The saga of Ryan Borgwardt, the Wisconsin man who staged his own disappearance, has taken another turn as he now finds himself in the custody of the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office. A brief announcement signaled that a detailed update will be provided in a press conference scheduled for today. Borgwardt's presence at the Green Lake County Jail was confirmed yesterday afternoon via the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system, which offers accessible information on an individual's custody status to crime victims. However, specific charges against Borgwardt were not immediately detailed in the records.
Borgwardt's return to U.S. soil was verified by online jail records, after an elaborate scheme in which he led many to believe he had drowned while kayaking on Green Lake this past summer. According to FOX6 News, investigators leveraging a variety of data, including phone numbers and email addresses, managed to establish contact with a woman who spoke Russian. Through her, they reached Borgwardt on Nov. 11, prompting him to submit a video confirming his safety. "Good evening, it's Ryan Borgwardt," he stated in the shared video. "Safe, secure, no problem."
The motive behind Borgwardt's disappearance, as he relayed to authorities, was chalked up to "personal matters." Describing the lengths of his escape, he recounted to Sheriff Mark Podoll that after capsizing his kayak in Green Lake—the choice of location being its depth—he paddled to shore in an inflatable boat before making an overland journey via electric bike and bus, culminating in a transatlantic flight to Eastern Europe. This revelation was relayed in a previous briefing and mentioned by ABC30.
While Borgwardt's exact reasons for fabricating his demise remain his own, the impact of his actions resonated far beyond his personal sphere. Arguably, the month-long search that ensued thereafter placed an unwarranted financial strain on public resources. Over $35,000 was expended in the search for Borgwardt's body, a turn of events that he reportedly did not anticipate to extend beyond two weeks. As expressed by Sheriff Podoll in an interview with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, police efforts beckoned at Borgwardt's conscience to return home, though it was not immediately clear if these pleas influenced his return. Charges related to the obstruction of the investigation into his disappearance have been suggested by the sheriff.
A tight-lipped approach has been maintained by the sheriff's office, with a representative declining to confirm Borgwardt's custody when contacted last night.
