A Wisconsin man who faked his own death, ditched his family and fled to Eastern Europe has been telling the cops how he pulled off the bizarre stunt — but still won’t say if he’s coming back.
Father-of-three Ryan Borgwardt vanished during a kayaking trip in August, leaving his forlorn family fearing the worst after he never came home from Green Lake, about an hour-and-a-half north of Madison.
But last week, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said at a press conference that the 45-year-old fled to Eastern Europe — and now Borgwardt has opened up to police about how and why he faked his drowning demise.
During the trip, Borgwardt overturned his kayak, chucked his phone into the water and paddled an inflatable boat to shore, according to WYFF in Wisconsin.
Then he rode an electric bike 70 miles south to the state capitol, where he boarded a bus for Detroit, then another to Canada, before hopping on a plane, the sheriff added.
Podoll — who said Borgwardt has spoken to cops almost every day since Nov. 11 — even sent authorities a video of himself from his new digs.
“I’m safe and secure, no problem,” Borgwardt said in the cellphone video. “I hope this works.”
Cops are still verifying Borgwardt’s account but they said they’re happy he’s OK.
“The great news is we know that he is alive and well,” Podoll said. “The bad news is we don’t know where Ryan exactly is, and he has not yet decided to return home.”
photo. Facebook
He could be charged with a crime for obstructing the investigation into his disappearance should he return, the sheriff added. But there have been no charges filed yet.
Meanwhile, cops are “pulling at his heartstrings” to convince him to come back to his family.
“Christmas is coming,” Podoll said. “And what better gift could your kids get than to be there for Christmas?”
Authorities began their search after Borgwardt’s family reported him missing on Aug. 12, and eventually found the overturned kayak, his lifejacket and his car.
Investigators initially thought he’d drowned in the lake, which can reach depths of 200 feet, the network said.
But as the case wore on, the sheriff’s office began scouring his computer — which not only put them on his trail, but showed that he’d been talking to a woman from the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan.
Podoll wouldn’t say what he knew about the woman. But he did say cops contacted Borgwardt through a “female that spoke Russian.”
Borgwardt had also taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January for his family, the sheriff said.
The vanished expat has an apartment, wherever he is. But authorities aren’t sure how he’s managing to support himself.