11/21/24 Text of Green Lake County Sheriff’s Remarks During Press Conference
21 November 2024 News
Remarks made by Sheriff Mark Podoll during a press conference at the Justice Center in Green Lake 11/21/24:
Good Morning,
At our last press conference we outlined why we had stopped searching in Green Lake for Ryan Borgwardt. While we stopped searching the lake, we have not stopped searching for Ryan. We continue to search for the truth regarding this case as well.
There are a couple of questions that have been asked repeatedly throughout the last couple of weeks that we would like to answer.
First the potential charges we would request. The information that Green Lake County has to this point would lead us to request a charge of obstructing. We cannot comment on any Federal charges that may or may not be filed by our federal partners.
Second is the question regarding the amount that we would seek to cover the Sheriff’s Office costs of the search. The answer to that is roughly $35 to $40 thousand dollars. These costs do not include any expenses incurred by volunteers such as Bruce’s Legacy and the expert divers and other donors who gave of their time and equipment. We have about $7000 in equipment and expenses, the remainder is related to the wages associated.
Now onto the progress.
On the day of our last press conference, November 8th. We attempted contact with a number of the data points that were left on the computer. Things like phone numbers and email addresses were attempted in a blitz fashion in hopes that all the digital activity would connect somewhere. We requested that Ryan contact us in message form in a number of locations. It wasn’t long before we met with all of you that we had our first contact. We continued to communicate with a person we believed to be a Russian speaking female until we were connected directly to Ryan by email on Monday November 11th. Through that conversation we received the video we are going to share with you now.
The great news is that we know Ryan is alive and well.
The bad news is that we do not know Ryan’s exact whereabouts and he has not yet decided to return home yet.
We have had near daily communication with Ryan.
This is how he says he left the country.
• He stashed an E-Bike near the boat launch.
• He paddled his kayak and a child size inflatable boat out into the lake.
• He overturned the Kayak and dumped his phone in the lake.
• He paddled the inflatable boat to shore got on his E-bike and rode to through the night to Madison.
• In Madison he boarded a bus and went to Detroit and then the Canadian border.
• He continued on the bus to the airport and got on a plane.
We are working to verify the information he has provided thus far.
In our communication we are expressing the importance of his decision to return on his own to clean up the mess that he has created. Our primary Criminal Justice concern has been and will continue to his safe return to US soil. From a moral standpoint, he needs to return home for his children. If he chooses not to return on his own, I think those actions send a loud and clear message to all of us.
We have been in continued contact with family members regarding our communication with Ryan.
No warrants have been issued yet. We believe that warrants will not be needed and Ryan will cooperate and make the right decision to come home on his own.
I cannot speak any further on the content of the conversations with Ryan, only that we will continue to communicate with Ryan in order to facilitate his return home.
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