An American man who Faked his own death And having fled the country, leaving his family behind, he is in contact with police in his home state and has sent a video to investigators to prove he is safe.
The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin said at a news conference Thursday that Ryan Borgwart, 45, disappeared on Aug. 12 while on a solo fishing trip.
Police initially suspected he had drowned and searched the lake for 54 days before finding digital evidence that led them to suspect he had fled to Eastern Europe.
“The great news is she’s still alive and well,” said Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podel. “The bad news is we don’t know where Ryan is, and he hasn’t decided to come back home.”
The 24-second video is shot in selfie style and shows Mr Borgward in a white-walled apartment.
“Good evening, this is Ryan Borgwart,” he says. “It’s November 11th. It’s almost 10 o’clock by you guys. I’m in my apartment.
“I’m safe, safe, no problem. I hope it works.”
The sheriff said police were emailing him, “pulling at his heartstrings” in an effort to get him back home and “clean up the mess he made.”
Authorities contacted him after contacting a woman in the area who speaks Russian. He helped connect her with the police. Law enforcement agencies did not elaborate on who the woman was or if she was related to Mr. Borgward.
During almost daily exchanges, he allegedly revealed to police how he planned his escape.
MORE: US man faked kayaking death and fled to Europe, authorities say
After drowning his kayak and cell phone in the lake, he paddled a small child-sized boat to shore where he hid an e-bike, police say. He cycled overnight to Madison, Wisconsin, then boarded a bus to Detroit and boarded a plane in Canada to an undisclosed destination.
“We’re continuing to verify this information, trying to put the dots together,” Podol said. “But we think it was Ryan’s way of telling the whole country how he did it.”
He is believed to have acted alone, he said. He added that there had been no contact with Mr Borgwardt’s family since his departure.
He left behind three children and a wife. In the days leading up to his departure, authorities learned he had taken out a $375,000 (£297,875) life insurance policy, transferred the funds to a foreign bank account, photographed his new passport, and used his e-mail. The mail address was changed.
No criminal charges are currently pending against Mr Borgwardt, Podol said, but police say he is owed $40,000 (£32,000) for the costs of their search.
At the end of their conference call, the sheriff became emotional, saying that his children will be without their father during the holiday season.
“Christmas is coming,” he said. “And what better gift to these children than to be present at Christmas.”
