A Wisconsin father of three who vanished throughout a kayaking journey in August faked his disappearance and fled the nation, abandoning his grieving spouse and children who possible feared the worst, native authorities introduced Friday.
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was reported lacking by his household on August 12 following a kayaking journey at Inexperienced Lake he by no means returned from and was initially believed to have drowned, the Inexperienced Lake County Sheriff‘s Workplace mentioned throughout a press convention on Friday afternoon.
The seek for Borgwardt at Inexperienced Lake lasted eight weeks with the area people pouring numerous hours and sources into the seek for lacking dad.
An overturned kayak and lifejacket that authorities imagine belonged to the lacking father had been ultimately recovered. His car was additionally discovered close to Dodge Memorial Park.
However as native legislation enforcement and dive groups scoured the waters, Borgwardt fled to Europe, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
The sheriff’s workplace lastly bought a lead when its investigators took a brand new method in early October and commenced scouring pc information and even worldwide partnerships to search out any crumbs Borgwardt could have left behind.
Of their search, officers discovered that the lacking father’s identify had been checked by legislation enforcement in Canada the day after he was reported lacking.
His laptop computer had probably the most proof, leaving a prolonged digital path for authorities to observe.
Borgwardt had been speaking with a girl from Uzbekistan on-line, opened a complete new checking account, appeared into shifting funds to international banks, and wiped his pc — however the digital footprint remained.
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The “missing” father’s plot was elaborately deliberate. He had even acquired a brand new passport in late Could and left his unique one at his house earlier than his kayaking journey, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
It isn’t instantly clear how lengthy Borgwardt was planning to flee his household for a brand new life overseas, however his digital path dated again at the least seven months to when he inexplicably bought a $375,000 life insurance coverage coverage in January, officers mentioned.
All search efforts for Borgwardt in Wisconsin have ended, however authorities imagine that he has since fled to Europe and are pleading for him to return on behalf of his household.
“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,” Sheriff Mark Podoll mentioned in an emotional plea throughout the press convention.
