Ryan Borgwardt (Photo courtesy Green Lake County Sheriff's Office)
(WTAQ-WLUK) — A viral TikTok video is not believed to depict missing man Ryan Borgwardt, Green Lake County sheriff’s officials say.
Borgwardt, 45, was reported missing in August after a kayaking trip on Green Lake. Last week, sheriff’s officials made the shocking announcement that they believe Borgwardt faked his death and traveled to Europe. Among the evidence investigators cited was that Borgwardt communicated with a woman believed to be from Uzbekistan.
The video posted by TikTok user The Authentic Alpha features an interview with a bicyclist who bears a resemblance to Borgwardt. The man tells the interviewer he is torn between staying in the U.S. or moving to Uzbekistan to meet a woman. The man also says he is married, like Borgwardt. However, the man says his children have grown and moved out of the house; Borgwardt has young children, according to sheriff’s officials.
According to the video’s caption, the man gives his name as “Twa.”
ABC News, which is tagged in the video, reports the interview was recorded in June in San Diego.
The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office posted this message on Facebook Wednesday night: “WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE TIKTOK VIDEO IS RYAN. WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE INTERVIEWER. THANK YOU TO ALL FOR ALERTING US OF ITS EXISTENCE. We have verified this is not Ryan by contacting people who know Ryan.”
On Thursday, Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk was asked whether there was any new information or whether they were taking a new look at the video.
“We are not looking into it,” he said.
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