The Controversial Disappearance of Don Lewis: Did Carole Baskin Really Feed Her Husband to the Tigers?
The Netflix documentary “Tiger King” has taken the world by storm, captivating audiences with its eccentric cast of characters and shocking revelations. But perhaps the biggest mystery to come out of the series is the disappearance of Carole Baskin’s husband, Don Lewis. Did she really feed him to the tigers, as some have speculated? Let’s take a closer look at the evidence.
Don Lewis’ Disappearance
Don Lewis went missing on August 18, 1997. According to Baskin, he left their Florida home at 6am to go on a trip to Costa Rica. His van was found at a nearby airport two days later, but there was no sign of Don. Despite extensive searches and investigations, he has never been found.
Suspicious Circumstances
The circumstances of Don’s disappearance are suspicious to say the least. Baskin had previously filed restraining orders against him, claiming that he had physically abused her. She also accused him of hiding assets and threatened to take legal action. In the years following Don’s disappearance, Baskin inherited his estate, worth an estimated $5 million.
Testimony Against Baskin
The most damning piece of evidence against Baskin is the testimony of those closest to her. Joe Exotic, the titular Tiger King and Baskin’s rival, has long claimed that she fed Don to the tigers at her Big Cat Rescue sanctuary. He has even produced a music video in which a Baskin lookalike is seen feeding raw meat to a caged tiger while wearing a flower crown.
Exotic’s claims are not without merit. In “Tiger King,” various employees and acquaintances of Baskin’s recount several strange incidents that could be interpreted as evidence of foul play. One former employee claimed that Baskin once joked about how easy it would be to get rid of a body by feeding it to the tigers. Another employee claimed to have overheard Baskin telling a visitor that the tigers “ate” someone who had fallen into their enclosure.
Suspicious Behavior
Furthermore, Baskin’s behavior after Don’s disappearance has been described as suspicious. She did not call the police until 24 hours after he went missing, and when she did, she did not go to the police station but instead hired a private investigator. She also refused to take a polygraph test.
Baskin’s Denials
Baskin has vehemently denied all allegations of wrongdoing. In a statement on her website, she calls the accusations “absurd” and “unfounded.” She claims that the theory of her feeding Don to the tigers is a “total fabrication” and that she has been subjected to harassment and threats as a result of the documentary’s popularity.
The Truth
So, did Carole Baskin really feed her husband to the tigers? The truth is, we may never know for certain. There is no concrete evidence linking her to his disappearance, and the case remains unsolved. But the sheer number of bizarre occurrences and suspicious behaviors surrounding the case certainly give one pause. Whether Baskin is guilty of murder or not, the mystery of Don Lewis’s disappearance will continue to captivate and intrigue audiences for years to come.
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