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0 0 0 The fate of Tiger King star Carole Baskin’s former husband, Don Lewis, is once again being debated online following the reemergence of a report suggesting he was found alive in Costa Rica. During a recently resurfaced 2021 interview on British television, Baskin said that Tiger King 2 “produced” a letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that claimed Don Lewis was found abroad “alive and well” as of 2002. Lewis went missing in 1997 and was declared legally dead in 2002. He would be 84 years old if he were still alive.
Carole Baskin’s Interview on ITV’s This Morning
In the interview on ITV’s This Morning, Baskin stated, “They said that my husband, Don Lewis, is alive and well in Costa Rica,” Baskin said during the interview on ITV’s This Morning. “And yet all this hay has been made about me having something to do with his disappearance, when Homeland Security has known where he is, at least since back then.” Baskin’s interview largely flew under the radar at the time it aired, although it was covered in a November 2021 E! News article that pointed out her comments may have been in response to a document that was shown as part of Tiger King 2 and identified as being from DHS. Baskin was not involved in the making of the sequel series.
Reactions to Baskin’s Claims
Baskin’s claims have sparked an online frenzy, with some fans of the Netflix documentary series accusing Baskin of killing Lewis. A number of theories tying her to the disappearance have emerged following the show’s debut in 2020. The currently imprisoned “Tiger King” himself, Joseph “Joe Exotic” Maldonado, has made similar allegations. However, there is no evidence that proves Baskin was involved in Lewis’ disappearance.
Baskin’s website includes an image of a letter marked for “official use only” and “law enforcement sensitive” that claims Lewis is currently alive in Costa Rica. The letter also claims that Lewis “has loaned money to various individuals in Costa Rica and could live quite well on the interest earned on those loans,” allowing him to “reside in Costa Rica indefinitely.”
In response to these claims, Baskin’s website includes a statement that reads, “For everyone who still wants to believe that Carole killed Don, then please explain to us why you think armchair detectives … are better informed than the Special Agent in Charge at the FBI in this Homeland Security Document which says Don Lewis is currently alive and well in Costa Rica.”
However, other than the purported letter, there does not appear to be any evidence to corroborate the claim that Lewis is still alive. The authenticity of the letter has not been independently verified, and there is no other evidence to support the claim that Lewis is still alive.
Investigation into Lewis’ Disappearance
Don Lewis disappeared on August 18, 1997, he was declared legally dead in 2002, and an investigation was opened into his disappearance. In November 2021, Corporal Moises Garcia of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reportedly said that Baskin had repeatedly refused to cooperate with a reopened investigation into Lewis’ disappearance.
John Philips, attorney for Maldonado, responded to the renewed claim in a statement shared on Twitter on Wednesday. “During the filming of Tiger King, detailed efforts were made to find Don Lewis,” Philips said. “They failed. He is not alive. The 2021 report by Carole Baskin was the further unsupported allegation. It’s being republished as if it has veracity.”
Conclusion | Carole Baskin husband alive
The fate of Don Lewis remains a mystery, and while Carole Baskin’s recent claims of Lewis being alive in Costa Rica have reignited the conversation, there is currently no concrete evidence to support this claim. Despite a letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) being produced for Tiger King 2, its authenticity has not been independently verified, and there is no other evidence to support the claim that Lewis is still alive.
Furthermore, Baskin’s refusal to cooperate with the reopened investigation into Lewis’ disappearance raises questions about her involvement in the case. While armchair detectives may have their own theories about what happened to Don Lewis, it is important to remember that without solid evidence, these theories remain just that – theories.
The case of Don Lewis’ disappearance is a tragic one, and his loved ones deserve closure and justice. It is crucial that the investigation into his disappearance continues, and that all relevant parties, including Carole Baskin, cooperate fully with authorities. Until concrete evidence emerges, the fate of Don Lewis remains a mystery.
