What happened to the missing father who allegedly faked a kayaking accident and fled to Europe?

Sheriff Mark Podoll stood in front of the cameras and begged Ryan Borgwardt – a husband and father – to contact his family. Months earlier, officials had conducted an extensive search and rescue operation for Borgwardt.

Since August 12, officials and family believe the Wisconsin resident has gone missing after kayaking on Green Lake.

During a November 8 press conferencePodoll revealed that there are indications that Borgwardt is still alive, may have faked his death and may be in Europe.

“We know he’s not in our lake,” Podoll said, referring to Green Lake, where Borgwardt’s empty kayak was found adrift in August, leading to fears he had drowned and a lengthy search that included dogs and divers were wanted. Now the authorities have shifted their focus.

This shift in the investigation has led to new questions about Ryan Borgwardt, who he is and what might have led his family to believe he died.

Who is Ryan Borgwardt?

Ryan Borgwardt is a resident of Watertown, Wisconsin, who was believed to have gone missing on August 12, 2024, after failing to return from a kayaking trip on Green Lake.

According to Podell, he is married and the father of children in middle school and elementary school.

When did Ryan Borgwardt go missing?

Borgwardt was last seen the night of Aug. 12, the sheriff said during the news conference. Podell said officers responded to a missing persons call around 5:32 p.m. local time, where Borgwardt’s car and trailer were found in the Dodge Memorial Park area.

Podoll noted that the sheriff’s office had pinned down Borgwardt’s last known location near Green Lake.

“Officers headed that way, checked areas around the lake and found Ryan’s vehicle, along with his trailer, parked near Dodge Memorial Park,” Podoll explained.

Borgwardt’s capsized kayak was first found in the western part of the lake, the next day his fishing rod and tackle box, with his wallet, keys and permit, were found, Podoll said.

On August 24, three cadaver dogs and a dive team were also deployed to assist in the search. Still, they couldn’t find him after a search of almost eight weeks.

What do officials think happened to Ryan Borgwardt?

Officials say there are indications that Borgwardt may have staged his own disappearance and left the country for Europe.

Podell said they discovered on Oct. 7 that Borgwardt’s passport was “registered” on Aug. 13, a day after he went missing. As they continued their investigation, detectives discovered that law enforcement officials in Canada were using his name and that Borgwardt had obtained a new passport, Green Lake County authorities said. NBC News.

Investigators then conducted a digital forensic analysis of Borgwardt’s laptop, which his wife gave them, and concluded “that he was somewhere in Europe.” Podell claimed that Borgwardt replaced the laptop’s hard drive and wiped the browser the day he went missing.

“We discovered that he had transferred money to a foreign bank, which caused him to change his email address and communications with a woman from Uzbekistan,” Podoll noted, noting that Borgwardt had taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January and bought airline tickets. “Thanks to these discoveries of the new evidence, we knew for sure that Ryan was not in us anymore.”

“Everything we’ve found, we’re in a really good position to know he’s out there somewhere,” Podoll continued. “All we want to know is that he’s safe.”

What’s next?

Officials continue their investigation into Borgwardt and are focusing their efforts on gathering more information about his motive and whereabouts.

The sheriff is also encouraging anyone with knowledge to come forward. Podoll said it was too early to identify any charges Borgwardt could face.

Borgwardt’s wife, Emily Borgwardt, told NBC News via text message: “I cannot comment at this time as it is still an active investigation.”

The investigation continues to involve multiple agencies, such as the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, with officials trying to locate Borgwardt and address any legal violations.

“Our goal is to identify all crimes committed by individuals who assisted in this crime,” Podoll said.

Authorities remain hopeful that Borgwardt will contact them. During the conference, Podoll urged him to contact his family or authorities.

“There’s one last thing I want to do, and that’s Ryan. Ryan, if you are watching this, I urge you to contact us or contact your family. We understand that things can happen, but there is a family that wants their father back.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com