The following contains spoilers.
The Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is the streaming service’s most viewed project to date, seen by 34 million viewers within just ten days of its U.S. release on March 20. A uniquely American story, the eight-episode series explores the unusual life of Oklahoma’s gay polygamist zookeeper Joseph Maldonado Passage (a.k.a. Joe Exotic). The colorful protagonist currently sits in federal prison for orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot against his rival Carole Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue animal sanctuary in Tampa, Florida.
The documentary has had an oddly unifying effect on viewers. Though they may disagree on Joe’s guilt or the morality of breeding cubs for profit, nearly everyone who has seen the series seems convinced of one thing—that Carole Baskin did in fact murder her husband Don Lewis. What ostensibly started as an exposé on animal cruelty turned into a riveting cold case that has gripped true crime enthusiasts worldwide.
Jack “Don” Lewis was a 57-year-old millionaire and cofounder of Big Cat Rescue. He was last seen at his home on August 18, 1997. The day he went missing, his wife Carole Baskin (then Carole Lewis) stated he was preparing to fly to Costa Rica, something he did regularly. When his truck was found abandoned a few days later, his friends encouraged her to file a missing persons report. Detectives suspected foul play, but their investigation turned up no physical evidence and no arrests were made.
Although Baskin was never named a suspect, her story and demeanor raised major red flags for Tiger King viewers. Maybe it’s the inappropriate laughter when responding to the rumor she fed Lewis through a meat grinder, or the clearly rehearsed responses to questions about his disappearance. Perhaps it’s her general lack of emotion combined with an unlikeable personality and an even more unlikeable wardrobe. Whatever it is, it’s making neck hairs across the globe stand on end.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office recently decided to reopen the case. That being said, it’s nearly impossible to bring a charge of murder without a body, a witness or a confession. Prosecutors will need to rely on circumstantial evidence to build a case against Baskin. Fortunately, Tiger King provides a mountain of such evidence.
Motive
Lewis was notoriously unfaithful, something Baskin lamented in her journal writings. She had reasons to believe he was planning to divorce her and move Big Cat Rescue to Costa Rica, where he owned land and had a mistress. If they had divorced, he could have made sure Baskin received as little as possible of his $5 million estate. In the event of his death, Baskin stood to collect on a life insurance policy in the amount of $1.5 million.
Opportunity
Big Cat Rescue sits on 67 acres, more than enough space to bury a body without it ever being discovered. Add to that the fact the animal sanctuary was home to dozens of large carnivores and it’s easy to see why so many people believe Lewis met a grisly end. It doesn’t help that Baskin basically gave Netflix instructions for feeding a human to tigers—paralyzing them with ketamine and dousing them in sardine oil!
The restraining order
Lewis was afraid of Baskin and stated as much to his family. Just two months before he went missing, he sought a restraining order against her, alleging she had threatened to kill him and that she had access to a number of firearms. He requested that Baskin be removed from the residence, but the order was never granted because she was never physically violent.
The truck
Lewis’s truck was found 40 miles away at an airstrip where he kept several small planes. It appeared to be abandoned, with the keys still inside. If Lewis was really flying out of that airstrip, it’s reasonable to believe he would have brought his keys with him, or arranged for someone to return the truck back to his property.
The plane
Baskin said that Lewis was flying himself to Costa Rica from the airstrip where he kept his planes. However, to make that trip he would have had to stop several times to refuel. In addition, no flight registers picked up his travel path the day when he was supposedly flying and Lewis’s secretary said he took commercial flights from Miami when visiting Costa Rica.
Costa Rica
Lewis owned a 200-acre park in the Costa Rican town of Bagaces, but a five-day investigation there turned up no clues or leads into his whereabouts and there was no sign he ever arrived.
A changing story
Following Lewis’s disappearance, Baskin told the media, “He said he was going early the next day to Costa Rica.” Twenty-four years later, she told Netflix, “He said he was leaving early in the morning for Miami.”
This is an important distinction. In the first interview, she wants people to believe Lewis flew his small plane directly to Costa Rica. Later, she seems to be implying Lewis was flying to Miami to take a commercial flight, maybe because she knew her first story was so implausible.
In addition, she previously stated, “He said to get the Costa Rica truck ready” but later told Netflix, “He said he needed me to have Kenny get a truck ready.” This is important because she appears to be trying to distance herself from the incident by inserting this new character.
The alibi
On the night Lewis was supposedly last seen, Baskin left the property at 3 a.m. to buy milk for the animals. Her car broke down and she ran into her brother and his colleague, who drove her home. She said the last time she saw Lewis was a few hours later. This story is troubling. For one, why did Baskin need to purchase milk at 3 o’clock in the morning? Secondly, running into her brother and his colleague almost seemed intentional, as if she were seeking an alibi for the early morning hours of August 18.
The investigation
Some believe Baskin’s brother, who was working as a sheriff’s deputy at the time, may have impeded the investigation into Lewis’s disappearance. Shortly after he went missing, police conducted a fly-over of Big Cat Rescue but not a thorough search of the property on the ground. During her interview with Netflix, Baskin appears to be intentionally distancing herself from her brother, saying, “I hardly knew [him].”
The power of attorney
Prior to going missing, Lewis’s secretary was the executor of his power of attorney and will. Afterwards, Baskin broke into the secretary’s office and removed these documents. She then produced a new power of attorney in which she was named executor. Oddly, this document states “this power of attorney shall not be affected by any disability or disappearance.” Lewis’s lawyer and friend stated he never saw a disappearance clause on a power of attorney in all his years of practicing law. Baskin was also listed as the beneficiary of his $5 million estate.
Memory loss
Baskin told the media she suspected Lewis might have been suffering from Alzheimer’s, which could explain why he was missing and not contacting loved ones. However, no one else in his life believed this to be the case, saying he was sharp until the very end. Could this be yet another red herring Baskin used to throw detectives off the scent?
No memorial
After having Lewis declared legally dead in 2002, Baskin never purchased a headstone or held a memorial in his honor. For a woman who was seemingly distraught over her missing husband (she cried to the media in the aftermath of his disappearance), it’s curious that she didn’t memorialize him in some way.
Anecdotal evidence
Lewis’s secretary, friends, ex-wife and children from a previous marriage all believe Baskin knows more than she’s letting on. According to them, Baskin’s father was fiercely loyal to her and “could not stand [Lewis]”, implying he may have been involved in his disappearance.
Conclusion
Did Don Lewis’s plane crash over the gulf on his way to Costa Rica? Did the millionaire fake his own death to start a new life far from the woman he feared? Or did he die at the age of 57 on that August morning at the hands of his wife Carole Baskin?
As the star of Cold Justice Kelly Siegler is fond of saying, no single piece of circumstantial or anecdotal evidence in this case can prove Baskin’s involvement beyond a reasonable doubt. However, when taken collectively, the evidence connects to form a compelling story that could very well convince a jury.
Please join me for Part 2 of this episode, where I’ll explore evidence against Carole Baskin that was not revealed in the docuseries as well as new evidence that has come to light since its release.
T.C.R. 