Wisconsin kayaker accused of faking his personal dying, fleeing nation charged with obstruction

A Wisconsin kayaker who allegedly faked his personal drowning earlier this yr earlier than leaving his household and fleeing to Jap Europe, was charged Wednesday with hindering his analysis.

Ryan Borgwardt turned himself in to the Inexperienced Lake County, Wis., sheriff’s workplace on Tuesday and pleaded not responsible at a listening to Wednesday. misdemeanor charge after he “returned” to the US “on his personal,” the Inexperienced Lake County sheriff mentioned.

He was launched on $500 bail and informed the decide he deliberate to defend himself.

He was additionally ordered to give up his passport, based on FOX 6.

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Ryan Borgwardt turned himself in to the Inexperienced Lake County, Wis., Sheriff’s Workplace on Tuesday and pleaded not responsible at a listening to Wednesday to a misdemeanor cost. (AP Photograph/Morry Gash)

Borgwardt, who was reported disappeared in Augustallegedly informed investigators that he had studied pretend his personal dying, together with how deep an individual ought to sink to keep away from resurfacing.

After going to church along with his household on the morning of August 11, Borgwardt allegedly informed investigators that he drove to Inexperienced Lake, about 50 miles from his dwelling, which he selected as a result of it It was the deepest lake in Wisconsin. He then paddled out to the center of the lake in his kayak and overturned it, authorities mentioned.

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He then paddled to shore in an inflatable raft he had introduced with him and dropped his mobile phone and identification within the lake.

After making an attempt to erase his muddy footprints, Borgwardt then allegedly left on a bicycle he had hidden there.

After touring 70 miles, he mentioned, he took a bus from Madison, Wis., to Toronto, Canada, and barely crossed the border as a result of he did not have his driver’s license .

From there, he took a flight to Paris, then to an unnamed Asian nation earlier than settling in Georgia, an Jap European nation.

A search of Inexperienced Lake by authorities lasted greater than a month and price about $40,000, based on FOX 6.

Reserving picture of Ryan Borgwardt in Inexperienced Lake, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. (Inexperienced Lake County Sheriff’s Workplace by way of AP)

Investigators ultimately discovered a photograph of a lady he had met within the unnamed Asian nation on his laptop computer at his Wisconsin dwelling, together with different incriminating data.

Additionally they found that he had taken out a $375,000 life insurance coverage coverage in January that he mentioned he wished to depart to his household.

Borgwardt allegedly admitted to leaving an excessive amount of data on the laptop computer, however informed investigators he needed to depart it behind to make its disappearance appear actual.

He had additionally cleared his shopping historical past, modified his banking data on the day he disappeared and obtained a second passport, investigators mentioned, based on FOX 6.

Ryan Borgwardt seems in a Inexperienced Lake County courtroom in Inexperienced Lake, Wisconsin on Wednesday. (AP Photograph/Morry Gash)

Investigators have been ultimately in a position to contact Borgwardt via a Russian-speaking lady whose data they discovered on his laptop computer, and he despatched U.S. authorities a video message saying: “Howdy, it is Ryan Borgwardt. Protected, no drawback.”

He informed investigators he knew he would ultimately be discovered.

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Investigators haven’t defined why the husband and father of three would have organized his personal dying.

Inexperienced Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll mentioned it will be “as much as him in the future” whether or not he wished to disclose why he left. “We’re not going to reveal that. … We introduced again a father all by himself.”