During the months of quarantine, 'Netflix and chill' was our biggest time killer. The miniseries Tiger King came out during this time and became a quick hit. It reflected on Joe Exotic's life story, but Carole Baskin somehow became the center of attention.
How and why? For starters, Carole was the number one rival of the star of the show. But not even a fraction of her life is portrayed in there. From being a teenage runaway to marrying a millionaire to being accused of murder to now ruling their empire, Big Cat Rescue, she's something. Not everything can fit here, so grab some popcorn and keep on reading.
Where It All Started For Carole Baskin
On June 6, 1961, a Christian family residing in Bexar County, Texas, welcomed their newest member, Carole Stairs Jones at the Lackland Airforce Base. Growing up, Carole had different interests when compared to her friends and other neighboring kids.
While other nine-year-olds rode their bikes and played team sports, Carole developed an obsession towards cats and had a serious interest in saving/rescuing them. However, she crossed becoming a veterinarian off of her list as she was not accepting of euthanizing animals, which is one of the main tasks of a vet.
The Troubles She Faced Growing Up
Everything seemed well until she experienced the first most scarring incident of her life. Carole was in her early teenage years (14 to be precise) when three foul men who lived opposite her house gang-violated her. According to her back story, she was forcibly violated at knifepoint.
We can't even begin to imagine the terror. Sadly, her conservative Christian family neglected the situation, believing that she "must have asked for it." It sure may have seemed like her worst nightmare as there was no one she could count on to care for her.
Giving Up Education and Ending Up A Teenage Runaway
Of course, Carole was devastated after the ordeal. Who could blame her? A year after the incident, at the age of 15, Carole dropped out of high school and ran away from home with a local band member, only to experience more hardships.
The teenage runaway then spent months hitchhiking between Florida and Maine and lived homelessly. Carole lived in garages and on the street, where she sometimes had to doze off under cars. To make things worse, she met with a car accident during this time, broke her neck, and even claims to have been paralyzed.
She Finally Found A Decent Income Source
After about two years of struggling, Carole finally found the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, she was finally able to secure a job at a department store in Tampa. It may not have been the best paying job, but at least she didn't have to live on the streets anymore.
To make more money, Carole started breeding Persian and Himalayan show cats, rescuing bobcats, and used llamas to earn some extra cash from trimming lawns. No one can say that she didn't do her best to succeed, because she did.
Events That Led To Her First Marriage
While at work in the department store, Carole met Michael Murdock, who would later become her first husband. He was Carole's boss at work and eleven years her senior. Not long after getting to know each other, Carole moved in with Murdock, which was an action (living together out of wedlock) her religious parents did not approve of.
Despite the troubles she's had with her parents in the past, Carole did not want to disappoint them. Therefore, she married Murdock on April 7, 1979. In July of the following year, the couple saw the birth of their daughter, Jamie Veronica Murdock.
Her Marriage Began To Take A Turn For The Worst
Not very long after, began the trouble in paradise. Carole probably saw it coming as she married Murdock even when she didn't like him that much. According to Carole (as reported by Mirror), Murdock was an abusive man, and she only stuck around for as long as she did because of their daughter.
One evening in January 1981, the couple got into a quarrel, during which Carole decided she's had enough. She threw a potato at Murdock before storming off the house and into the night, running away once more.
Did Carole Meet Her Soulmate That Night?
Not even in her wildest dreams would she have imagined meeting her second husband on the same night. Somehow, like a destined couple, Carol had an encounter with the millionaire Don Lewis on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa. The pair ended up spending the night together.
They developed feelings for each other and began an affair, despite being married to other people. Carole was 20 years old, and Lewis, 42 at the time. However, age was just a number for the pair, who decided it was time to take their relationship to the next level.
Divorcing Their Partners To Marry Each Other
Even though Carole wasn't the only mistress of Lewis's, she most certainly was one of the notable ones among them. Since Carole and Lewis had more chemistry, the next step was to part ways with their current spouses. They divorced their first respective husband/wife and tied the knot in 1991.
We already know about the family that Carole left behind, but did you know that Lewis gave up on four children (including an adoptive son) in addition to his wife? They probably didn't know it back then, but their union was the beginning of a whole new journey.
The Journey of Marriage with Business-Related Disagreements
The most significant journey that this couple would end up embarking together was the establishment of Wildlife On Easy Street, an animal sanctuary, specialized for accommodating big cats like tigers, lions, servals, and caracals. The whole operation was established on a 40-acre ranch in 1992.
It appeared as though both Carole and Lewis would enjoy their new venture, with the latter being a business-minded person, and Carole, an animal fanatic. However, the two had contradictory opinions about business functions. That is, Lewis saw it as a business opportunity, whereas Carole wanted to run it as a charity.
A Turbulent Marriage Once Again
Despite having different business approaches initially, both of them subsequently agreed with Lewis's idea. They began breeding big cats for money—a process that continued for many years. The business was prospering, but what about their married life? Well, it was far from perfect.
Somewhere along the way, Lewis, too, began to show his true colors by abusing Carole. According to her, Lewis was addicted to intercourse, which is why he flew to Costa Rica very often, seeking pleasure in physical/intimate relationships with other women. It must've been a recurring nightmare for Carole.
Lewis's Restraining Order
The relationship between Lewis and Carole was getting problematic by the day. It's hard to pick a side, but Carole's recent article—the one she published on the Big Cat Rescue website paints a pretty bad picture of her husband. This is where things get interesting.
In June 1997, Lewis filed for a restraining order against his wife, claiming that she had threatened to kill him if he wouldn't leave their house. For some reason, he didn't get it, but he left a copy with his secretary just in case something terrible happened to him.
Changing Behaviour On Lewis's Part
It was right around the same time did Lewis start to transfer his properties, particularly the ones in Florida, to the Costa Rican company that he owned. That's not even the strangest thing he did. At one point, he loaded equipment to a truck that was traveling to Miami.
What was going on? Well, it's hard to tell just yet. With his increased travels to Costa Rica, Lewis had developed an interest to move there, mainly because of their big cat breeding laws being practically non-existent. Despite their disagreements (and attempt at obtaining a restraining order), Lewis and Carole continued to live under one roof.
The Disappearance of Don Lewis
At dawn, on August 18, 1997, Lewis left home to make a delivery and never came back. There was no note, no breadcrumbs to follow—no trace at all. It was as if he blinked out of existence. The authorities put their investigative caps on to solve what would become one of the biggest mysteries ever.
It took the police two days to find Lewis's 1989 white Dodge Ram Van, which was left unattended at the Pilot Country Airport in Springhill, Florida. Did he secretly take off to Costa Rica for a do-over? He was officially declared a missing person.
Further Investigations and Declaration of Death
The police and all of the relevant authorities began working together, digging deeper into their investigations. They searched for clues at the Wildlife on Easy Street sanctuary and even went to his 200-acre park in Bagaces, Costa Rica, only to find "no signs of foul play."
Although, while in Costa Rica, they did find solid proof of some illegal business he did and all about his affairs, which was no secret to his wife. There had been no activity on Lewis's credit card since his disappearance, and the police were running out of places to look. In 2002 (after five years), he was declared legally dead as the searches had no progress.
Murder Rumors Rotating Around Carole
It was pretty evident that his wife, Carole, was going to receive a whole lot of blame for his disappearance and accusations of murder. Well, she did receive plenty of blame and allegations as people came up with conspiracy theories about Lewis's death.
To name a few of these bizarre rumors, some believed that she put her husband through a meat grinder, and others (like Lewis's first wife) believed Carole killed him and fed him to the tigers. However, the Hillsborough County Sherriff's department doesn't consider her a suspect although, no one has been ruled out so far.
A Battle Over Lewis's Assets
Carole was going through what is perhaps the most traumatic time of her life, especially with the public eyeing her as a murderer. Adding to her growing pile of problems, Lewis's ex-wife, Gladys Lewis Cross, and her children with him started demanding ownership of his assets and got into a legal battle with Carole.
At the time of his disappearance, Lewis had an estimated fortune of $5 million, which is probably why his children sought their shares. One strange incident that points at Carole is the fact that Lewis's will being changed so that Carole would get control of his finances in the case of a "disappearance." How convenient!
Carole's Defence Against The Restraining Order
Another incident that occurred very close to Lewis's disappearance was the filing for a restraining order. That, right there, was a red flag at the tip of the iceberg. During this time, Carole began building her defense, which was super elaborative if you ask us.
First off, she claimed that Lewis's mental health was deteriorating and even mentioned he might have had Alzheimer's disease. Carole later revealed that he began dumpster diving and hoarding junk, and the restraining order was filed as a consequence of her throwing out the rummage Lewis had gathered. Joe Fritz (Lewis's attorney) believed that it was nothing more than a perfectly spun web of lies.
Rebranding The Sanctuary and Shifting To Activism
To get her mind off of all the drama, Carole began to allocate her time on expanding and improving the enterprise, which was now hers. It rebranded as Big Cat Rescue and quit allowing visitors pet animals or come into proximity of them.
As time went by, Carole became an animal (big cats) rights activist, who consistently ordered crusades in Washington to stop breeding cats for profit (something she once did herself). Yes, we can sense a bit of hypocrisy there, but moving on. The newfound activism was how she met her lifelong nemesis, Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic.
Meeting and Marrying Her Third Husband
Amid all of her lobbying, Carole met Howard Baskin during a cocktail party at a local aquarium, according to New York Magazine. The two hit it off almost immediately and maintained a close relationship since. In 2003, Baskin became a part of the Big Cat Rescue family as the chairman of the Advisory Board.
Later in 2003, Baskin decided he was ready to commit to Carole for life, and therefore, popped the question in November. One year later, the two became husband and wife in a beautiful beach wedding ceremony.
Carole's Dream: A 20-Year Plan That Involved Heavy Campaigning
After her wedding, Carole adopted her husband's name and became Carole Baskin, which is the moniker by which she is globally recognized today. Carole designed a 20-year plan to bring captive ownership of big cats in America to an end by 2025, per New York Magazine. With her husband by her side, Carole launched a campaign against Joe Exotic's business.
During that time, the movement against Exotic involved a traveling roadshow. Carole was consumed by her battle with Exotic that she continued to organize protests against his actions. This involved using cubs in his shows and stopping him from breeding big cats (he was the largest tiger-breeder in America).
The Carole-Exotic Clash Begins To Get Out Of Hand
Carole's feud with Exotic was only getting worse by the day. Her avid campaigning against Exotic triggered him to rename his business as "Big Cat Rescue Entertainment." Exotic was a savage, but these actions invited war. Carole ended up filing a trademark infringement lawsuit of $1 million, which she won in 2013, making Exotic go bankrupt.
He once filled Carole's mailbox with snakes, and the feud was getting out of control. However, Carole only maxed out on her patience when Exotic released the country song "Here Kitty Kitty," in 2015. The music video involved Carole portrayed by a look-alike, feeding parts of her husband's body to a tiger. Not cool!
Carole's Attempted Murder
While Carole continued her protests at a professional level, Exotic couldn't help but continue with his glib revenge schemes. He would post slandering videos about Carole on his website, refer to her as a killer, and read parts of her diary (which he stole from her).
It wasn't about games and rivalry anymore, when Exotic hired a hitman paying $5K to kill Carole. For legitimate reasons, it became his first and last attempt at murdering Carole, because, on January 22, 2019, he was convicted and sentenced for 22 years in jail. In the present, Exotic is FMC Fort Worth federal prison.
The Tiger King Series
During their rivalry going back and forth over the years, Joe Exotic took it upon himself to create a miniseries about his life, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness (simply Tiger King). Of course, the series included Carole because would Exotic's life have even been this interesting if it wasn't for her?
The true-crime documentary miniseries launched on Netflix on March 20, 2020, and was critically acclaimed by its viewers. Nielsen ratings showed that over 34.3 million people had watched it within the first ten days. It seems plausible as the series came out when the world was home-bound due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Carole's View On The Tiger King Miniseries
With the release of this seven-part miniseries, which also came up with a special episode a month later, the world began to express their opinions about the big cat industry. According to Carole and her husband, Baskin, on the Tampa Bay Times, the directors of the series had not been entirely honest about their intentions.
They were made to believe that the documentary would raise awareness about these exotic animals being abused and exploited. However, it ended up portraying Carole herself as a shady exploiter, almost as bad as the people she's tried to bring down over the years.
How The Directors Misled The Baskins
What we're trying to say is that Carole was not happy. She described the show as "being salacious and sensational to attract viewers." The show had more than a little airtime dedicated to the disappearance of her husband, which screams personal vendetta.
It's almost as if Carole had been tricked into contributing to a miniseries that defamed herself. Ironic, no? Not only the Baskins but even Debbie Leahy from the Humane Society of the US commented that reality is a lot worse than what's depicted on Tiger King. The directors, Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, have not made any comments so far.
The Don Lewis Disappearance Case Resurfaced
The Tiger King series managed to dig up the buried case of Don Lewis (Carole's disappeared husband). It made more people aware of and interested in finding out the truth. The sudden resurfacing of the mysterious case has led the police to seek tips, details, or any help from the public.
According to Mirror, the investigative team tasked with solving the case has revealed that they have received new tips to look into. To sum up, this show has created a twisted outcome giving Carole a negative public image while a hashtag, #FreeJoeExotic, has been trending.
The Aftermath Of The Tiger King Series
We all know that the internet is a platform of public judgment. With more and more people becoming aware of the Carole Baskin and her story, she became a victim of murder allegations once more. There are heaps of memes about her on the internet.
It has come to a point where Carole is receiving regular death threats, with drones flying over her house and at least 30 people loitering by the gates of the sanctuary (which is temporarily closed to COVID-19). It's only appropriate that she fears for her life. Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty?"
What Carole Does To Steer Clear Of Murder Accusations
Carole's current situation is a consequence of Tiger King. Perhaps this was all Exotic's way of getting the ultimate revenge one final time. It's hard to pick a winner, though. Because, in June 2020, Carole received control over her enemy's zoo, on the grounds of fraud to avoid creditors.
When Carole received similar accusations of murder in the past, she took to the Big Cat Rescue website to personally express her side of the story. Although, according to BCR Watch, it was more of an apparent attempt to trick the society than it was an act of owning up to her mistakes.
Did Carole Do It?
According to Film Daily, the police believe that Lewis's disappearance could have been a result of a masterplan, which likely involved his murder. To this day, it remains a speculation. So why is the public so convinced that it was, indeed, Carole behind her husband's death?
Maybe it's her repeated refusal of taking a polygraph (a.k.a. lie detector) test. That's right, Carole refused to do it in both 1998 as well as 2011. Something smells fishy! Nevertheless, since Carole has pleaded innocent, and with Lewis's disappearance marking 23 years, we doubt if his remains would ever be found for investigative purposes.
Final Thoughts About The Woman Behind Big Cat Rescue
Carole has a supportive husband who quickly took to Big Cat Rescue's YouTube channel to vouch for his wife, following the panic that followed Tiger King. Now 59 years old, Carole is probably used to the public judgment, considering how long it has been.
Carole did stand up for herself this time, too, responding to the rumors on a blog post on March 31, 2020. There's no doubt that she will slide right back to doing what she does (protecting animals) soon after Big Cat Rescue reopens after the coronavirus outbreak settles in America. We can only hope that the Don Lewis Disappearance mystery is solved during our lifetime.