Vinnie Politan Investigates: Kayaker Fakes His Death | Ryan Borgwardt

[@CourtTV]

#CourtTV - What do YOU think? MORE HERE: www.courttv.com/news/missing-kayaker-alive-and-well-overseas-sheriff-pleas-for-his-return/?

[@edrathephoenix]

@@CourtTV Thank you!

[@dawngrimes7361]

Going to join under honorable judge soon, I watch this channel all the time, great coverage and detail

[@JFK1962]

If I was his wife, he’s not coming back to me.

[@Somegirljax]

Ditto! No way would I ever be able to forgive such a betrayal. What a horrible thing to do to your family. He’s a heartless coward!

[@paulamarlowe4205]

Exactly 💯

[@TalkJury2Me]

I don’t think he wants to come back

[@harryhasbeard8666]

Pretty sure if you fake your own death to escape your wife you don't want to go back. His wife would take him back in a heartbeat.

[@Nurse_Kathy]

“His family wants him back.” I can’t imagine his wife would want him back for any other reason than to obtain child support for their 3 children.

[@italiangirl76]

If he was my husband and he plotted this, without having the balls to say he wants a divorce.....he can stay gone! I wouldnt want him back!

[@ImaCatMaia]

It's about his children, not his wife. She hasn't said anything about wanting him back. Only his children.

[@LCx829]

Id be humiliated if that was my dad.

[@shortie.2380]

@@ImaCatMaiait about his children AND wife whom he made a promise to be there in good or bad; and IF it was that bad divorce the woman for the sake of the kids!! He’s a coward! IMO

[@Immastudrespctvly9432]

@@shortie.2380I agree wholeheartedly 😢😮,because he went through a lot to get all of that done!! Like omgoodness that’s crazy as hell!! You did ALL THAT to get away from ur life and not even thinking 🤔 about how that would affect your kids!! Shameful and sad IMO IJS like damn was it really that bad?!! 🤦🏽‍♂️ 😢😢😢I feel so awful for his kids and his wife,whom im sure will be his ex wife very very soon!!! 4:18

[@edilmav.m2498]

@@italiangirl76 the sad to the wife is because clearly he didn't care for her. He did this and she won't have a chance to revenge. I hope she can find a way to build herself up not goin I to a depression.

[@Tina.Mindful]

I would love to see him explain this to his 3 kids face to face!

[@m.g.2645]

😉👏🎯

[@glee_again2594]

I can’t stop smh for the kids’ sake. Unbelievable. I pray for those children. I feel for his wife too but HOW do you do this to your own children?! I am glad he didn’t pull a Chris Watt’s, but he is weak in his own way.

[@LisaDonnelly-w1b]

That dad's a coward!?.. 💔💯😡😢

[@angie-kbm]

He's a low life. How bad was it to fake your own death, my word.

[@Lauramendoza-di1kd]

Why so they can be traumatized again dad is the biggest P.O.S..

[@QueenOfTheNorth65]

People who are saying “At least he didn’t kill his family”….that’s setting the bar pretty low. This guy is scum. I feel sorry for the wife, but my heart breaks for the children. How does a child ever get over the fact that their father was willing to have his kids think he died so he could run off to another country for another woman?

[@loveforeignaccents]

💯

[@Josie3387]

Because the bar is always low when it comes to male behavior.

[@Tundra21dc1]

@@Josie3387 the 4b is strong with you

[@Josie3387]

@@Tundra21dc1 Whatever you say, male.

[@TalkJury2Me]

If you don’t understand why people are saying that then you don’t understand reality. faking your own death is low and killing your family is despicable. Unfortunately, some men will take out their family to live the life they want. Wouldnt you rather have Chris Watts flee than see what he did?

[@TeeJayNZ]

What a poor excuse for a man

[@sharoncollins7722]

Pathetic

[@charsiu_808]

Inexcusable, cowardice, unfathomable and disgusting

[@adrianjanssens7116]

In the seventies a contractor renovated a fancy restaurant in Calgary. He didn't pay any of his suppliers and employees were not paid for weeks. He threw a very nice Christmas party. We were all drunk on the best liquor by 7:30. He didn't pay that bill either and took off the next morning to Holland with his family. He is still there.

[@Somegirljax]

Catfished!? No. He met someone and decided to ditch his family to start over. He looks unhappy in the video because he now realizes what a douche he is and it’s weighing on him. Moral…? Grass ain’t always greener. Poor wife and kids. IMO he’s a selfish SOB and if he were my husband, I wouldn’t want him back!

[@ladyofargonne]

He went to uzbekistan for someone he never met. That’s catfished.

[@Forwardoperationbase]

@@Somegirljax He sure when through a lot of trouble just to walk out on his family. I think there is more to this story.

[@nadiad5217]

So can they find him and send him an invoice for the search? Not only is it completely dishonest to his family, it is a waste of precious resources. He should be fined.

[@dawnberg7316]

Not fined....let him stay where he is in the country he decided to flee....

[@TamaraOHearn]

I hope the wife gets a great lawyer and takes him for everything!

[@Bliss31]

If he comes back they will prosecute him for the costs. But they won’t be able to get him back to do that.

[@garvingirl]

…And he thought $375,000 would be enough money to leave your wife to raise 3 kids? Such a jerk!

[@m.g.2645]

😉👏🎯⚖️

[@Heather-jb8nt]

I'm sure their end game was to share the money.

[@0116rosie]

Seems like a pretty small amount for that kind of work and risk. Maybe..... IF she is in on it, they were splitting anyway and this was just something to gain from it. Like a win win. (But i find it hard to believe she would be in on doing that to their kids)

[@kweenz109]

@@Heather-jb8ntI don't think so lol

[@purpleandred7]

The diver feels sorry for the guy? 🤔 What about how he scared his wife and children, terrified them into thinking a tragic accident had occurred; or, how about all the resources that were wasted, resources that could help someone who truly needed it .. all of the first responders looking for a guy who tried to fake his death when in reality he was safe and sound, halfway around the world? I don't get why he feels sorry for him .. the man is a liar who pre-planned the scenario of faking his death to abandon his wife and children to be with another woman. How can he feel sorry for someone like that?

[@Somegirljax]

I think he has sympathy for him because when someone does something so unbelievably heartless , we look for reasons “why”…? We try to make sense of it by pscho-analyzing them. We ask ourselves “what happened to that guy to make him do that?” Mostly, because it’s hard to accept the reality of just how horrible it actually is. IMO he’s probably more angry than empathetic.

[@purpleandred7]

@Somegirljax maybe he is empathetic, but that certainly wasn't evident in his words. Whenever I've seen a news conference such as this - where someone led them on a wild goose chase - one of the very first things they say is how horrible it was that so many resource hours, dollars, and man-power were wasted, when they could have spent all of those on someone who needed them. The diver should feel sorry for the wife and children that the man abandoned, not him. I truly dislike injustice, that's what gets me the most; and honestly, I just can't understand how anyone could feel bad for someone who does this. Get a divorce if you're unhappy in your marriage .. but this guy was too cowardly to do that .. he wanted his family and everyone else to think he was dead so he wouldn't look bad? Like what he did made him look any better?

[@trickortrump3292]

He said that in response to a question about his feelings toward this guy after expending all that time and effort searching for him. He wasn’t asked how he felt about the wife and kids. You’re making a gigantic leap by inferring that the diver has no feelings of sympathy for the man’s family simply because he answered Vinnie’s question directly.

[@Aurora-lp9sn]

I caught that too and it threw me. It didn’t seem like he was trying to psycho analyse the husband, it sounded like he was trying to place blame for the husband being “driven to such an extreme” on the wife or his family, as many men watching probably are. It never occurs to them that the reason might be because he’s an awful human and a deadbeat husband and father. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT PUSHED THIS MAN!!

[@melissaj6786]

It's pretty common these days to make excuses and have compassion for those who hurt others, leaving the victims to be victimized again. Truly a backwards world.

[@aimeehamby828]

Imagine being so cowardly that you could leave your 3 children and loving wife and family for a single person whom you’ve never met from another country. This family must be at such a loss. They did nothing to ever warrant this kind of behavior. Let us pray for them and help them in any way we can as they try to navigate this loss. Mourning a person who is still living is so painful. Someone who took meticulous care in planning his demise and leaving his most cherished family without a second thought. 😢

[@Happyhippy70]

Yes, such as the system stealing kids. Lable moms n dads to steal their kids is sick. It been going on for years....

[@christicrenshaw2772]

What makes this woman think he would not do this to her and why would you want someone like that. If you can throw his family away like it's nothing. Shows what kind of person he is

[@loveforeignaccents]

Imagine being even more of a coward and offing your parents and one of your brothers over some online showgirl, so to speak, whom you're never going to meet in person - Grant Amato case.

[@JenniferFinley-cu2qm]

Perfectly said! 🙏 For the children and his wife 💔

[@garylee12345]

Amen 🙏 prayers to the family

[@Ipetam]

Its crazy to me that people think that in this day and age they'll be able to start a new life somewhere else.

[@paulamarlowe4205]

I know

[@cynthia6407]

The steel door reminds me of the “bank doors” we have on our apartments and houses in Turkey. Uzbekistan is in Central Asia and Turkey is in West Asia. There are a lot of Russians living in Turkey - especially In the larger metropolitan areas like Istanbul and Antalya. With a population of 16 million, it would be easy to disappear in plain sight in Istanbul. The Russian community in Antalya is pretty insular, so if he were staying with Russian nationals, he’d be able to live under the radar. In my opinion, he doesn’t look afraid or in danger in the video. He looks tired and overwhelmed by the reality that he’s made an ass of himself in front of the whole world. If he’s never been outside of the United States, living in Central or Western Asia (or Eastern Europe, if that’s the case) is going to be a culture shock. The languages are much more difficult for English speakers, the cultures are quite different. Even simple things like the shower and toilet are different. If he was catfished, he probably thinks he can’t come back and face the consequences for his utterly selfish behavior. If he really did meet up with his online romance, the reality of living with someone from a very different culture is probably sinking in right now. A lot of American guys fetishize women from this part of the world, but they forget that it takes even more effort to forge a meaningful relationship across cultures.

[@Xianne027]

My thoughts exactly! He probably seriously overlooked a lot of the difficulties of integrating into a new culture, immigration, bureaucracy, residence permit, work permit, learning the language, adapting to the culture, etc, etc... and how to even be qualified for a job... probably having to wash dishes for a meager wage or has to rely on his girlfriend to pay the bills. It's prob not all roses and champagne, dreamy romance and hot sex.

[@pherhymeswithamc6399]

looks like james bond got catfished to me.

[@Xianne027]

@pherhymeswithamc6399 Or just that James Bond tripped over his own feet and feel on his face. Reality is a bummer sometimes.

[@thornyrose1235]

Agreed. Those doors are fairly common in some areas in Europe. He doesn't look like he's in any distress whatsoever. He could have easily apologized to his family or expressed some remorse or regret for what he put them through but nothing. He doesn't give two fvcks about them.

[@Tarotmoon2360]

Who would do that to his family? His kids?!

[@cheriebrais6913]

So sad this is.😢😢

[@patricktompkins1103]

Ryan……. DUH

[@Raduga_Y]

@@Tarotmoon2360 Chris Watts!

[@Happyhippy70]

Wow, such a selfish act. The man that goes out for milk n never comes home. GROSS

[@cheriebrais6913]

My prayers for wife & his children 🙏 😢

[@teresabarnett6767]

Just when I thought I'd heard it all....what the hell is wrong with people????

[@garvingirl]

Why couldn’t the guy just initiate a divorce if he was so unhappy. What a true asshole.

[@m.g.2645]

😉👏🎯

[@mhe8545]

Money and sex!!

[@DopamineDecor]

Money. Losing face. Abandoning his children.

[@kimp519]

How can you want him home after this . The damage is done .. he’s literally ruined his kids lives already. What a selfish narcissistic person .

[@TamaraOHearn]

I don't find him attractive at all.

[@Bliss31]

His poor kids knowing he left them on purpose. After the emotions of thinking he was dead 😢 they’ll never heal from that.

[@cherylboucher4491]

How can you be an adult and not be aware that there are sociopaths amongst us who do what they want when they want with zero empathy. Save your sympathy for a decent human.

[@Grown-N-Nosey]

THIS!

[@dianecripps204]

Not only is he going to come back - how is he going to stay wherever he is? Can he afford to? Can he stay there legally, long-term? The thought of becoming an undocumented person surviving on under the table work in a place you don't know the language - not the most desirable life.

[@vivienneobrien1557]

The sheriff should stop interfering - he's not a marriage guidance councillor. If he wants to charge him for misleading the police or insurance fraud he should do that. Otherwise not his business.

[@jesseochoa4807]

Legally not sure he did anything wrong.

[@Foxsuper1]

​@@jesseochoa4807insurance fraud

[@RaoulThomas007]

The Sheriff is trying to have him return to the US from a non-extradition country.

[@TamaraOHearn]

Yeah, he needs to locate him and throw the book at him, then get a great lawyer for the wife--I am thinking he emotionally abused her and the kids at the very least. He should pay the max child support and 50 percent of what he has. He should also be in jail.

[@jennfrostbutter2715]

@@TamaraOHearnI don’t think he committed a crime

[@OptimisticMaya]

Wow! This guy was REALLY committed to leaving his family .. bike, bus, plane, automobile .. His wife and kids should Never take him back!

[@annabellelee4535]

Look what he did to escape his wife, I don't think he will ever want to come back.

[@AngelaK-55]

Lovely to have Vinnie politan back. What a nasty piece this excuse of a man who leaves his wife and children in this way what a coward. The trouble he's put the emergency service's to not to mention the cost. No excuse for this behaviour because he's obviously planned the escape into the arms of another woman probably he's a fricking creepy guy.

[@Miss_Cherry]

Please don't give this man an out. Talking about he's there against his will. I'd be like you wanted out stay out. Of course the kids want him back, but does their mother? I doubt it. How embarrassing.

[@purplequeen1727]

She may not want him back but she may be concerned about his mental health.

[@TF-vb9us]

The kids may not want him back either, they’re young but not little. They’re better off without his influence anyway.

[@katarzynamariamuszynska2811]

Is his children want him back? Obviously he doesn't want his kids no more

[@HarryTrickle]

The scuba diver said he couldn’t imagine what would make a man leave his family and go to another country. Ummm it’s a five letter word that stats with P. His poor wife and kids. She should divorce him immediately

[@mandiebby93]

So he doesn't have the guts to ask for a divorce?? So he fakes a death, so his kids can be terrified?? What kind of man is this???

[@TamaraOHearn]

A freak!

[@theresajopson4157]

A Coward that's who!

[@jayo3074]

Some men dont wanna go through divorce lol

[@Envy28496]

@@jayo3074 Divorce is way more simple than planning a whole scheme to plot your own death and secretly traveling to a new country to live. I bet he really hates his life now.

[@loveforeignaccents]

I don't think he got catfished and in danger. He has been in touch with the police nearly daily.

[@edrathephoenix]

@Loveforeignaccents. He has been in touch with police daily? As in yesterday and today? I’ve only seen his video from one call.

[@loveforeignaccents]

@@edrathephoenix No, for weeks already. The video was produced to the public by the sheriff just to prove that he was alive. You could find info about it online.

[@loveforeignaccents]

@@edrathephoenix Here's this from four days ago: The sheriff's chief deputy has a "good relationship" with Borgwardt, Podoll said, and communicates with him nearly daily for the past 10 days. Authorities first got in contact with Borgwardt on Nov. 11 through a woman who spoke Russian.

[@edrathephoenix]

@ I did see the video last week. After reading your comment I wondered if he has still been in touch with LE daily.

[@loveforeignaccents]

@@edrathephoenix Yeah. I think Christina Randall actually played the clip of the sheriff stating that as well in her upload from earlier today that she has on this case.

[@denise8791]

If theyre in contact with him so often, it doesnt sound like hes there against his will.

[@micheallevy1634]

Exactly

[@ap1673]

What a slimy coward

[@larsvonrinpoche1229]

Right? He did all this for some 'mail order bride ' kinda crap . Some woman who probably just went online to find an American husband! New wifey will be pissed when she finds out he can't marry her because he's both 'dead and still married' 😆 Poor kids man. Thinking dad is dead first, seeing mom mourn him just to find this out. Wow.

[@ShelleyAgua]

Selfish, self-centered, and narcissistic! I feel so bad for his family. How can he hurt his loved ones!

[@nainajinga]

"Uzbekistan is a Central Asian nation and a former Soviet republic. It's known for its mosques, mausoleums, etc." Eastern European country, Sir? 😮 Geography class, anyone?

[@NRNF1776]

Wait, what? I didn't understand what you think was wrong?

[@Aurora-lp9sn]

@@NRNF1776 In the video they said Uzbekistan is in Eastern Europe, but it’s actually in central Asia.

[@sandyflowers9201]

He 6 a new adventure, he was bored.

[@erikasantoshafitness348]

lol 😂

[@rumin528]

Uzbekistan is quite far away from Europe. Americans are notorious for their lack of geographic knowledge.

[@yoshiskysun]

This dude took simp to whole another level.

[@karenkrejci1367]

He’s narcissistic! He’s maybe experiencing some instant karma!?!?

[@princesabonita79]

aside from child support, leaving your family and starting a new life isnt against the law. Faking your death and draining resources is.

[@melissa87543]

He attempted to defraud his insurance company. That's the crime.

[@jesseochoa4807]

How did he defraud the insurance. Did he initiate the claim?

[@Ebony0420]

As if the insurance companies aren’t scamming ppl. Who cares about the insurance companies. 😂

[@denise8791]

​@Ebony0420 no one cares...lol But it's something that would land this effing loser in jail 😂

[@Lady.Luck.]

If it wasn't cashed out by him..I don't think it truly is a crime

[@jennycampbell9321]

He miserable because he never thought he’d get caught 🥴

[@HLB313]

I really hope the wife is saying they want him home so he can be arrested as soon as he sets foot off the plane. Can’t wait to find out who he got catfished by 😂

[@roxanemarin5387]

What an idiot. No way he’s catfished. He’s acting that way cuz he knows what he did was awful and wrong. He’s spineless. He looks calm not distressed

[@kthom4595]

That woman didn’t say “It’s a steel door, he’s probably in danger?!?” Ma’am that’s just a normal apartment door. 🤷🏽‍♀️ And he’s standing in the entryway and when he panned the camera you can see either a bed or couch. What is this woman talking about!?! 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@Xianne027]

Exactly! She didn't seem to look at the situation very logically at all. Also, she probably hasn't travelled outside of the US, so she's never thought about the different design of doors in other countries.

[@micheallevy1634]

Exactly

[@joiathegreat]

It seems a little far-fetched but she was making the point that we don't have all the information about his situation.

[@Xianne027]

@@joiathegreat True. But it is ridiculous that she perceived a normal apartment door as a steel door. The styles in Europe and Asia are different than in the US. But it looks like apartment doors that I've seen in my country as well.

[@micheallevy1634]

@Xianne027 I agree. It's also ridiculous that she'd think that he's miserable and catfished because of the look of embarrassment on his face when the man clearly said he doesn't want to come home. At this point, I'm sure he's well aware that he would have an all expenses paid trip back and he DOESN'T WANT IT!!! But she says he's probably being held against his will. How utterly ridiculous to say just to make a point. They asked for a video and he gave them one I'm sure to avoid any potential further legal issues. If he was being held against his will, I honestly don't think they'd let him do that. It's not like he's some wealthy person and they aren't asking randsom money It's like she refuses to accept that he was so miserable with the life that he had, he literally took drastic measures to get away from it and even though he did it the wrong way . He's NOT coming back!!! He couldn't have been all too bad of a guy. His wife is wanting him home after all of this and he's saying HECK NO!

[@benjaminperez6620]

How cruel

[@CKELLS24]

Isn't this abandonment?? isn't it illegal? Furthermore, isn't this adultery??

[@CC-xn5xi]

He has 3 beautiful children. He's won the lottery, in a sense. But he threw it away.

[@jayo3074]

How

[@deloradeabel8487]

The lengths some people will go to in their selfish pursuits ,is unbelievable!

[@susansunflower]

That diver has sympathy for the guy? Seriously? He is a coward and completely selfish.

[@jeanP924]

Vinnie this story mimicks the Colorado Springs woman Kimberlee Singular who murdered 2 of her children attempted to kill the third child after she reported a break in in her home. She ultimately escaped on a plane to London in the United Kingdom where she was supposed to meet up with a man she met on the Internet but was supposedly catfished. Vin will you please, please, please do a story on her case and what is the United States department of justice doing to get her back to Colorado to answer for her brutal crimes? There is no death penalty in Colorado so I just don't understand why she hasn't been returned and this story is not being reported on?? Thank you so much Vinnie!

[@rebeccanorris8687]

Here's your " why" he's a cheating husband that was too much of a coward to ask his wife for a divorce. He would rather have his children go through the devastating thought of him drowning.

[@jayo3074]

Why would he want to got throug a divorce?

[@spypink1136]

Disgusting, not only did he abandon his family, but he put them through the hell of searching for him and putting through the emotional trauma of thinking he was dead. This is the epitome of a coward! Prayers for his family, his wife and his children who now have to deal with the consequences of his cowardly actions. Make him come home and pay for the search efforts and put him in a solitary cell and let him think about all the destruction he has caused.

[@TamaraOHearn]

That would qualify for abuse in court. The entire family was emotionally tramatized.

[@cherylboucher4491]

Who the hell wants to move to Uzbekistan? It's like the Canadian family who moved to Russia. If you're going to flee, do some friggin research.

[@ss-wu1vp]

There are Americans living in Russia and Central Asia. Some living here for several years, not just for work. Politics is politics, regular people's lives is something else.

[@Foxsuper1]

You clearly haven't travelled much, like moist Americans !!- try another country someday !!- you may even like it.... start in Europe and drive east... you'll never regret it ❤

[@dixiewinxeqandmore356]

I have a friend who has moved there for work.

[@rexleroux7220]

@@cherylboucher4491 You'd be surprised what some middle aged men will do for some young pootang. Especially Americans and British. See a lot of them in Africa and Asia and the sad part is how pathetic they are.

[@joiathegreat]

They said the woman he was talking to was in Uzbekistan. They don't know where he is.

[@randyvanarsdale1]

Dear producers/editors of this show, the dramatic intro/transition music is a bit much.

[@tmcurly]

Very very loud gives you a headache 🤕

[@russianxcoiladventures9477]

Here here

[@alexmcvey1609]

Fr it's so intense and overdramatic

[@dawnb3194]

I always fast forward past it 😬

[@pitbull12384]

Thanks for that, way over the top and cheesy

[@thesupportingcast6972]

Wow the waste of public funds and resources because he was too big of a coward to get a divorce…

[@LC-awilar1]

I wouldn’t want that guy back !! Let him live his dream

[@Cinder_311]

New low. Those poor kids

[@swisscheeseplease97]

His wife is so pretty. Bro had it all. Does he not understand that there are people who would kill to have his life? Yet he wasn’t satisfied.

[@lavieenrose73]

Great video, great comments . Vinnie . Appreciate your work a lot.

[@fairymagic697]

Now that I heard he rode hose bike 70 miles overnight. He definitely was that guy on the bike in CA that the college student interviewed and he explained his plans to leave his family which is EXACTLY the same.

[@NikkiRiegler]

I completely agree.

[@lavieenrose73]

I appreciate Vinnie s work and personality Very much !

[@peace4all928]

He did EXACTLY what he wanted to do. He was only thinking of himself.

[@ToshaRaeNailed]

I hope his wife doesn’t actually want him back

[@lymarie1974]

This is just pure insanity

[@hvrs_]

Leaving your wife, leaving your kids that’s bad enough but stage it as a death so they suffer and maintain their respect for him is disgusting! Eww

[@Coffee_Lover-s8n]

What is so hard about asking spouses for a divorce or filing for it yourself? People just don’t use common sense anymore and just want attention and cause work for people along with spending great amounts of money looking for them. Just like all the nut jobs offing their children and knowing they are going to go to prison when the best option is to let family have the children or a loving family adopting them. WTH is wrong with people these days. I feel sorry for this dude’s wife and children and the people who were taken advantage of by looking for him. He should be made to pay all of the money back that was spent on resources looking for him and charge him like they did that girl Carly that claimed she was abducted on side of a highway. This is a crime and the criminals and fraudsters need to stop being coddled with bogus light punishments. SMH

[@isabellachiari6736]

For the money

[@Lady.Luck.]

I don't disagree..but he probably saw what he would have to pay in alimony and child support and realized there was no sustainable way to live. So this other way was much more enticing

[@suelawson7273]

They want to try and avoid financial hardship. Entitled people believe their lives should be easy, with no discomfort or suffering. But they've got NO problem piling all that onto someone else 🤔

[@Lady.Luck.]

@@suelawson7273 on the flip side, it's possible this is what his wife did to him for years. I've seen some other coverage on this and they said "the wife even had to get a job now that he's gone". The kids are all 12+. So it's possible that she was refusing to work all these years. Basically doing to him what he just pulled. It's kind of like newtons law. For someone to have such a strong reaction there had to have been an equally strong driving force. If she was working.. divorce could have been an option because she had some money. His move basically has to match the intensity of the previous dynamic. The more skewed it was to begin with, the bigger the action to break free

[@TamaraOHearn]

He likely did not want to deal with alimony, child support etc. He just cut ties and ran off with some foreign woman he barely knew.

[@Whiskey_Tango_Foxtrot_]

Fling is threw with him, he's almost out of cash and wants to go home so he's concocting another scam to take blame of what he did off himself.

[@Kare1949]

I feel so bad for his wife and family but on the bright side he didn’t kill his wife in order to be with the new woman like many men have done.

[@TamaraOHearn]

Yeah, but he broke her and the kids.

[@jayo3074]

​@@TamaraOHearnthe wife will be fine. I'm more concerned about the childrens mental well being

[@njelaine1]

I think I saw a movie about something similar, based on true events. The father “commits S” leaves a note and wife raises their 2 boys. One day she gets a letter addressed to him about paying back social security. She goes to investigate and eventually find he changed his name, lifestyle. He went to jail, boys as men said forget you, and she moves on with her life. So sad!

[@NickLoCascio-x1i]

Zero sympathy for the guy! He got hooked on a fantasy and was obsessed enough to follow through with his elaborate & vindictive plan. It was all for the drama and feeding his ego by knowing everyone is searching and his family is devastated. Dude is a psycho. Don’t take him back, he has proven to be untrustworthy.

[@Annsunshine30]

And it would have been so much easier, if he had just been honest. And had just gotten a divorce...

[@SarahAndrews24]

Remember Sherri Papini case? She faked her own kidnapping and all that. There is a lot of differences in both cases but there are lots of similarities too. Both wanted to get away from their families/ responsibilities/ dull boring life. Both horrible, heartless people who betrayed and deceived their loved ones just for their own selfish desires.

[@TamaraOHearn]

I was also thinking about that case. She is in jail and this guy should be too.

[@micheallevy1634]

The difference is she lied about a kidnapping He did not He gave them his story when they realized he wasn’t missing He did a moral wrong not a criminal wrong They took upon themselves to go searching before investigating

[@farmerchick3040]

Heres the thing. He could have just fled the country and left a note...he didnt have to fake his own death to leave.

[@caseyholmquist204]

This case sounds absolutely crazy! Thank you for helping us put some of the pieces together

[@nancybrowning3380]

he does say "MY" apartment.

[@mzrabbitt6762]

He must have met someone online and thought the grass would be greener on the others side and soon found out it wasn't.

[@micheallevy1634]

If that were the case he’d be back They are more than willing to pay and he’s more than letting them know the answer is no thanks

[@NikkiRiegler]

@@micheallevy1634he’s in the honeymoon stage with his new lover now. He will be begging to come back once he realizes his new woman is Gna take him for everything he has. I give it 6 more weeks. 😊

[@lisayork2624]

Why would his family want him back?! I’d change the locks and get the divorce papers ready.

[@jayo3074]

They can still make it work they just need marriage counseling

[@lisayork2624]

@jayo3074 Counseling is for people who aren’t agreeing on their finances or need help communicating better. This piece of work faked his own death causing his wife and children to grieve for him. All so he could chase after some woman on the other side of the world. There’s no coming back from that. He’s a true narcissist.

[@lisayork2624]

@ Causing his children and wife to grieve for him because he faked his death is evil and narcissistic. All so he could chase after a strange woman on the other side of the world. There’s no coming back from that.

[@jayo3074]

@@lisayork2624 I agree it was bad. But I think we should try to understand why he did what he did. Why would a man decide to do this instead of getting a divorce?

[@lisayork2624]

@ In my opinion, he acted cowardly and selfishly. Easier to stage his own death and play a victim than be honest and upfront with his wife and children. Just like Chris Watts, Christopher Coleman, Michael Blagg, Scott Peterson… etc.

[@patricapearson1008]

Is it really that hard to obtain a divorce ?

[@sandygarrett8638]

@@patricapearson1008 having been through one divorce , I wish my ex had disappeared instead.

[@Grown-N-Nosey]

​@sandygarrett8638 😂😂😂

[@katarzynamariamuszynska2811]

​@@sandygarrett8638really?

[@LisaKLivlaughlove]

John Darwin in England tried this in 2007. His wife was in on it. Their kids buried their father believing he had died at sea. They were living it up in Panama. He tried to come back years later saying he had lost his memory.

[@9Greyskies]

He’s embarrassed. He’s not been catfished.

[@TamaraOHearn]

I imagine his parents are still alive, My goodness, his family must be horrified.

[@micheallevy1634]

Absolutely

[@Julesjabberwockymama]

Did he use his legitimate passport to cross countries? How did that happen!?

[@Grown-N-Nosey]

Yes he did

[@Bliss31]

Yes he got a new passport not long before this

[@kbee1735]

He looks different because he’s been caught! Now he has to face the music!, and family, friends !

[@Tabatha-h2p]

I was going to say that at least he didn’t kill his family BUT damn…his kids were mourning his death just to find out he left them. Intentionally. Planned way far out. What a horrible, horrible human being.

[@christinunroe4872]

This guy DeGroot, first responders, and searchers are saints! Unselfish.

[@larsvonrinpoche1229]

Again, someone going to extreme measures instead of just getting a divorce

[@ElizabethKlimas]

Ppl ‘it’s ok’ to pack your things & say ‘good bye’ to ppl who thought they were ‘family’ & go across the earth looking for ‘coop’ but not doing science fiction thriller by faking death, double passports (how many names he has?) & the rest of it. I know there is different law in different state but woman in CA got & served 1.8 years in prison for faking her kidnapping. Similarly like here the cost & resources invested into search & looking for her. Carlee Russell of AL - “She pleaded guilty Thursday to filing a false police report and falsely reporting an incident to law enforcement at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Bessemer, WIAT reported. Russell will avoid jail time and instead receive a six-month suspended jail sentence. She was given a year of probation and ordered to serve 100 hours of community service.” The only difference here is that she filed false police report but everything else is ‘the same.’

[@TamaraOHearn]

What is funny is that in this day and age he was going to get caught somehow.

[@ElizabethKlimas]

@ he is not too bright to pull out stunt like this - fake his own death, maybe CIA specially trained agent but not this poor looney. It may not be too difficult if you are single, don’t use passport with own name & travel right after, escape from family & law & not fishing in lake. Perhaps someone wants to escape from stalkers, crime, etc., there are smarter ways to do it. Obtaining another Id can be the most challenging depending on situation. Criminals know how. Hey maybe just re-name & re-birth “yourself” just like “chicks” do, different names, ‘husbands’ & ‘love’ in different places as they traveling for money.

[@kathyhays9819]

Does his family say anything

[@NickLoCascio-x1i]

Sadly for the family he probably will want to come home at some point. He will play the victim and be in complete denial of his betrayal.

[@asamatteroffact9247]

Some are saying he was trying to protect his family from the trauma of divorce and he was making sure they were okay with the life insurance - I beg to differ - No, he was trying to get out of his marriage without paying alimony and child support... and to ease his conscience, he opt to take out life insurance!!! such a poor excuse for a man!!! I hope whomever he ran to Europe for is worth it, I hope there really was a woman waiting for him there, just saying!!!

[@monaminchau4798]

Did he attempt insurance fraud? Staging his death was part of that.

[@pielai719]

At least he didnt kill his wife and 3 kids, right? Better that he left...

[@LADYMONA]

The turn to ask the question to the screen weird me out every single time without fail even gives me goosebump. Like, why Vinne? why producers?

[@jeaniemcc3188]

Hope the authorities hold this guy responsible for paying the expenses the same way they did w that Sheri woman who faked her kidnapping!

[@Jessesgirl0307]

He's a coward. He wanted someone else and left his family. It's the wrong way of doing it. Catfish was mentioned. And that could be true and now he feels embarrassed. Well I hope he was. It's wrong to just leave your 3 children and not say goodbye as if they're nothing. Shame on him.

[@gowanderlustwithme]

So now his wife has to return any life insurance money she received. What a total creep.

[@debbiepoling6205]

I doubt she received it yet. You have to have a death certificate to get that.

[@TamaraOHearn]

Well, she should be able to get a good settlement and child support. I don't think he qualifies as a citizen abroad so he can be sent back to the US.

[@AnneCaulder]

@@TamaraOHearn What child support if he doesn’t have a job anymore??? Who would hire him now? Her “settlement” is she gets the old life and has to clean up the mess he left behind.

[@jayo3074]

​@@AnneCaulder I love intelligent women like you

[@same5952]

@@TamaraOHearn Good luck collecting either one from Uzbekistan! LOL! No extradition treaty from there either.

[@briannajemery5148]

what a gross "man"..

[@yvettekelly5853]

I'm so embarrassed for the wife. Public humiliation and no usd375k either

[@bettyechols6405]

He is responsible for a false report being filed. Also, for insurance to be possibly paid out. His doing, not his wife

[@tk20channel]

This case is fascinating from a psychological perspective. It would seem to me to be a lot easier and peaceful to get a divorce, get a 2nd job to earn more money, and live in peace. But no, faking your own death is apparently more appealing of a plan.

[@jayo3074]

A divorce is a horrible experience to go through for men so i understand why he wanted to find other ways. Imagine if he went through a divorce, lost his home, had to pay child support, had to pay alimony, unable to live comfortably for himself. This is why some men end up killing their wives to avoid it

[@suzerick75116]

To the lady in the pink that’s being interviewed? He didn’t show the rooms because he didn’t want to show anyone the woman he is with!!!! Hiding her identity! Duh 🙄

[@Buttercup203]

The fact he went fishing ALONE? With an older teen boy + 2 other kids? Why wasn’t it a fam fishing trip? Or father/son? Hhhmmm??

[@annabellelee4535]

His youngest is 18 and they have their own lives.

[@angie-kbm]

What an ass hole to put his family in that much pain and worry for nothing! Such a selfish, cowardly, and dirty thing to do.

[@edilmav.m2498]

He killed the wife, because the broke he did on her self esteem, self confidence, well, on her inside is a big damage, the feeling of being used, fool, it's too big. And all the future problems his kids will feel -This is not a man is a p1ec& of sh1t. .