Big Cat Rescue creator Carole Baskin’s missing out on millionaire husband Don Lewis was found “alive and well in Costa Rica.”
Carole Baskin, creator of Big Cat Rescue in Florida, climbed to uncertain popularity after being included in the Netflix collection “Tiger King.” Baskin was the target of a murder-for-hire story by the collection’ name,Joe “Exotic” Maldonado But given that the program broadcast in 2020, Baskin has actually been commonly as well as baselessly implicated of killing her former husband, that vanished without leaving a trace in 1997.
The complaints versus Baskin were ridiculous: Did she murder her abundant husband Don Lewis, grind up his remains, as well as feed him to the lions, tigers, as well as various other large felines housed at her rescue in Tampa? Baskin has actually never ever been officially implicated of the criminal offense, as well as has actually preserved that such complaints versus her have no basis in reality.
In January 2023, newspaper article as well as social networks articles went viral that mentioned proof has actually emerged that Lewis was, in reality, still alive.
We will certainly discuss what we understand, as well as do not recognize, listed below.
The launch of the initial period of “Tiger King” accompanied the begin of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, broadcasting in March as well as April of 2020, a reality that no question described, at the very least in component, why the program ended up being a social sensation. People stuck at house with little to do relied on the program as well as its bawdy tale for amusement as well as avoidance
That initially, widely-viewed period of “Tiger King” focused on Maldonado’s jail time arising from his sentence on government costs for outlining to have Baskin killed. Maldonado (additionally called the “Tiger King”) had a zoo as well as accumulated large felines such as tigers. Baskin implicated him as well as various other such pet caretakers of viciousness, as well as Maldonado developed a poisonous disgust towards her.
Aside from the murder-for-hire story versus Baskin, Maldonado confessed to eliminating 5 tigers, firing them dead to include much more. He was additionally implicated by a former manufacturer of guaranteeing a senior lady that he would certainly look after her aging equine, however as quickly as she ran out view, he rather eliminated it as well as fed it to his tigers. Despite this performance history of physical violence, the program triggered individuals to have compassion with him as well as supporter for his launch from jail. The program additionally, on the other hand, repainted Baskin in an adverse light, as well as some implicated Baskin of killing her absent husband.
Generally talking, the program’s countless visitors came away with the understanding that Lewis had actually vanished as well as has actually stayed missing out on under dubious scenarios that a number of them really felt linked Baskin in his murder.
On Jan 18, 2023, the style as well as society publication Cosmopolitan released a tale with the complying with heading as well as subhead: “So, it turns out Carole Baskin’s ‘dead’ husband has been found alive and well… And we all missed it!”
The resource for this assertion was a declaration Baskin made in aNov 18, 2021, meeting on the British tv program “This Morning.” In the meeting, Baskin mentioned: “One of the really exciting things that came out of ‘Tiger King 2’ is that they produced a letter from [the U.S. Department of] Homeland Security, and it says that a special agent in charge with the FBI at Homeland Security reached out to the sheriff’s detective Jorge Fernandez… and they said that my husband Don Lewis is alive and well in Costa Rica.”
Celebrity information as well as chatter website TMZ released a screenshot from the collection of the letter that purportedly originated from DHS. It’s fuzzy, however if you zoom in on it, you can see the expression “Don Lewis is currently alive and well in Costa Rica.” It does not state when the letter was sent out.
We connected to DHS asking if the firm had the ability to confirm the letter as seen in the collection, or info it had, mentioning that Lewis was, at the time of its writing, was “alive and well in Costa Rica.” We have not yet gotten an action, however will certainly upgrade this short article when as well as if we do. The firm was developed in 2002, the exact same year Lewis was stated legitimately dead.
It’s uncertain why this accusation regarding Lewis’ location went viral in mid-January 2023, besides maybe somebody observed that the public had actually neglected this possibly eruptive info that was stated in handing down a British early morning talk program. The New York Post attributed a viralJan 17, 2023, tweet for emerging the bit. The tweet, since this writing, as been watched virtually 2 million times on the Twitter system alone.
We have actually been not able, since this writing, to individually confirm whether the DHS letter is genuine, or whether Lewis lives or dead, or was still alive at some time after his loss. We will certainly upgrade this tale if additional info emerges.
Sources:
Herz,Jane “Carole Baskin’s ‘Dead’ Husband Found Alive — but No One Noticed Last Year.” New York Post, 18Jan 2023,
“Joel McHale Says Alleged Don Lewis Doc Doesn’t Exonerate Carole Baskin.” TMZ, 27Nov 2021,
Molumby,Deirdre “Netflix Review: ‘Tiger King’ Is the Bonkers Escapism We Need.” Entertainment. ie, 20Mar 2020,
Desta,Yohana “Carole Baskin’s Dead Husband’s Family Plans to Disrupt Dancing With the Stars.” Vanity Fair, 14Sept 2020,
