Exploring the Alice Theory: Did Carole Baskin’s Husband Fake His Death and Become a Woman?
Carole Baskin is a name that has been making headlines for the past year, thanks to her role in the Netflix documentary series “Tiger King.” Baskin is the founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, an animal sanctuary that is home to more than 80 species of animals. However, her involvement in the documentary has brought forth many controversies surrounding her personal life, including the unsolved disappearance of her second husband, Don Lewis, in 1997.
Among the numerous theories surrounding Don Lewis’s disappearance, one that has surfaced in recent times is the “Alice Theory.” This hypothesis suggests that Don Lewis faked his own death and adopted a new identity as a woman named Alice. Although there is no concrete evidence to support this theory, some compelling factors favor it.
The first piece of evidence supporting the Alice Theory is a statement made by Joe Exotic, Baskin’s chief rival in the big cat world, and the central figure in “Tiger King.” Exotic claimed that he received a phone call from Don Lewis shortly after his disappearance, in which Lewis claimed he had faked his own death and was living as a woman in Costa Rica. Although Exotic has given inconsistent statements regarding this phone call, it could have been a part of a bigger attempt to discredit Baskin.
The second piece of evidence is an article published in the Miami Herald in 1998, a year after Don Lewis’s disappearance. The piece included a quote from a friend of Lewis’s who claimed that Lewis had a fascination with cross-dressing and had even undergone gender reassignment surgery. Although hearsay evidence, this information adds an interesting layer to the theory.
The third and final piece of evidence is a statement made by Baskin herself. In a 2011 blog post, Baskin spoke about a “transgendered employee” who had worked at Big Cat Rescue in the past. While Baskin did not explicitly name Lewis as the employee in question, the timing of the post and the fact that Lewis had a known interest in cross-dressing makes it likely that she was referring to him.
Even if all these pieces of evidence hold true, it is still impossible to ascertain whether Lewis really faked his own death and changed his gender. Lewis’s disappearance was marked by strange circumstances, including Baskin’s delay in reporting him missing, and her being the sole beneficiary of his will. Furthermore, Baskin’s denial of any involvement in her husband’s disappearance and her offer of a $100,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts suggest that there may be more to the story than the public knows.
In conclusion, the Alice Theory is an intriguing but ultimately unverifiable speculation. However, as it raises questions about the fluidity of identity and the ways in which people can vanish and reappear in new identities, it might evoke further discussion about the case. Regardless of whether Don Lewis faked his death and became Alice or not, his disappearance remains an unsolved mystery that has piqued the curiosity of the public for over two decades.
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