Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present

Episode: "Father of Three Faked His Own Death To Runaway With Woman He Met Online"

Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes

Overview

In this episode, Amy and TJ dissect the extraordinary and shocking story of Ryan Borgwart, a 45-year-old husband and father from Wisconsin who faked his own drowning death, abandoning his wife and three children for an online romance with a woman in Georgia (the country). The hosts explore the bizarre details, motivations, and consequences behind this elaborate scheme, delving into the emotional fallout for everyone involved, public reaction, and the legal outcome after Borgwart returns and faces justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Case Introduction and Context

[03:05 - 03:46]

• Ryan Borgwart was married for 22 years with three kids.
• Went missing after a supposed fishing trip; believed drowned in Green Lake, Wisconsin.
• Months later, found alive in Georgia, prompting national headlines.

"When you hear about what he did, some of the details are as ridiculous and comical for why he thought he was going to get away with this." — TJ [03:40]

2. Initial Reactions & Motivations

[03:46 - 04:31]

• Amy questions the mindset: Why resort to faking death rather than divorce?
• TJ ponders the role of mental health or despair leading to such drastic measures.

"You somehow think it’s better that your kids think you’re dead, that your community thinks you’re dead, rather than you fell in love with another woman?" — Amy [03:58]

“Short of mental illness, short of something not right up there, could you feel so…in such despair that you thought this was a better option?” — TJ [04:31]

3. The Plan Unfolds: Details of the Disappearance

[05:24 - 07:33]

• TJ lays out the timeline: Borgwart left for fishing, texted wife at 11 p.m. claiming he was heading home, then vanished.
• Car, kayak (overturned), tackle box, and fishing rod all found, leading to an intensive search.
• Amy empathizes with the family’s “not knowing”—a particularly cruel aspect.

“When you don’t know what happened... when you don’t know how they died, when you don’t know where their body is, that adds a whole other layer of grief. So that this was really cruel if you think about it.” — Amy [06:56]

4. The Digital Breadcrumbs & Discovery

[07:46 - 09:09]

• Police suspicions arise:
  • Name run by Canadian authorities day after disappearance.
  • Evidence of new passport, cleared browser history, and plans to head to Europe.
  • He’d taken out a large life insurance policy ($375,000) for his family and transferred money abroad.
• Reversed vasectomy before leaving, suggesting intent to start a new family.

“He reversed a vasectomy before he left. So apparently this new lucky gal wanted to have kids.” — Amy [09:23]

5. His New Life & The Woman in Georgia

[09:41 - 10:19]

• The woman was from Georgia (the country); met online.
• TJ and Amy speculate on the practicality and reality of the relationship.

“He was willing not just to fake his own death and to leave his children behind, but to then fly to a foreign land... and live happily ever after.” — Amy [09:49]

6. Investigation Breakthrough & Limited Legal Repercussions

[10:19 - 11:57]

• Authorities, tipped off by the woman, contact Borgwart abroad; discovery made official.
• No extradition treaty for his charge (misdemeanor); he chooses to return voluntarily.
• Wife files for divorce immediately after his return.
• Amy and TJ discuss the impossible situation facing his children.

“How can that be repaired? How can a therapist be involved? What can you ever do to make up for that? That’s tough for those kids.” — TJ [11:42]

7. The Emotional Toll & Human Reactions

[11:57 - 13:30]

• Speculation on what kind of repair, if any, is possible between Borgwart and his children.
• Amy says healing may only begin if his actions are understood as a mental health crisis, not pure malice.

“The only way I think you could forgive your father is to know that they were struggling so much with their own mental health that they didn’t regard yours and in that moment made a terrible decision.” — Amy [11:57]

• TJ and Amy debate public urge to demonize vs. curiosity about what drove Borgwart to such lengths.

8. How He Pulled It Off — The Escape Plan

[14:06 - 14:57]

• Borgwart’s own account: Overturned his kayak, threw his phone in the lake, paddled to shore in an inflatable boat, biked 70 miles to Madison, took a bus to Detroit, another bus to Canada, and then flew to Europe.
• Still used his real passport, leaving a clear digital trail.

“But he was using his own passport. How did he not think he was going to get caught?” — Amy [15:04]

9. Sentencing, Restitution, and Judicial "Poetry"

[21:59 - 24:23]

• Borgwart returns, pleads guilty to misdemeanor. Judge gives 89 days in jail—matching the 89 days his family believed him dead (double the time asked by prosecutors).
• Ordered to pay $30,000 restitution for cost of the search.

“He chose the exact amount of days that he was missing. So those were the days that his family suffered, that authorities were searching that lake...that does feel like justice.” — Amy [23:22]

• Both hosts approve of the judge’s symbolic sentencing method as a meaningful gesture.

10. Restitution for Rescue Efforts

[24:23 - 25:14]

• Authorities, especially rescue divers and emergency personnel, put themselves at risk during the search based on Borgwart’s deception.
• Amy and TJ highlight how these real-world consequences make the crime more egregious.

“You’re putting yourself in danger... That part is necessary. It should always happen in these cases.” — TJ [25:13]

11. Borgwart’s Apology & Questions of Forgiveness

[25:25 - 27:06]

• Borgwart offered an apology in court:

“I deeply regret the actions I did that night and all the pain I caused my family and friends.” — Read by Amy [25:25]

• Amy and TJ muse on whether anyone—besides his ex-wife—could or should allow him a second chance.
• TJ expresses curiosity about the depths of Borgwart’s desperation: “What was going on in this man’s life that got him to that point of desperation?” [26:39]

12. Pop Culture Comparisons & Reflections

[27:06 - 28:31]

• Amy compares Borgwart’s escape plan to Julia Roberts’ “Sleeping with the Enemy”: using hidden stashes, cleaning footprints, staging a dramatic escape—usually the actions of someone in true peril, not romantic pursuit.
• Playful banter between hosts, lightening the episode’s end.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity of the scheme:
  “Some of the details are as ridiculous and comical for why he thought he was going to get away with this.” — TJ [03:40]

• On the cruelty to loved ones:
  “When you don’t know what happened...that adds a whole other layer of grief. So that this was really cruel if you think about it.” — Amy [06:56]

• On the poetic justice of the sentence:
  “So those 89 days where everyone was in the dark, those are the same 89 days he will spend behind bars.” — Amy [23:22]

• On the children’s perspective:
  “The thought of my dad doing that and then getting a vasectomy reversed, almost as if he was going to replace me with other children…makes the story so much worse from the child’s perspective.” — Amy [13:11]

• On the search and its costs:
  “Imagine if you’re a trained rescue diver…and you spend your time, and your effort…and you’re thinking and you’re to know that it was all a hoax. That’s got to be really tough.” — Amy [24:32]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Case Introduction & Early Reactions: [03:05 – 05:24]
• Scheme & Investigation: [05:24 – 11:57]
• Escape Plan Details: [14:06 – 14:57]
• Sentencing & Restitution Discussion: [21:59 – 25:14]
• Borgwart’s Apology & Second Chances Debate: [25:25 – 27:06]
• Pop Culture Reflection & Wrap-Up: [27:06 – 28:31]

Episode Takeaways

• The extraordinary story of Ryan Borgwart is as much about the devastation caused by a selfish act as it is about the limits of the law to deal with such behavior.
• The emotional impact on the family, especially the children, remains a primary concern.
• Judges can sometimes deliver poetic symbolism in sentencing as a nod to victims.
• The hosts strike a balance between outrage, empathy, and curiosity—reminding listeners that even the most bewildering crimes involve complex human motivations.

This summary covers the full story and analysis as delivered by Amy and TJ, with focus on the facts, the emotional consequences, and the broader lessons raised by this headline-grabbing case.