The Wisconsin dad who faked his own death so that he could abandon his family and move to Europe revealed the details of his elaborate plan to investigators, but has still yet to return home.
According to Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll, Ryan Borgwardt said he paddled out to the middle of a lake in Green Lake before flipping the kayak, dropping his phone and paddling back to shore in a child-size inflatable raft, adding that he chose that lake because it was the deepest in Wisconsin, as reported by WISN-TV.
Borgwardt then went on a 70-mile journey to Madison on an electric bike, where he picked up a bus to Detroit, then a bus to Canada and finally a flight to Europe. The dad still has not shared his exact location, but is believed to be in eastern Europe, as reported by the Associated Press.
The man's story has yet to be verified by police. Borgwardt could potentially face charges, including obstruction, however no formal charges have been filed yet.
"Our biggest concern has been that he safely gets back to U.S. soil," Podoll said at a news conference. "We are expressing the importance of his decision to return home and clean up the mess that he has created."
Investigators believe that Borgwardt may have faked his death so that he could meet a woman from Uzbekistan after learning that he had gotten a new passport three months before his "death." Authorities did not confirm if that was the case, but did reveal they were able to reach Borgwardt "through a female that spoke Russian," as reported by AP.
Police said Borgwardt left behind a wife and three children, and are currently working on convincing him to return on his own by "pulling at his heartstrings." So far no warrants have been issued.
Originally published on Latin Times.
