WATERTOWN (NBC 26) — The wife of Ryan Borgwardt, the Watertown father of three who admitted to faking his own death before fleeing to eastern Europe, filed for legal separation on Thursday, according to online court records.
This comes two days after Borgwardt voluntarily returned to Wisconsin.
NBC 26 Reporter Margaret Cahill has the full story coming up at 5 p.m.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
The father of three who authorities say faked his own death during a kayaking trip to Green Lake has been released from jail and is being held on a signature bond.
Jail staff have told our Fond du Lac neighborhood reporter Margaret Cahill that Borgwardt is not in the jail.
The website VINE, which describes itself as "the nation’s leading victim notification network," shows Borgwardt is "out of custody."
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, made his first court appearance in Green Lake County Wednesday afternoon. He has been charged with one count of obstructing an officer, which is a misdemeanor.
Watch: Runaway kayaker released from jail:
During the hearing, the court found probable cause and entered a plea of not guilty on Borgwardt's behalf. Borgwardt said he can't afford an attorney and will represent himself.
The court set Borgwardt's signature bond at $500, with the condition that Borgwardt will complete processing with the Green Lake County Sheriff's Department. A signature bond is where a defendant signs a legal document promising to appear at future court dates.
Borgwardt's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 13.
Borgwardt was declared missing after not returning home from a kayaking trip to Green Lake in August.
On Nov. 8, authorities announced they believed Borgwardt had faked his death and fled the country. Later that month, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Borgwardt was "alive and well" overseas and urged the man to return home to his wife and children.
According to a criminal complaint, Borgwardt turned over his kayak on Green Lake, threw his phone into the water, and took an inflatable raft to shore. From there, prosecutors say Borgwardt took an electric bike to Madison, hopped on a bus to Toronto, took a flight to Paris, boarded another flight to a country in Asia, and then met up with a woman. The complaint shows Borgwardt ended up living in the country of Georgia.
Deputies said Wednesday that Borgwardt came back to the United States "on his own" on Tuesday and was taken into custody.
