A US man who faked his own death and fled the country, leaving behind his family, has been in contact with police in his home state and sent investigators a video to prove that he is safe.
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, vanished on 12 August while on a solo fishing trip, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin said in a news conference on Thursday.
Police initially suspected that he had drowned and searched the lake for 54 days before finding digital evidence that led them to suspect he had fled to Eastern Europe.
“The great news is he’s still alive and well,” said Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podell. “The bad news is that we don’t know where exactly Ryan is, and he has not decided to return home.”
The 24-second video is shot selfie-style, and shows Mr Borgwardt in an apartment with white walls.
“Good evening, it’s Ryan Borgwardt,” he says. “Today is 11 November. It’s approximately 10 am by you guys. I’m in my apartment.
“I am safe, secure, no problem. I hope this works.”
Police have been emailing him, “pulling at his heartstrings” in an effort to coax him back home and “clean up the mess that he has created,” the sheriff said.
Authorities got in touch with him after contacting a woman in the region who speaks Russian. She helped connect him to police. Law enforcement did not detail who the woman was or her connection to Mr Borgwardt
During the near-daily exchanges, he allegedly revealed to police how he orchestrated his getaway.
MORE: Authorities say US man faked kayaking death and fled to Europe
Police say that after sinking his kayak and cell phone in the lake, he paddled a small child-sized boat to shore where he had stashed an E-bike. He cycled overnight to Madison, Wisconsin, then boarded a bus to Detroit and got on a plane in Canada to an unknown location.
“We are continuing to verify this information, trying to put the dots together,” Podoll said. “But we feel that this was Ryan’s way that he could tell the entire country how he did it.”
He is believed to have acted alone, he said. He added that Mr Borgwardt has not had any contact with his family since he left.
He left behind three children and his wife. In the days before his departure, authorities found he had taken out a $375,000 (£297,875) life insurance policy, had transferred funds to a foreign bank account, photographed his new passport, and altered his email address.
Podoll said that there are currently no criminal charges pending against Mr Borgwardt, but that police say he owes them $40,000 (£32,000) for the cost of their search.
At the end of his conference, the sheriff became emotional, saying that his children will be without their father during the holiday season.
“Christmas is coming up,” he said. “And what better a gift to give those kids than to be there for Christmas.”