. They suspected he might have orchestrated the accident to willingly ditch his family and move to Eastern Europe with a new partner.
Authorities claimed that his wife had been strong throughout the traumatic experience with Ryan Borgwardt. Previously, Emily had a Facebook profile image with Ryan but later changed it to an image that read, “Be Still.“
Ryan Borgwardt was traced due to his chat history with a woman from Uzbekistan!
With the investigation underway, new revelations emerged in the case as investigators tried to piece it all together. The search team spent weeks searching the lake for his body before coming to a different conclusion.
Emily provided her husband’s laptop as evidence, which revealed that he had moved money into a foreign bank account while having regular chats with a woman. Ryan had purchased an airplane gift card for his new partner.
Further, he had taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy without informing his family. Ryan tried to conceal his location by wiping data from his laptop’s hard disk and browser history and changing his email address.
NEW VIDEO: We are now hearing from Ryan Borgwardt, the Watertown man accused of staging his death and fleeing the country.
— Andie Bernhardt (@AndieBernhardt) November 21, 2024
The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office released this video and while they don't know where he is, they now know he is alive and well.
More tonight at 4pm pic.twitter.com/1amdWz7dAf
Sheriff Podoll stated that Ryan had thrown his phone into the water, got into an e-bike, and traveled to Madison. From there, he boarded a bus to Detroit and then to an airport in Canada.
Additionally, the 45-year-old had left his original passport at home and traveled with a new one. In a recent press conference, the sheriff claimed they received several tips about Ryan’s location.
However, such tips have led to misinformation as people have reported others. Officials addressed the issue and said, “We don’t believe the TikTok video is Ryan. We are in contact with the interviewer. Thank you to all for alerting us of its existence.”
Meanwhile, authorities were able to contact Ryan and requested that he send a video to ensure his safety. They released the footage during a news conference where Ryan described his plans.
Further, Ryan detailed that he wasn’t happy with his life and needed an escape. He had planned for the incident for months and claimed he didn’t plan to return to his family soon.
Additional Information
- Authorities confirmed that Ryan was living in an apartment at an undisclosed location. However, they are unsure how he will support himself in a new country.
- At the time of this writing, Ryan Borgwardt has no criminal charges pending. However, as investigations proceed, he might be liable to pay child support to his wife and go through an official divorce procedure.
- The sheriff’s office has requested Ryan Borgwardt to reconsider his action and return to the States. Sheriff Podoll mentioned that the holiday is coming, and his children will miss him dearly.
