A WISCONSIN man faked his own death and vanished to Europe, leaving his wife sending desperate texts as he quietly fled to a new life with a woman he met online.
Ryan Borgwardt, 46, executed the elaborate plan on the night of August 11, 2024, after months of preparation.
Ryan Borgwardt his own death by capsizing a kayak in Green Lake, Wisconsin[/caption]
Borgwardt texted his wife Emily that he was “watching the northern lights” to cover his disappearance[/caption]
Borgwardt said his marriage was strained and his children “no longer wanted anything to do with him”[/caption]
The disappearance happened in Green Lake, Wisconsin, where Borgwardt capsized his kayak and disappeared under the cover of night.
Borgwardt, a cabinetmaker from Watertown, left behind his wife, Emily, and their three children to meet a Ukrainian woman named Katya in Tbilisi, Georgia.
That same night, Emily frantically texted him, unaware he was already on his way out of the country, Daily Mail reported.
Newly released documents show Borgwardt had texted late that evening claiming he had “snuck out on a lake” to watch the northern lights.
Emily asked why he hadn’t told her.
He apologized, describing the lights as “pink” and promising to “work on communication.”
At 10:49 pm, he sent a final message: “I love you…. goodnight.”
Emily replied, urging him to stay safe.
Hours later, she sent unanswered texts like “Where are you????” and “Babe?” as he was already gone.
Investigators said Borgwardt planned the disappearance for months.
He overturned his kayak, paddled to shore in an inflatable raft, then rode an electric bike 70 miles overnight to Madison.
From there, he caught a bus to Toronto and flew to Georgia, where he met Katya, whom he had connected with online in December 2023.
During police interviews, Borgwardt called the scheme a “crazy, emotional dream” and admitted feeling like a failure.
He revealed he carried roughly $75,000 in credit card debt and $130,000 in business debt.
What did Ryan Borgwardt do?
- Faked his own death by capsizing a kayak in Green Lake, Wisconsin, on August 11, 2024.
- Texted his wife Emily that he was “watching the northern lights” to cover his disappearance.
- Paddled to shore in an inflatable raft and rode an e-bike 70 miles overnight to Madison.
- Took a bus to Toronto and flew to Tbilisi, Georgia, to meet a Ukrainian woman he connected with online.
- Planned the escape months in advance, hoping to be declared legally dead and apply for Georgian citizenship.
- Left behind a laptop, destroyed search history, and transferred money to a foreign bank account to cover tracks.
- Pleaded no contest to obstruction charges in August 2025 and was sentenced to 89 days in jail.
- His wife divorced him in May 2025, and he was ordered to pay $30,000 to cover manhunt costs.
He also said his marriage was strained and his children “no longer wanted anything to do with him.”
“I think just the inability to feel like you could talk to your wife about some of this stuff, and maybe the complete hopelessness that you have in the situation you’re in,” he said.
“And you end up meeting a friend somewhere on the other side of the world… and the friend thing ends up turning into more.”
By April 2024, Borgwardt was researching how to fake his death, hoping to be legally declared dead and eventually apply for Georgian citizenship.
His kayak was later discovered in a deep part of Green Lake, sparking a 50-day search for his body.
Authorities tracked him through a laptop he left behind and eventually persuaded him to return to Wisconsin months later.
He pleaded no contest to obstruction charges on August 26, 2025, receiving 89 days in jail – mirroring the length of his disappearance.
Emily divorced Borgwardt in May 2025.
Judge Mark Slate described Borgwardt’s plan as selfish, noting he counted on the lake’s depth to hide his deception.
Attorney Gerise LaSpisa said his plot “devastate[d] his family in order to serve his own selfish desire.”
The judge ordered Borgwardt to pay $30,000 to cover manhunt costs.
Police said he deliberately flipped his kayak, threw his belongings into the water, and paddled to shore on an inflatable boat.
He then rode an e-bike overnight to Madison and crossed into Canada before flying to Georgia.
Investigators also discovered he communicated with a Russian-speaking Uzbek woman and took out a $375,000 life insurance policy.
Borgwardt left his passport at home, destroyed his laptop hard drive, cleared search history, and moved money to a foreign account to cover his tracks.
Green Lake County Chief Deputy Sheriff Matthew Vandekolk called the case unlike anything he’d experienced in law enforcement.
