Missing dad fled the country and abandoned wife and kids after 'faking death'
A search for missing dad Ryan Borgwardt, from Wisconsin, was called off after investigators found a digital trail of evidence suggesting he faked his own death and fled to Europe
A dad-of-three has been accused of faking his own disappearance and fleeing the country, leaving his wife and children behind.
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, sparked a massive search operation after he was reported missing by his family on August 12 during a kayaking trip to Green Lake, Wisconsin, with loved ones left fearing he had drowned. The search lasted eight weeks, with police and local volunteers desperately searching for any sign of the dad.
Green Lake County Sheriff's Office said an overturned kayak and lifejacket believed to have belonged to Borgwardt were found, along with his vehicle near Dodge Memorial Park. A fisherman later found a fishing rod identified as his by his wife, and his wallet and keys were also discovered.
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But investigators now believe that Borgwardt concocted an elaborate plan to fake his own death and escape to Europe. They say they found a new lead when they began examining his computers for clues and expanded their search. They later discovered that Canadian law enforcement had run a cross-reference on him the day after he was reported missing, reports the Mirror US.
Investigators have since pieced together a complex chain of events - a purportedly missing man had been busy flirting with an Uzbek beauty online while sneakily opening a new bank account. He is also said to have secured an all-new passport, leaving the old one at home before setting off on his kayaking adventure, and to have completely erased his computer's memory.
But the breadcrumbs he left behind were enough for police to trace his movements and conclude that he had spent seven months crafting a detailed getaway plan that started when he took out a $375,000 (£291,510) life insurance policy. With the search now called off, police believe he has hightailed to Europe, and have pleaded with him to return to his family.
Sheriff Mark Podoll said during a press event: "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. They thought that their dad was drowned. A day ago, they found out that he wasn't."
Sheriff Podoll also heaped praise on Borgwardt's wife, adding: "I want to thank the family, I want to thank his wife. That is one strong lady. Whenever we called on her, she always responded and she gave everything she could for us. I cannot imagine what she's going through, and they're going through."
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