GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — A man from Wisconsin who staged his own drowning and abandoned his wife and three children has returned to the United States after spending approximately four months in what was believed to be Eastern Europe. He is now in custody, according to Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll.
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, “came back on his own” due to family reasons, Sheriff Podoll stated during a brief news conference. “We can stand here feeling relieved,” he added.
Borgwardt’s return took place on Tuesday, when he landed in the country and was subsequently taken into custody at the county jail, awaiting a court appearance later that afternoon. The sheriff mentioned that his office has suggested several charges against Borgwardt, including obstruction; however, the county prosecutor did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the specifics of these charges.
In November, Podoll had reported that Borgwardt made contact with authorities on November 11, weeks after he reportedly went missing. Although he began communicating with police, he did not immediately commit to returning home, prompting law enforcement to appeal to his emotions to encourage his return.
Podoll chose not to disclose Borgwardt’s exact location during his absence or provide information on the conversations that might have influenced his decision to come back. “That’s going to be up to him someday. We’re not going to release that. … We brought a dad back on his own,” he said.
Borgwardt had informed authorities that he faked his drowning due to “personal matters.” He explained that, in mid-August, he traveled approximately 50 miles from his home in Watertown to Green Lake, overturned his kayak, discarded his phone, and used an inflatable boat to reach the shoreline. He chose this lake because it is the deepest in Wisconsin.
After leaving the lake, Borgwardt proceeded to ride an electric bike for about 70 miles through the night to reach Madison. He then took a bus to Detroit, followed by another bus to Canada, where he boarded a flight. A digital analysis of a laptop hinted at his intentions to head to Europe and showed attempts to deceive investigators.
According to the sheriff, the laptop’s hard drive was replaced, and internet browsers were cleared on the same day Borgwardt went missing. Authorities discovered passport photographs, inquiries regarding transferring funds to foreign banks, and communication with a woman from Uzbekistan. Notably, Borgwardt also purchased a life insurance policy worth $375,000 in January.
When Borgwardt finally communicated with authorities, he sent them a video on November 11 in which he wore an orange T-shirt, appeared somber, and briefly showed his living space without disclosing his location.
The search for Borgwardt’s body, which extended for more than a month, cost law enforcement at least $35,000. The sheriff remarked that Borgwardt did not expect the search to last more than two weeks.
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Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.
