Detective: ‘Tiger King’ star won’t talk
A detective in Florida investigating the disappearance of Carole Baskin’s second husband said Thursday that the “Tiger King ” star had three times refused requests for interviews, and that the probe was ongoing.
Cpl. Moises Garcia of the Hillsborough County sheriff ’s office in Tampa held a news conference to provide an update on the investigation into Don Lewis’ disappearance. The case was reopened following the March 2020 release of “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a Netflix documentary series which became a huge hit during the pandemic.
Lewis was a Tampa millionaire who vanished in 1997, leaving Baskin with dozens of big cats at their animal sanctuary. The series launched rumors about how Lewis disappeared, including conjecture that he was buried in a septic tank on the sanctuary’s property or living in Costa Rica.
The detective said he and his investigators had conducted 50 interviews and followed up on 200 leads.
Besides Baskin, a former handyman at the sanctuary, Kenny Farr, also “didn’t interview with us,“the detective said.
It’s unusual for a spouse or relative to refuse to cooperate when a family member goes missing, and Baskin is a person of interest, though others are too, Garcia said.
Baskin said Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that she has referred Garcia to her attorney.
She pointed out she did everything she possibly could to assist detectives after Lewis’ disappearance, including interviews, continued correspondence and unfettered access to the Big Cat Rescue property.