By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-16 14:46:45 | Updated at 2024-11-22 20:07:05
6 days ago
When a Wisconsin father-of-three failed to return home from a kayaking trip, his heartbroken family and local community jumped into action.
Everything pointed towards Ryan Borgwardt, 45, suffering a tragic accident.
His car was found parked near Green Lake, and a few days after he vanished on August 11 his kayak was discovered capsized in an area that is over 200 feet deep.
Borgwardt's, life jacket, water bottle, fishing rod and tackle box with his keys and wallet inside were also in the water.
Determined not to give up, friends and family helped his wife Emily raise funds for a special search team, Bruce's Legacy, which spent months trawling about 1,500 acres of the lake, according to the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Emily sold shirts with messages like 'Faith Over Fear' and in a since-deleted Facebook post on August 15, she shared a picture of Jesus with the message: 'I've always loved this picture but it really has a new meaning these last few days.... Can you just imagine Jesus reaching out his hand to writing and saying 'Let's go my child!'... How amazing!'
On September 19, she thanked officials for their 'continued efforts,' and as the weeks rolled on she was eventually forced to return to work teaching at a parochial school in order to take care of their three kids, who are all in high school.
But 54 days after Borgwardt vanished, on November 8, officials revealed in a bombshell press conference that the father-of-three had likely not drowned at all.
Ryan Borgwardt's family and community spent heartbreaking months looking for him, only to find that he had likely faked his own death and abandoned them
The family and community jumped into action, helping Borgwardt's Emily raise funds for a special search team, Bruce's Legacy, which covered about 1,500 acres of the lake
In a since-deleted post on August 15, Emily shared a picture of Jesus and wrote the above message
Instead, Borgwardt is suspected of attempting to fake his own death as part of an elaborate plot to willingly ditch his family and move to eastern Europe with a lover.
Sheriff Mark A. Podoll revealed that Emily had been informed of the new details in the case but was careful not to share them with her family - even her own children.
They only found out that their father had likely tried to stage his own death and was on the run just one day before the press conference.
Podoll added that she had been 'very strong' through the traumatic ordeal.
A day before the announcement, Emily changed her profile picture on Facebook from one with Borgwardt to an image that simply reads, 'Be Still.'
She later told NBC News: 'I cannot make any comments at this time since it is still an active investigation.'
Meanwhile, Podoll issued a desperate plea direct to Ryan.
'Ryan, if you are viewing this, I plead that you contact us or contact your family,' Podoll implored.
'We understand that things can happen, but there's a family that wants their daddy back.'
Investigators revealed that Borgwardt had been talking to a woman in Uzbekistan before he obtained a new passport and a $375,000 life insurance policy in January.
Borgwardt is believed to have used his new passport in Canada a day after he was reported missing.
On September 19, she thanked officials for their 'continued efforts' on Facebook
Emily sold shirts with messages like 'Faith Over Fear' and was forced to return to work teaching at a parochial school in order to take care of their three kids
Sheriff Mark A. Podoll revealed on November 8 that Borgwardt was likely alive
The scheme was elaborately planned. Borgwardt left his original passport at home when he vanished, and police said he tried to cover his tracks by removing his laptop's hard drive and wiping his search history clean.
Before his disappearance, he changed all the email addresses linked to his bank accounts and moved money to a foreign bank account.
It remains unclear if Borgwardt could face criminal charges if he is ever located.
Sheriff Podoll added that while he did not know how much taxpayer money was spent on the search, his office will seek restitution for the money.
Podoll said in a news conference: 'We do not know where he is. We know that he is not in our lake.'
Since the sheriff's revelations, the story has gone national, with police receiving several tips.
Earlier this week the sheriff was forced to deny that Borgwardt had been seen in a TikTok video in San Diego, California, after the claim went viral.
Podoll wrote on Wednesday: 'WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE TIKTOK VIDEO IS RYAN. WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE INTERVIEWER.
'THANK YOU TO ALL FOR ALERTING US OF ITS EXISTENCE. We have verified this is not Ryan by contacting people who know Ryan.'
The children only found out that their father likely had tried to fake his own dead to abandon the family a day before the press conference
Sheriff Podoll added that while he did not know how much taxpayer money was spent on the search, his office will seek restitution for the money
Meanwhile the volunteers who spent dozens of hours searching for Borgwardt told The New York Times the case has cost them 'a lot of grief.'
'He definitely cost us a lot of grief, a lot of money, repairs and equipment,' said Bruce's Legacy founder Keith Cormican.
'I just hope he comes forward sooner rather than later so the family can move on.'
