Disappearance of Don Lewis

American missing person, legally declared dead

Jack Donald Lewis (April 30, 1938 – legal d. August 19, 2002) is an American missing person who disappeared on August 18, 1997, after leaving his home in Tampa, Florida.[1] The investigation into his disappearance has led from Lewis's Wildlife on Easy Street 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 been found, but investigators believe it is unlikely that he disappeared on his own. Lewis left behind over $5 million. He was declared legally dead in 2002.

As of 2020, the case is still open. Lewis's disappearance was covered in 2020 crime documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, which focused on a fight between Baskin and Joe Exotic.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has used the popularity of Tiger King to help investigate the disappearance.[2] A theory is that his ex-wife Carole fed him to tigers.[3]

References

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  1. "Disappearance on Easy Street". WTSP. November 1, 2002. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  2. "'Everyone Had a Different Story.' Tiger King Popularity Leads Sheriff to Reopen the Case of Don Lewis's Disappearance". Time. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  3. Jason Pham (March 31, 2020). "5 'Tiger King' Theories That Explain What Happened to Carole Baskin's Missing Husband". StyleCaster. Retrieved April 3, 2020.