‘Missing endangered adult’: Sheriff rejects Carole Baskin’s claim of ex Don Lewis found ‘alive and well’
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA: Carole Baskin's explosive claim of her legally declared dead ex-husband Don Lewis being found 'alive and well' in Costa Rica was shot down by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. She made the viral remarks in an interview with ITV's 'This Morning' talk show in November 2021 but is receiving attention over a year later after the clip resurfaced. However, even after he was assumed and declared dead in 2002 after he left his house and went missing in 1997, the Florida sheriff's office, which is in charge of the search for Lewis has still not closed the missing person case.
Jack Don Lewis, who was reported missing on August 18, 1997, is still listed as a “missing endangered adult” and it mentions that he “left his family [sic] residence and has not been seen or heard from since.” However, in the interview, the 61-year-old 'Big Cat Rescue' owner stated, “One of the really exciting things that came out of ‘Tiger King 2’ is that they produced a letter from Homeland Security and it says that a special agent in charge with the FBI at Homeland Security reached out to the sheriff’s detective George [Jorge] Fernandez, which means this had to have happened after 2002 because Homeland Security wasn’t even around until 2002. And they said that my husband, Don Lewis, is alive and well in Costa Rica."
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Responding to the 'Tiger King' star's startling claims and allegation that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is still in contact with Lewis, a spokesman for Florida’s Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the office had not heard anything so far from the DHS relating to the claims, according to New York Post.
Fentress Fountain, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, stated that “We have not received any communication from our federal partners that confirms the location of missing person Mr Don Lewis,” and “the investigation into Don Lewis’ disappearance remains a priority for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, as do all missing person cases.”
As per the news outlet, Baskin stated that she was not aware of the alleged revelation until November 2021 when the sequel of the series was broadcast. Cpl. Moises Garcia, lead detective of Lewis' missing case told the Tampa Bay Times, at the time that, despite DHS producing the apparent letter, the case still remained open. He said, “We continue to push hard on this case. We still have some avenues. Not a week goes by that we don’t have our hand in this case." The Sheriff's office has recently been assisted by the DHS by “running down leads in Costa Rica” but any reports of Lewis' being found alive are still not confirmed, according to investigators.
Baskin's long-time nemesis Joe Exotic has previously made accusations against the animal activist of feeding her former lover to the tigers at her Big Cat Rescue. Now, John M Philips, an attorney for the now-imprisoned Exotic, responded to her viral remarks by sharing a post on Facebook and wrote, “He is not alive,”
"The 2021 report by Carole Baskin was a further unsupported allegation. It’s being republished as if it has veracity. It doesn’t. The story of the Tiger King is filled with lies, setup, and misdirection," he stated.
The Florida millionaire Lewis and Baskin got married in Tampa, Florida in 1991. After his disappearance, Baskin remarried in 2004 and wed Howard Baskin. Baskin has denied allegations that she has a role in her former lover who went missing while they were married and previously claimed that she has never heard from him again since his mysterious disappearance, according to CBS News. Lewis was 59 when he was reported missing and he would now be 84.