Wyoming Man Exposed for Faking Death to Evade Family, Police, and Authorities

In a twist of events that has left local authorities and the community astounded, a 45-year-old man from Wisconsin is facing allegations of orchestrating a charade to fake his own death. The alleged perpetrator, identified as Ryan Borgwardt, reportedly embarked on an elaborate scheme that involved disappearing while kayaking in Green Lake and subsequently fleeing to Europe. Authorities are now urging Borgwardt to return home in time for the holidays to reconcile with his family.

The Elaborate Disappearance

The saga began on August 12 when Ryan Borgwardt was reported missing while kayaking in Green Lake, a picturesque location approximately 50 miles northeast of Wisconsin Dells. The initial search efforts, which spanned over 54 days and incurred a staggering cost of nearly $40,000, involved extensive operations due to the lake's substantial depth, reaching over 200 feet in certain areas. Despite exhaustive efforts, authorities were unable to locate the missing man, leading to a suspension of the search

However, a recent turn of events has shed new light on the incident. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll revealed that investigators have made contact with Borgwardt through email and that he had sent them a cellphone video on November 11, in which he claimed to be safe in his apartment. The video has since raised suspicions and prompted further scrutiny into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

Following this correspondence, authorities uncovered evidence indicating that Borgwardt had orchestrated an elaborate ploy to stage his vanishing act. According to Sheriff Podoll, it was revealed that he had flipped his kayak, paddled back to shore using a smaller boat, and then traveled by e-bike to a bus station. From there, he allegedly took a bus from Detroit to Canada before ultimately boarding a flight to Europe.

Discovery and Revelation

Details surrounding Borgwardt's escape have since come to light, including his entry into Canada shortly after his reported disappearance, as well as his use of a foreign bank and communication with an individual in Uzbekistan. Authorities pieced together these events after discovering that he had synced his laptop to the cloud, replaced his hard drive, and erased his search history before leaving the country.

Emotions ran high during Sheriff Podoll's press conference, where he expressed the anguish felt by Borgwardt's family and implored him to take responsibility for his actions and return home. The sheriff emphasized the importance of familial unity, particularly in light of the upcoming Christmas season, urging Borgwardt to consider the impact of his absence on his wife and three children.