A Man from Viskonsin Who Faked His Own Death

• The Borghardt district faked his own death during a kayaking incident.
• The court sentenced him to 89 days in custody and ordered him to pay $30,000 in restitution.
• He was trying to escape to his wife in Georgia after disappearing.

A man from Viskonsin, Borghardt district, was sentenced to 89 days in custody for faking his own death during a kayaking incident. The court issued the verdict on September 26, 2025, considering that the very time he disappeared was when he was introducing himself to a human rights organization.

Borghardt, 45 years old, initially claimed his innocence in the charges of a fabricated disappearance, but later changed his statement to "without restrictions" and agreed to pay $30,000 in U.S. dollars for the search expenses. He admitted in court that he was hiding from his wife, who had given her relatives.

He was reported missing on August 12, 2024, after he had somehow been found overturned on Lake Green. Initially, his disappearance was considered a possible drowning. However, after 58 days of searching without results, the investigation expanded when it was revealed that Borghardt had obtained a new passport three months before his disappearance.

As a result of the investigation, it was established that he was trying to escape to his wife, with whom he was communicating online. After returning to the U.S. in the summer, he was charged in the disappearance investigation, which led to his separation from his girlfriend after four months following his return.

Tags: USA/Crime