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Mystery Deepens as Wisconsin Kayaker’s Disappearance Takes a Disturbing Turn

Ryan Borgwardt, a 45-year-old father of three, was reported missing on August 12 in Green Lake, Wisconsin. His last confirmed communication came from his wife, who was informed he was kayaking towards the shore the night prior. When Borgwardt failed to return home the following morning, she alerted local authorities.

After a week of searching, officials discovered his capsized kayak along with a tackle box containing his wallet, keys, and driver’s license. Over the subsequent 54 days, local police, aided by the non-profit organization Bruce’s Legacy, conducted extensive searches of the lake but were unable to locate Borgwardt.

According to Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll, Keith Cormican of Bruce’s Legacy analyzed extensive sonar data during the search. Podoll remarked, “Keith’s expertise and equipment led us to believe either something very odd occurred and Ryan was outside the area that had been searched, or something else had occurred.” Despite efforts to sweep the area, no body has been recovered, leading investigators to suspect that Borgwardt may have staged his disappearance.

Unraveling the Investigation

During a press conference last week, Sheriff Podoll revealed the unsettling possibility that Borgwardt may have faked his death. A significant revelation occurred in early October when investigators discovered that Canadian border officials had checked his name shortly after he went missing. This was a pivotal moment in the investigation, indicating he may have attempted to leave the country.

Additional suspicious activities were noted, such as Borgwardt erasing his laptop’s hard drive immediately after backing up its contents to the cloud on August 11. Authorities learned he had also taken out a $375,000 life insurance policy months before his disappearance and had moved funds to an overseas bank account. Furthermore, communications between Borgwardt and a woman located in Uzbekistan have been traced, raising further questions about his intentions.

This case has now transitioned from a search-and-rescue mission into an extensive criminal investigation, involving several agencies, including the FBI. While the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Department has not publicly disclosed specific charges that may be pursued, they are investigating individuals who might have assisted Borgwardt in orchestrating his disappearance.

“At this time, we believe that Ryan is alive and likely in Eastern Europe,” Sheriff Podoll stated, underscoring the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the case.

This article originally appeared on The Inertia.

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