Kayaker who faked death, fled country has returned to US and is in custody in Wisconsin: Officials

[ad_1] Ryan Borgwardt, the husband and father who authorities mentioned faked his personal dying and fled the nation, has returned to the U.S. willingly and is now in custody in Wisconsin, the Inexperienced Lake County Sheriff's Workplace introduced on Wednesday.

Borgwardt notified authorities he was returning and he landed within the U.S. on Tuesday, Sheriff Mark Podoll mentioned at a information convention, however the sheriff didn't reveal from the place he flew.

Podoll mentioned authorities are nonetheless placing collectively the place Borgwardt was and who he was with since he vanished, however mentioned he is "cooperated" with regulation enforcement.

An undated reserving picture of Ryan Borgwardt.

Inexperienced Lake County Sheriff's Workplace

Requested what compelled Borgwardt to come back again, Podoll mentioned, "His household, I assume."

Podoll didn't say if Borgwardt has had contact together with his spouse and youngsters.

An undated picture of Ryan Borgwardt, who authorities imagine faked his personal dying in a Wisconsin lake and fled to Europe.

Inexperienced Lake County Sheriff's Workplace

Borgwardt is awaiting a courtroom look on expenses together with obstruction, Podoll mentioned.

Requested if Borgwardt can be required to reimburse the county for the cash spent on the search, Podoll informed reporters, "That’s a part of the restitution that we current to the courtroom."

Nobody else is dealing with expenses, the sheriff mentioned.

The case started on Aug. 11, when Borgwardt texted his spouse that he was turning his kayak round on Inexperienced Lake and heading to shore quickly, Podoll mentioned.

However the dad of three by no means got here residence.

Inexperienced Lake County authorities and volunteers seek for lacking kayaker Ryan Borgwardt.

WBAY

Responders discovered Borgwardt's overturned kayak and life jacket within the lake and believed he drowned, officers mentioned.

Crews scoured the lake for weeks utilizing divers, drones, sonar and cadaver Okay-9s, however by no means discovered him, officers mentioned.

Inexperienced Lake County authorities and volunteers seek for lacking kayaker Ryan Borgwardt.

WBAY

In October, investigators found Borgwardt's title had been checked by regulation enforcement in Canada two days after he vanished on the lake, the sheriff mentioned.

Authorities additionally realized Borgwardt had been speaking with a lady from Uzbekistan, the sheriff mentioned.

Borgwardt's different suspicious conduct included: clearing his browsers the day he disappeared, inquiring about transferring funds to overseas banks, acquiring a brand new passport and getting a brand new life insurance coverage coverage, the sheriff mentioned.

Authorities decided Borgwardt was alive and certain in Japanese Europe, however they did not know precisely the place he was positioned. Authorities made contact with a lady who speaks Russian, and on Nov. 11, they reached Borgwardt via that lady, authorities mentioned.

Borgwardt informed police he was secure however did not reveal his location, the sheriff mentioned.

Ryan Borgwardt filmed a video of himself on the request of authorities. He mentioned he's secure however didn't reveal his location.

Launched by Inexperienced Lake County Sheriffs Workplace

Podoll mentioned Borgwardt did divulge to them how he faked his dying.

"He stashed an e-bike close to the boat launch. He paddled his kayak in a child-sized floating boat out into the lake. He overturned the kayak and dumped his cellphone within the lake," the sheriff mentioned. "He paddled the inflatable boat to shore and bought on his e-bike and rode via the evening to Madison, [Wisconsin]. In Madison, he boarded a bus and went to Detroit, after which the Canadian border. He continued on the bus to an airport and bought on a airplane."