Ryan Borgwardt, the Wisconsin man who staged his own death before fleeing to Europe, was a no-show for a court hearing Feb. 3.
Borgwardt was released from jail on Dec. 2 after serving an 89-day sentence, which was equal to the time of his deception.
The 46-year-old Watertown man staged his death on Aug. 11, 2024, by capsizing his kayak in Green Lake, then paddling to shore on an inflatable raft. He afterward used several forms of transportation to make his way to Europe, where he planned to go to Georgia to meet a Ukrainian woman he had been courting online.
On Dec. 16, Borgwardt filed a motion to delete certain digital materials related to the case, but since he didn’t show up on Feb. 3, the Green Lake County circuit court judge dismissed his motion. His attorney, Erik C. Johnson, was also not at the hearing.
A nearly two-month search involving underwater drones, sonar, divers and three canine cadaver teams failed to locate any sign of Borgwardt’s body. Then, in October, authorities learned Borgwardt had used a passport in Canada on Aug. 13 – the day after he was reported missing.
At a November 2024 news conference, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll revealed the sheriff’s office had made contact with Borgwardt and had spoken with him almost daily over the course of 10 days, trying to persuade him to return home to his family.
Wisconsin doesn’t have a crime on the books for faking a death. Borgwardt was charged with obstruction for planting physical evidence to mislead authorities into believing he had drowned.
When Borgwardt was given the opportunity to speak at the sentencing, he shared just one sentence.
“I deeply regret the actions that I did that night and all the pain that I caused my family and friends,” he said.
As part of his plan, Borgwardt left his wife of 22 years and their three children in Wisconsin. His wife divorced him four months after he returned to the U.S., according to the Associated Press.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ryan Borgwardt, ‘missing’ Wisconsin kayaker that faked his death, fails to appear in court
Reporting by Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
