EGN NEWS DESK
GREEN LAKE, Wis. — A Wisconsin man who faked his personal drowning this summer time so he might abandon his spouse and three kids has been speaking with authorities each day from Eastern Europe, even telling them how he did it, however has not dedicated to returning dwelling, a sheriff mentioned Thursday.
Ryan Borgwardt has been speaking with authorities since Nov. 11 after disappearing for 3 months, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll mentioned at a information convention. The sheriff later confirmed a video that Borgwardt had despatched the sheriff’s workplace that day.
“The nice information is we all know that he’s alive and effectively,” Podoll mentioned. “The dangerous information is we don’t know the place Ryan precisely is, and he has not but determined to return dwelling.”
Borgwardt, carrying an orange T-shirt and never smiling, seemed immediately into the digital camera within the video, which seems to have been taken on his cellphone. Borgwardt mentioned he was in his condo and briefly panned the digital camera however largely confirmed only a door and naked partitions.
“I’m protected and safe, no downside,” Borgwardt mentioned. “I hope this works.”
Borgwardt informed authorities he fled due to “private issues,” the sheriff mentioned. Podoll didn’t elaborate.
“He was simply going to attempt to make issues higher in his thoughts, and this was the best way it was going to be,” Podoll mentioned.
Borgwardt informed authorities he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from his dwelling in Watertown to Green Lake, the place he overturned his kayak, dumped his cellphone within the lake after which paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He informed authorities he picked that lake as a result of it’s the deepest in Wisconsin at 237 ft (over 72 meters).
After leaving the lake, he rode an electrical bike about 70 miles (110 kilometers) by way of the night time to Madison, the sheriff mentioned. From there, he took a bus to Detroit, then boarded a bus to Canada and acquired on a airplane there, the sheriff mentioned.
Police have been nonetheless verifying Borgwardt’s description of what occurred, Podoll mentioned.
The sheriff prompt Borgwardt may very well be charged with obstructing the investigation into his disappearance, however thus far no counts have been filed. The sheriff’s workplace mentioned the seek for Borgwardt’s physique, which lasted greater than a month, price no less than $35,000. Podoll mentioned that Borgwardt informed authorities that he didn’t anticipate the search to final greater than two weeks.
Whether Borgwardt returns will likely be as much as his “free will,” Podoll mentioned. Borgwardt’s greatest concern about returning is how the group will react, the sheriff mentioned.
“He thought his plan was going to pan out, however it didn’t go the best way he had deliberate,” the sheriff mentioned. “And so now we’re attempting to present him a unique plan to return again.”
The sheriff mentioned authorities “maintain pulling at his heartstrings” to return dwelling.
“Christmas is coming,” Podoll mentioned. “And what higher reward might your children get than to be there for Christmas?”
Borgwardt’s disappearance was first investigated as a potential drowning after he went kayaking on Green Lake, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee, in August. But subsequent clues—together with that he obtained a brand new passport three months earlier than he disappeared—led investigators to take a position that he faked his dying to fulfill up with a girl he had been speaking with in Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia.
The sheriff declined to remark when requested what he knew concerning the lady, however he mentioned police contacted Borgwardt “by way of a feminine that spoke Russian.”
Prior to the sheriff’s workplace talking with Borgwardt final week, he had not been heard from for the reason that night time of Aug. 11 when he texted his spouse in Watertown shortly earlier than 11 p.m., saying he was headed to shore after kayaking.
Deputies positioned his automobile and trailer close to the lake. They additionally discovered his overturned kayak with a life jacket connected to it in an space the place the lake’s waters run greater than 200 ft (60 meters) deep. The seek for his physique went on for greater than 50 days, with divers on a number of events exploring the lake.
In early October, the sheriff’s division realized that Canadian legislation enforcement authorities had run Borgwardt’s title by way of their databases the day after he was reported lacking. Further investigation revealed that he had reported his passport misplaced or stolen and had obtained a brand new one in May.
The sheriff’s workplace mentioned the evaluation of a laptop computer revealed a digital path that confirmed Borgwardt deliberate to go to Europe and tried to mislead investigators.
The laptop computer’s arduous drive had been changed and the browsers had been cleared the day Borgwardt disappeared, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned. Investigators discovered passport photographs, inquiries about transferring cash to international banks, and communication with a girl from Uzbekistan.
They additionally found that he took out a $375,000 life insurance coverage coverage in January, though the coverage was for his household and never him, the sheriff mentioned.
Authorities tried each cellphone quantity and electronic mail deal with on the laptop computer in “a blitz vogue,” Podoll mentioned. They finally reached the Russian-speaking lady, who linked them with Borgwardt. It’s unclear whether or not she is the lady in Uzbekistan.
Podoll mentioned he wasn’t positive how Borgwardt was supporting himself however speculated he has a job: “He’s a sensible man.”
—Associated Press author Scott Bauer in Madison contributed to this report.
