Police say that Ryan Borgwardt obtained a second passport, communicated with a woman in Uzbekistan, took out a life insurance policy, and cleared his browser history before staging a kayak accident and fleeing to Europe.
FacebookRyan Borgwardt, the 45-year-old father of three who authorities believe faked his own death.
Three months after Ryan Borgwardt went missing, authorities have uncovered shocking evidence that suggests he staged his own death and fled to Europe.
The 45-year-old kayaker and father of three reportedly had a second passport, replaced his laptop’s hard drive, inquired about moving funds to foreign banks, and took out a life insurance policy worth $375,000 earlier this year. These discoveries prompted the police to cease their search for the missing man.
Naturally, the news came as quite a surprise to Borgwardt’s community, who had been invested in the search efforts for months. There are still many questions left unanswered, however: Where has Borgwardt gone? Why would he leave his family behind so suddenly? And what, if anything, happens next?
Ryan Borgwardt Is Reported Missing In August 2024
On Aug. 11, 2024, Ryan Borgwardt took his kayak out on Wisconsin’s Green Lake for a solo fishing trip. At 10:49 p.m., he texted his wife to let her know that he was heading to shore. However, he never returned home that night.
Concerned, Borgwardt’s family contacted law enforcement to report him missing. A search-and-rescue team then found Borgwardt’s capsized kayak and life jacket out on the lake in 220-foot-deep water. His vehicle, wallet, and fishing rod were all found at a nearby park, which seemed odd, since Borgwardt would have presumably taken his rod out on the lake with him if he planned on fishing.
However, the police didn’t focus on this detail in the initial days after Borgwardt’s disappearance. Instead, local authorities began an extensive search operation, bringing in divers and employing drones, sonar technology, and cadaver dogs to try and find any clues as to where Borgwardt’s presumed dead body could be.
They turned up nothing.
In October, the case took its first shocking turn. As investigators broadened the scope of their search, they discovered that Borgwardt’s name had been checked by Canadian border officials on Aug. 13, the day after he was reported missing. Detectives then learned that Borgwardt had reported his passport missing or stolen and was issued a new one three months prior to disappearing.
His wife easily found his original passport — and from there, the pieces began to fall into place.
Evidence Suggests Ryan Borgwardt Faked His Own Death And Fled The Country
Now studying Ryan Borgwardt’s disappearance under a new lens of scrutiny, investigators took a closer look at his actions before he went “missing.”
As local station NBC26 reported, police announced during a press conference that a search of Borgwardt’s laptop presented compelling new evidence. They found photos of his new passport, search inquiries about moving funds to international banks, and communication between Borgwardt and a woman from Uzbekistan.
Borgwardt had also replaced his computer’s hard drive, altered his email address, and taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy shortly before he vanished. With all of this evidence, police made the case that Borgwardt had not gone missing in some tragic accident — but instead faked his own death to flee to Europe.
Green Lake County Sheriff’s OfficeRyan Borgwardt made a number of suspicious moves prior to his disappearance.
“When I first found out, it was kind of a big shock,” said Green Lake resident Jorge Gutierrez. “My thought was, you know, he’s probably still out there somewhere, and it was kind of far-fetched, and now that it actually might be something that’s possible, just feel really bad for the family.”
Police said that Borgwardt’s family has been “extremely strong” and cooperative throughout the investigation.
“[Borgwardt’s wife] has done everything that we have asked of her in regards to helping us with information, and holding on to information,” Chief Deputy Sheriff Matthew Vande Kolk told the BBC. “Unfortunately, we had to keep this quiet for about a month from the time that we started thinking that he was somewhere else, until we had enough information that we could share with the world, and she did that.”
Vande Kolk added that authorities are hopeful they will “be able to hold Ryan accountable for his actions and request restitution” for the tax-payer-funded searches spurred by Borgwardt’s disappearance.
Then came another twist: Ryan Borgwardt may have been spotted in a TikTok video from June speaking about leaving the United States for Uzbekistan.
Does The Resurfaced TikTok Video Really Show Ryan Borgwardt?
In the video, a man on a bike — who closely resembles Borgwardt — stops to speak with content creator Baylee Boomhower, who is holding a sign asking if anyone wants free advice. The man says to her: “Should I got to Uzbekistan or stay here?”
@authenticalpha Full video of what might be Ryan Borgwardt? @ABC World News Tonight
When asked why, the man responds: “To meet a woman.” The man also notes that he has a wife here but that his home is an “empty nest,” meaning that his kids have moved out.
The TikTok video was filmed at Pacific Beach in San Diego, so it’s possible the man in the video is not Borgwardt. However, many online have noted the similarities between the two men and the circumstances surrounding Borgwardt’s disappearance. The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office stated that detectives do not think the man in the video is Borgwardt, but they are investigating further.
“You know we’re a small department. They say that things don’t happen in Green Lake County, but they do,” said Sheriff Mark Podoll. “Never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever have anything like this.”
After learning how Ryan Borgwardt may have faked his own death, read about the infamous serial killer H. H. Holmes and the rumors that he, too, staged his own death. Then, go inside the story of Joan of Leeds, the medieval nun who faked her own death to “pursue carnal lust.”
