The Coward's Route: Ryan Borgwardt

The Coward's Route: Ryan Borgwardt

From Crime Salad by BLACKCAT | Realm

July 25, 2026 · 47 min

About this episode

The episode explores the bizarre true crime case of Ryan Borgwardt, who staged his own death and fled the country, leading to a massive search effort and a deep dive into the psychological and financial implications of his actions.

Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made! Go to https://trymiracle.com/CRIMESALAD and use the code CRIMESALAD to claim your FREE 3-PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF  From reversing a vasectomy in secret, to exploiting Western Union loopholes, to fleeing to Eastern Europe, this case proves that the truth is often stranger than fiction. We unpack the devastating financial reality of community property laws, the psychological toll of marital waste, and how a father's desperate fight-or-flight response sparked a viral international manhunt. Ryan Borgwardt, a local cabinet maker living in Wisconsin with his wife and three kids, chooses to stage an accidental death like it’s a movie set and flee the country. His travels take him by child-sized inflatable raft, to a hidden e-bike, to a Greyhound bus, and finally onto an international flight to meet a distant connection he fell for online. Will his grand illusion work, or will his family be left absolutely devastated and heartbroken to discover he’s actually not at the bottom of Green Lake but has been planning a cowardly escape route right under their noses? Debt. Lust. Greed. In this bizarre true crime investigation, we dive deep…

People in this episode

Guest: Ryan Borgwardt

Topics covered

Sponsors

Miracle Made

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bruce's Legacy

Places: Wisconsin, Eastern Europe, Green Lake

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