Text messages reveal father's last conversation with wife before he 'faked his own death' on kayaking trip
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Green Lake County Sheriff's Office
A Wisconsion father and husband vanished during a kayaking trip and new details have revealed the last words he said to his wife.
His family feared the worst when Ryan Borgwardt’s minivan was discovered parked just yards away from the water of a rural lake in Green Lake County, Wisconsin.
A deputy discovered the vehicle and found no one inside the car.
Searching the immediate area, the deputy couldn’t spot anyone on that August 2024 morning, which sparked an investigation.
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Most bizarrely, Borgwardt would be found months later as investigators traced him to Europe in the country Georgia.
The father of three last week pleaded no contest to obstructing an officer and was sentenced to 89 days in jail. He also agreed to pay $30,000 in restitution to law enforcement to cover the cost of the search for him.
New details have now emerged following the release of records by released by the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office on his disappearance.
Borgwardt had reportedly sought to build a life with a woman he met on the internet after faking his death.
Of these newly released documents, it shows the final conversation Borgwardt had with his wife of 22 years, Emily.
The texts began with Borgwardt saying: “May have snuck out on a lake.”
His wife replied: “That would have been nice to know. I was beginning to wonder why you weren’t home.”
After he replied ‘I’m sorry’, she added: “Nothing new. I should be used to it by now. So many nights I have no idea where you are when its late.”
The final messages from Borgwardt read: “I will work on our communication. I saw the northern lights and they were pink. I love you... goodnight.
“I’ll be heading back to shore soon.”
Seemingly panicked, his wife replied later texted ‘where are you?’ and followed this up with ‘babe?’
As well as the texts, the newly released documents show Borgwardt's receipts for bus tickets from Madison, Wisconsin, to Canada's Toronto Pearson International Airport as well as footage of Borgwardt crossing the border into Canada.
Green Lake County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Matthew Vande Kolk also confirmed that they reached out to the Uzbekistani woman in Georgia and had been in contact with her.
In one email they asked when she had last spoke to him and said they needed to know if he was okay.
The communications with police show that Vande Kolk was ultimately able to get in touch with Borgwardt over email and Telegram.
In addition to admitting and showing that he was safe, in an unknown location, he Borgwardt said: “I realize I created this mess and now everyone is trying to put the pieces together.
"I am really sorry about that. It would have just been much easier if no one looked for me."
He also explained that to create the illusion that he had vanished, he tossed his phone, inflated a small child inflatable raft and paddled back to shore before he drove 66 miles on an electric bike he had purposefully left out there.
By December, Borgwardt eventually decided to fly from Georgia back to the US where he was brought into questioning and ultimately charged.
It is understood that his wife Emily has filed for divorce.