For several weeks, the family of avid kayaker Ryan Borgwardt braced for the likelihood that search divers were about to find his body in a Wisconsin lake. His kayak, fishing rod, wallet and car keys were found at Green Lake on 12 August, the day he disappeared, and a lifejacket floating on the water offered further evidence that his wife and three children had lost their husband and father.
An investigation, however, has determined that Borgwardt took out a $375,000 life insurance policy, faked his own death and simply vanished, possibly to central Asia to join a woman with whom he had been communicating online.
“We don’t know where he is, but he is not in our lake,” the Green Lake county sheriff, Mark Podoll, told a media briefing, as NBC News reported on Monday.
“It’s really hard, because they felt that the dad drowned a day ago. They found out that he wasn’t.”
Podoll said the first indication that something was not right came when his detectives discovered early in October that the name of the 44-year-old Watertown, Wisconsin, resident was checked by authorities in Canada the day after he disappeared.
That led to a deeper dive in recent weeks into Borgwardt’s affairs, including a forensic analysis of the hard drive of his laptop that revealed further evidence of careful planning.
Among the surprise discoveries were that he had received a second passport after taking out the life insurance policy in January; had attempted to transfer funds to an overseas bank account; and cleared his internet browser the day before his fishing trip.
Additionally, investigators found Borgwardt had created a new email address and had been talking online to a woman in Uzbekistan.
“Due to these discoveries of the new evidence, we were sure that Ryan was not in our lake,” Podoll said, adding that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security were assisting in efforts to locate Borgwardt, and anyone who might have helped him.
He added: “Our goal is to identify any crimes that have been committed by any individuals who assisted with this crime.”
After Borgwardt’s disappearance, volunteers joined law enforcement in spending weeks searching for him, scanning the lake from above with drones while divers inspected its 237ft depth for clues.
Keith Cormican, of Bruce’s Legacy, a non-profit organization that specializes in water searches, said he spent about four weeks spaced over two months involved in the operation.
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“It’s a little tough to swallow because it required a lot of expenses on this one,” he said, as reported by ABC7 News.
At the news conference, the Washington Post reported, Podoll said Borgwardt’s children – two sons in high school and a daughter in elementary school – were surprised to learn what their father had allegedly done.
Borgwardt’s wife, he said, had known for much longer that her husband had probably faked his own death – and had been cooperating with authorities.
The sheriff remarked: “I put a lot on her shoulders. That is one strong lady.
“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.”