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full screen The couple celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary this year. Photo: Facebook
The family was grieving and desperately searching for father of three Ryan Borgwardt, 45, who disappeared after a fishing trip on August 11 in Wisconsin.
Everything spoke for a terrible accident and that he had drowned.
But 54 days after the accident, police revealed they suspect Ryan Borgwardt faked his own death – to be with his mistress.
Father of three Ryan Borgwardt, 45, from Wisconsin in the USA, never came home after a fishing trip on August 11 this year, writes Daily Mail.
The family and local community began desperately searching for him.
Ryan’s car was found parked near Green Lake and a few days later his overturned kayak was found.
Also in the water were his life jacket, a water bottle, a fishing rod and his wallet and keys.
Everything pointed to a terrible accident and that he had drowned.
Meanwhile, Ryan’s body had not been recovered and the family was determined to find it.
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full screen The family has raised money for a specialized search team. Photo: Gary Goerge/AP
Searched for months
Friends and family, as well as his wife Emily, raised money for a specialist search team to look for him.
Among other things, Emily sold T-shirts with the text “Faith over fear” to raise money for the effort.
The search team spent months searching about 600 acres of the lake, according to Green Lake County police.
Despite all efforts, Ryan’s body was nowhere to be found.
After several weeks of searching, Emily had to return to her teaching profession in order to support their joint children, all of high school age.
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full screen54 days after the disappearance, Sheriff Mark Podoll announced that Ryan Borgwardt is likely alive. He is suspected of faking his death. Photo: Green Lake County Sheriff’S Office
The press conference changed everything
But on November 8, 54 days after Ryan’s disappearance, the police called a press conference.
There the shocking news broke: The police suspected that Ryan was alive and probably not drowned at all.
Instead, the father of the family is suspected of having tried to fake his own death through a carefully planned plan in order to be able to abandon his family and his three children.
Believed to have moved to Eastern Europe with his mistress
The police suspect that Ryan met a mistress from Uzbekistan and moved to Eastern Europe, the newspaper writes.
In January, Ryan had acquired a new passport and life insurance worth close to SEK 4 million.
Just a day after he was reported missing, he is believed to have used his new passport in Canada. He had left the original passport at home.
Before he disappeared, he had also deleted his entire computer’s hard drive and transferred money to a foreign bank account.
In connection with the press conference, the police also said that they informed Emily about her husband’s attempt to fake his death.
Appealed to the father of the family
The police also appealed directly to the father of the family:
“Ryan, if you see this, please contact us or your family.”
After the press conference, the news about Ryan’s faked death spread nationally, and the police received a lot of tips about people who saw him in various places.
However, after police investigations, it has emerged that it is not Ryan who was seen.
Emily and Ryan’s family have chosen not to comment on the information other than that it is still an ongoing investigation.
Volunteers to help search for Ryan have spoken out New York Times that the case cost them a lot of grief.
– I just hope that he comes forward sooner or later so that the family can move on, says the leader of the search effort.