Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says he believes more than one person killed Don Lewis
A Florida sheriff says he believes cat conservationist Carole Baskin’s second husband Don Lewis was likely killed and more than one person was behind what could be a murder-for-hire plot.
Lewis’ disappearance was the big mystery raised in Netflix’s series Tiger King: Murder Mayhem And Madness that has become an online sensation.
Baskin and Lewis were married in 1991 until he vanished without a trace in August 1997.
Lewis, a real estate businessman, was declared legally dead in 2002, leaving behind $5million in assets.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says he believes Lewis was likely killed and he’s suspicious of Baskin and believes other people were in on the murder plot.
‘I’m extremely suspicious but not just of her, of this whole circle here,’ Chronister said to TMZ.
‘I don’t want to allude to the fact or insinuate that she’s our person of interest we’re focusing on. I’m not comfortable saying that yet,’ he added.
A Florida sheriff he believes that Carole Baskin’s second husband Don Lewis (above) was murdered and more than one person was involved in the plot. Lewis, a real estate businessman, who disappeared without a trace in August 1997 and was declared legally dead in 2002, leaving behind $5million in assets
The mystery into Don Lewis’ death was raised in the new Netflix series Tiger King. Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist, pictured above with her third husband Howard Baskin
‘There’s normally not one person that commits a homicide, it’s always a couple people. This had to be extremely planned out, this had to be well thought out. There’s someone else involved in this. There’s someone who was paid to do it, there’s someone who helped do it,’ he said.
He pleaded with whoever was possibly involved with the case, or knowledgeable about it, to come forward.
‘I hoping that person wants to come and get this off their chest and help law enforcement do the right thing,’ he said.
When it comes to perhaps cutting a deal with authorities, Sheriff Chronister said, ‘every deal is on the table right now. Help us solve this case.’
Chronister speaks about the case in a special entitled ‘TMZ Investigates, Tiger King: What Really Went Down?’ to air on Fox Monday night at 9pm ET/8pm CT.
In the series Tiger King tiger owner Joe Exotic accused Baskin of killing Lewis after he vanished. On January 22, 2020 Exotic sentenced to 22 years for trying to arrange her death in a murder-for-hire plot
Baskin, the owner of non-profit animal sanctuary Big Cat Rescue, went on to meet her current husband Howard Baskin in November 2002 and they tied the knot in November 2004
In the series Tiger King tiger owner Joe Exotic accused Baskin, the owner of non-profit animal sanctuary Big Cat Rescue, of killing Lewis after he vanished.
Baskin met Lewis in the 1980s and they married in 1991, however they had a rocky last few years of marriage as she claimed he was obsessed in sex and engaged in multiple affairs.
She went on to meet her current husband Howard Baskin in November 2002 and they married in November 2004.
Baskin has denied any involvement in Lewis’ disappearance or death.
‘I hoping that person wants to come and get this off their chest and help law enforcement do the right thing,’Sheriff Chronister said. This notice shared by Hillsborough County for leads in Lewis’ case pictured above
In 2013 a court ordered Exotic to pay her $1million in damages, which led to his bankruptcy.
On January 22, 2020 Exotic sentenced to 22 years for trying to arrange her death in a murder-for-hire plot.
The series has become a hit, with fans theorizing that Baskin could have fed her ex-husband to one of the many big cats she owned.