Tiger King Netflix Series Has Sheriff Asking For Help Looking Into Carole Baskin’s Dead Husband

Netflix’s Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is a bonafide breakout hit. The true-crime documentary series tells the bizarre tale of warring factions of exotic animal owners – which includes Carole Baskin, the conservationist owner of Big Cat Rescue. Carole’s chapter of this sordid (and crazy) tale not only includes an alleged murder-for-hire contract against her by rival zoo owner – but also a murder Carole herself is suspected of. MILD SPOILERS: Episode 3 of Tiger King reveals the dark story of how Carole Baskin’s first husband, millionaire Don Lewis, disappeared under very mysterious circumstances. Well, thanks to the massive exposure of Tiger King, one sheriff is now asking for help to re-open the case of Don Lewis.

“Since @netflix and #Covid19 #Quarantine has made #TigerKing
all the rage, I figured it was a good time to ask for new leads. #CaroleBaskin #DonLewis #Netflix #Tiger #BigCatRescue #JoeExotic #TigerKingNetflix #HCSO” —Chad Chronister

Hillsborough County, Florida, sheriff Chad Chronister posted a tweet reiterating his desire to look into the disappearance of Don Lewis, and asking the public for any leads that could help him. We have to admit that for a Florida sheriff, Chronister has incredibly good social media and hashtag game.

Jack Donald “Don” Lewis was last seen on August 18th, 1997. As detailed in the Tiger King series, Lewis’ behavior he grown increasingly erratic prior to his death. He tried to file a restraining order against Carole Baskin for allegedly brandishing a firearm and threatening to kill him, only to have it rejected. Others close to Lewis like his first wife, Gladys Lewis Cross, who claimed that Don had warned her that Carole could threaten his life. Other zookeepers like Joey Exotic and Doc Antle have openly insinuated that Carole killed her husband and feed him to her collection of tigers – whose stomachs would leave no trace behind for authorities to find.

However, Don Lewis was also said to take frequent (illegal) flights to South America to trade exotic animals. Tiger King also made some inferences that Lewis could’ve died in some deal gone wrong, which only further muddies the waters as to Carole Baskin’s possible involvement.

Sheriff Chronister’s public call will likely draw out a lot of crank calls and misinformation, as Tiger King and the real-life cases behind it will certainly resonate with some… unique crowds.

You can watch Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness now on Netflix.