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Disappearance of Don Lewis
Born	Jack Donald Lewis (1938-04-30)April 30, 1938 Dade City, Florida, U.S.
Disappeared	August 18, 1997 (aged 59) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Status	Missing for 27 years, 4 months and 10 days
Died	August 18, 2002 (legal death)
Other names	Bob Martinez
Spouses	Gladys Lewis Cross (div. 1990) Carole Baskin ​ ​(m. 1991; legal d. 2002)​
Children	4

Jack Donald Lewis (April 30, 1938 – legal d. August 18, 2002) disappeared on August 18, 1997, after leaving his home in Tampa, Florida, United States. The investigation into his disappearance has stretched from Lewis' Big Cat Rescue sanctuary in Tampa, co-owned by his second wife Carole Baskin, to land owned by Lewis in Costa Rica. No evidence of Lewis being killed has surfaced, but investigators believe that it is unlikely that he disappeared on his own. Lewis was declared legally dead in 2002. As of 2020, the case is still open. Lewis' disappearance was covered in 2020 crime documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, which focused on a feud between Baskin and private zoo owner Joe Exotic.

Background

Don Lewis was a native of Dade City, Florida, United States. Lewis was a self-made millionaire by 1981 through the real estate and used cars businesses. By that time, Lewis was married to his first wife Gladys Lewis Cross and had three daughters and an adopted son. That year, Lewis first met Carole Baskin on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa when she was nineteen years old. Baskin and Lewis engaged in an affair while both were still married. Baskin became one of Lewis' many girlfriends and she substantially grew his wealth by helping him buy and sell real estate in 1984. The couple divorced each of their spouses and married in 1991. In 1992, Lewis and Baskin co-founded Wildlife on Easy Street (now called Big Cat Rescue), a big cats animal sanctuary in Tampa. Lewis and Baskin were skeptical of every employee they hired with high expectations of loyalty.

According to Baskin and the 2020 crime documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, Lewis would take monthly flights to Costa Rica to deal with his sex addiction. Lewis told family members and friends that he was planning to eventually move to Costa Rica. In early 1997, Lewis began transferring ownership of his properties in Florida to a Costa Rican company he controlled. In July 1997, Lewis filed a restraining order against Baskin, claiming that Baskin had threatened to kill him; the restraining order was rejected. Lewis continued to live with Baskin afterwards. Lewis told Baskin multiple times that he wanted a divorce, but she did not think he was ever serious. In the days leading up to his disappearance, Lewis bought a plane ticket to Costa Rica and was loading equipment on a truck destined for Miami, Florida.

Investigation

Lewis disappeared on August 18, 1997, at around 6:00 a.m. On August 20, 1997, Lewis' white 1989 Dodge van was found at the Pilot Country Airport in Springhill, Florida, 40 miles (64 km) away from the sanctuary. At the time of his disappearance, Lewis was known to own several planes and would fly them even though his private pilot licence was suspended. The keys to the van were found on the floorboard and the van had been parked for a couple of days. No evidence was found within the van. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office "found no sign of foul play" at the Big Cat Rescue sanctuary and visited Bagaces, Costa Rica, where Lewis owned a 200-acre (81-hectare) park, as part of their investigation. The investigation in Costa Rica lasted five days. In Costa Rica, investigators found indications that Lewis engaged in extramarital affairs and illegal business practices. Investigators also found that two of Lewis' ocelots had recently been shipped out, but their whereabouts were not found. None of Lewis' credit cards have been used since his disappearance.

Lewis left behind holdings estimated at more than $5 million, leading to a legal dispute between Baskin and Lewis' children. Lewis was declared legally dead in 2002. Most of Lewis' estate was left to Baskin. In 2004, Baskin refused to take a polygraph related to the investigation, as advised by her attorney. Lewis' children have volunteered to take polygraphs. By 2005, authorities leaned away from the theory that Lewis disappeared on his own. Hillsborough County Sergeant John Marsicano stated that, "from an investigative standpoint", it did not seem like Lewis ran off on his own. No one has ever been arrested or charged with a crime in relation to the case.

In 2020, the Tiger King series became popular as many people stayed at home due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Using the popularity of Tiger King, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister appealed to the public for legitimate leads or evidence. Since the release of the series, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has received six tips a day related to the disappearance. Chronister expressed his belief that a former employee of Wildlife on Easy Street that had a sour relationship with Lewis or Baskin will step forward with evidence. Chronister reiterated that his department does not "have any type of evidence, not one piece, that suggests that was killed" or that a crime was even committed. Chronister also stated his opinion that Tiger King was spun for entertainment. The case is still open as of 2020.

Unofficial theories

In December 1998, Pam Lambert of People wrote that there was "a wealth of suspects and scenarios, but little precious evidence". The third episode of Tiger King, "The Secret", covered multiple theories surrounding Lewis' disappearance. Lewis' children have pushed a theory that Baskin fed Lewis to the tigers, and have criticized investigators for not running a DNA test on a meat grinder at the sanctuary. However, the meat grinder was removed from the sanctuary weeks before Lewis' disappearance. Baskin reacted to the allegations saying that there would be human bones as remains if the tigers would have eaten Lewis. Baskin expressed her disappointment about the theories to Lambert, saying "Can you imagine having people think you killed your husband or wife and not being able to prove otherwise? Without a body, there is nothing I can do to clear my name."

Baskin has a long-running feud with private zoo owner Joe Exotic. Exotic has promoted an unsubstantiated theory that Baskin was involved in the disappearance of Lewis. Exotic created a music video entitled "Here Kitty Kitty" that featured a Baskin-lookalike feeding raw meat to tigers. Exotic has promoted an alternative theory that Lewis is buried in a septic tank at the property, but the septic tank was not installed until years after Lewis' disappearance. Other theories covered by Tiger King include Lewis flying to Costa Rica and living his life under a new identity or that on his way to Costa Rica, his plane crashed. After Tiger King was released, several Internet memes targeted Baskin for her speculated involvement in Lewis' disappearance.

References

1. ^ "Jack Donald Lewis – The Charley Project". September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
2. ^ "Disappearance on Easy Street". WTSP. November 1, 2002. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
3. ^ Lambert, Pam (December 7, 1998). "Too Purrfect". People. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
4. ^ Bonvillian, Crystal (March 31, 2020). "'Tiger King': Sheriff seeking leads in 1997 disappearance of Carole Baskin's 2nd husband". KIRO 7. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
5. Moor, Robert (September 3, 2019). "Joe Exotic bred lions, tigers, and ligers at his roadside zoo. He was a modern Barnum who found an equally extraordinary nemesis". Intelligencer. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
6. ^ "The Secret". Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. Season 1. Episode 3. March 20, 2020.
7. Williams, Sean (June 22, 2019). "Joe Exotic Built a Wild Animal Kingdom. He Was the Most Dangerous Predator of Them All". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
8. ^ Megan McCluskey (April 2, 2020). "'Everyone Had a Different Story.' Tiger King Popularity Leads Sheriff to Reopen the Case of Don Lewis's Disappearance". Time. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
9. Tron, Gina (March 26, 2020). "What Happened To Carole Baskin's Former Husband, Who Vanished In 1997?". Oxygen. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
10. Charles, Douglas (March 31, 2020). "Carole Baskin's Boyfriend After Her Husband Disappeared Also Filed For A Chilling Restraining Order Against Her". BroBible. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
11. ^ "Tiger King: Who is Carole Baskin's first husband Jack 'Don' Lewis and when did he disappear?". Metro. March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
12. ^ Karp, David (September 13, 2005). "Mysterious millionaire still missing". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
13. ^ Burch, Audra D. S. (April 1, 2020). "'Tiger King': What Happened to Carole Baskin's Husband, Don Lewis?". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
14. Cordero, Rosy (March 24, 2020). "'Tiger King' subject Carole Baskin slams Netflix doc, calls it 'salacious and sensational'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
15. Spata, Christopher (March 31, 2020). "Hillsborough sheriff says tips are coming in 'Tiger King' missing millionaire case". Tampa Bay Times.
16. Alan Yuhas; Maria Cramer (April 2, 2020). "What Happened After 'Tiger King'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
17. ^ Garrand, Danielle (March 30, 2020). "Police ask for new leads in disappearance of Don Lewis, husband of "Tiger King" star Carole Baskin". CBS News. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
18. "Not Your Average Joe". Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. Season 1. Episode 1. March 20, 2020.
19. ^ Jason Pham (March 31, 2020). "5 'Tiger King' Theories That Explain What Happened to Carole Baskin's Missing Husband". StyleCaster. Retrieved April 3, 2020.

• 1990s missing person cases
• August 1997 crimes
• August 1997 events in the United States
• Unsolved crimes in the United States
• People from Dade City, Florida
• 1938 births