GREEN LAKE, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin will hold a press conference to provide an update on Ryan Borgwardt, the missing kayaker who allegedly faked his own death and planned his disappearance on August 12, 2024.
The news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.
Borgwardt, 45, was reported missing on Aug. 12 after he failed to return home from kayaking on Big Green Lake, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Deputies found an unoccupied kayak with a life jacket attached to it when they went searching for Borgwardt. His vehicle was also found near Big Green Lake.
For 54 days, numerous search efforts were conducted to find Borgwardt. But in early November, authorities announced that they believed Borgwardt planned his Aug. 12 disappearance and tried to conceal his efforts to mislead investigations.
Investigators revealed that Borgwardt’s name had been run on Aug. 13 by law enforcement in Canada. An analysis of a laptop given to them by Borgwardt’s wife also indicated suspicious activity: Borgwardt is alleged to have replaced his hard drive and cleared the browser on the date of his disappearance, syncing it into the cloud on Aug. 11, and he had taken photos of his passports.
Authorities said he also moved funds into a foreign bank and changed his email address while communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan.
In addition, Borgwardt reportedly took out a $375,000 life insurance policy and purchased airline cards.
Officials believe Borgwardt is currently alive and likely in Eastern Europe. The Sheriff’s Office said that no charges have been decided upon at this time.
“Ryan, if you are viewing this, I plead that you contact us or your family,” Sheriff Mark Podoll had previously said. “We understand that things can happen but there is a family that wants their daddy back.”
The press conference, scheduled for 11 a.m., will be livestreamed in the player above.
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