If you’ve seen the Netflix’s docuseries “Tiger King,” then you would know that one of the more mysterious and fascinating subplots involves Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin and the role she may have played in the 1997 disappearance of her second husband, Don Lewis.
In the series’ third episode, by far the best and most accomplished of the docuseries, Baskin’s longtime rival Joe Exotic claims that Baskin murdered her ex-husband, put him in a meat grinder and then fed him to her big cats. Why would Baskin do such a thing? Well, quite simply, because just days before his disappearance Lewis was about to file for a divorce which was going to leaver her with almost no money in the settlement. Lewis was so paranoid about what Baskin could do to him that he even left a note to his assistant, that just in case anything should happen to him she should open it and give it to the authorities.
Yeah, not sketchy at all …
The popularity of “Tiger King” has now led Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister to announce this week the reopening of the Lewis’ disappearance case to seek new information into the matter.
It’s also led Baskin to come out into the spotlight and defend herself, claiming that editing trickery in “Tiger King” played a big part in her being portrayed as the villain. Baskin has published a lengthy denial on the Big Cat Rescue website (via The Daily Beast)":
“[‘Tiger King’] has a segment devoted to suggesting, with lies and innuendos from people who are not credible, that I had a role in the disappearance of my husband Don in 1997,” Baskin writes. “The series presents this without any regard for the truth or in most cases even giving me an opportunity before publication to rebut the absurd claims. They did not care about truth. The unsavory lies are better for getting viewers.”
Baskin writes that “in the few years preceding his disappearance Don’s behavior was gradually showing signs of mental deterioration,” which could have played a factor in his disappearance. Baskin was not familiar with Alzheimer’s when Lewis disappeared but has since come to believe that he suffered from the disease. While searching for clues around the house that could solve Lewis’ disappearance, Baskin says she uncovered papers that revealed Lewis was bi-polar and had a prescription to have an MRI at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“His behavior became increasingly strange,” Baskin writes. “He started refusing to use the bathroom and defecating outside. He brought in a homeless man to stay in our house. I rescheduled an appointment for him to see the specialist Dr. Gold. But he disappeared before the appointment date.”
“Don was not easy to live with and like most couples, we had our moments,” Baskin later writes. “But I never threatened him and I certainly had nothing to do with his disappearance. When he disappeared, I did everything I could to assist the police. I encouraged them to check out the rumors from Costa Rica, and separately I hired a private investigator.”
We haven’t heard the last of this story.
“Tiger King” is now streaming on Netflix.