The family of Carole Baskin’s missing ex-husband has filed a lawsuit against her, offering a $ 100,000 reward to anyone with information about what happened to him two decades ago.
Don Lewis – who started the animal sanctuary that later became Big Cat Rescue Corp. in Tampa, Florida was with Carole – disappeared a day before a planned trip to Costa Rica in 1997.
In the Netflix phenomenon Tiger King, Baskin’s rival Joe Exotic raised suspicions that she gave her partner to tigers after Exotic was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a manslaughter for murder against her.
Baskin has denied the allegations.
Attorney John Phillips held a news conference in Tampa on Monday and announced an independent investigation into the disappearance of Lewis, whose delivery van was found near the airport and who was declared legally dead in 2002.
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The family of Don Lewis, a Florida man who disappeared in 1997 and appeared on the hit TV series Tiger King, has hired a lawyer in an attempt to obtain information from Carole Baskin (pictured). Attorney John Phillips held a news conference Monday
Baskin is pictured with Lewis. She refused in 2011 to perform a leak detector test regarding his disappearance
The Lewis family is offering $ 100,000 in exchange for information to resolve the matter
Baskin was offered a corpse detector test in 2011, but she refused to take it.
Lewis’ body was never found and Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County recently opened the case.
“We will serve (Baskin) with a lawsuit, but not a case for damages, it’s a lawsuit for money,” Phillips said Monday during the briefing at Riverhills Church of God.
The account of discovery would allow them to obtain information before deciding on who to pursue.
It means that deposits can be as calls on the cards.
‘In general, you are announcing a $ 150 million lawsuit and how we will get justice. And we’ll do it all on time, ‘Phillips continued. ‘But our bureau wants to invite reason, invite civil conversation where it could have been.’
The family is also focused on Kenny Farr, Don’s henchman who appeared in Tiger King, and a woman who witnessed the signing of Lewis’ will.
That woman, Susan A. Bradshaw, told the Tampa Bay Times in 2005 that Baskin told her to say she was there for the signing of the will, however, she claims she was not.
“Resolving this issue is in everyone’s best interests. I believe it’s in Carole Baskin’s best interests. I invite them to the table, ‘said Phillips. ‘I invite them to talk, and let us know what really happened.
‘I will ask once, for citizenship. I’ll ask once we get together to find closure on this whole thing. If that can not be done, I’m a lawyer. I persecute people. We will go that route too. Make no mistake, if the family’s offer for bourgeoisie is rejected, if the insults continue, the next step is to bring justice, because justice is love. ‘
The family attended a press conference Monday at Riverhills Church of God in Tampa, Florida
Carole is now married to Howard Baskin (pictured left) and she is not accused in Lewis’ disappearance
“We will serve (Baskin) with a lawsuit, but not a case for damages, it is a lawsuit for equity,” Phillips said Monday during the briefing.
The family is also focused on Kenny Farr, Don’s henchman who appeared in Tiger King, and a woman who witnessed the signing of Lewis’ Will
The family paid for Tampa area billboards to request information in the case.
“We’ve been working for weeks on raising this money,” Lewis’ eldest daughter, Donna Pettis, said Monday.
‘An anonymous donor came forward to guarantee the $ 100,000. We hope that with these funds someone will have the courage to come forward and provide the information to resolve this issue. ‘
Carlson Meissner Hart & Hayslett’s criminal defense attorney, Kaitlyn Statile, appeared on stage Monday and said in an appeal that she would defend anyone aggressively if they needed representation.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff said immunity may be on the table.
Three of Lewis ‘daughters were at the news conference, including Anne McQueen, Lewis’ longtime assistant, who is being named as a complainant.
Lewis’ youngest daughter, Gale Rathbone, expressed gratitude to anyone interested in the case.
‘Unfortunately, our little family tradition has become your tragedy. Our quest for closure and truth has also become your mission, ‘she said. ‘We already know that (Lewis) was not a perfect man. But deserve only the perfect under our righteousness? ‘
She added: ‘For 23 years I have gone to bed at night knowing that the only chance I have to see him again is in my dreams. … Hopefully we will one day soon, and you know the truth. ‘
The family is worried that people are too scared to come forward with information.
“We really need someone to come forward,” said family spokesman Jack Smith. “There are a lot of people who have information who are afraid to come forward … they are afraid that if they come forward, they will be accused of a crime.”
Baskin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest legal developments.
Lewis’ case, and Baskin, were presented in Tiger King. Baskin is still the owner of Big Cat Rescue, and lobbies for abolishing privately owned wildlife.
“We’ve been working for weeks to raise this money,” Lewis’ eldest daughter, Donna Pettis (left), said Monday. Lewis’ youngest daughter, Gale Rathbone (right), expressed gratitude to anyone interested in the case
Baskin is the rival of Tiger King star Joe Exotic who shot to worldwide fame this year on Netflix. A federal judge handed over control of the Oklahoma Zoo previously run by Maldonado Passage – also known as Joe Exotic – to Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue Corp.
Earlier this year, Joe Exotic (Joe Maldonado-Passage) was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in a plot for murder-for-hire. In relative terms, Maldonado-Passage raised questions about Baskin’s ex-husband, Jack ‘Don’ Lewis
Tiger King was a documentary series about Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also called ‘Joe Exotic’, an eccentric former pastor Oklahoma who loves big cats.
Earlier this year, Maldonado-Passage was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in a plot for murder-for-hire. He was convicted of attempting to hire someone to kill Baskin, who had tried to shut him down, accusing the Oklahoma Zoo of abusing animals and selling large cat cubs.
In return, Maldonado-Passage asked questions about Baskin’s ex-husband. The documentary extensively dealt with the repeated allegations of Maldonado-Passage that Baskin murdered her husband and possibly gave him to her tigers.
Baskin has not been charged with any crime and has released statements several times making the allegations in the series. She is now married to Howard Baskin.
Maldonaldo-Passage is currently in jail. In June, a federal judge handed over control of the Oklahoma Zoo previously run by Maldonado Passage – also known as Joe Exotic – to Big Cat Rescue Corp.
Baskin previously sued Maldonado-Passage for trademark and copyright infringement and won a $ 1 million civil lawsuit against him. The judge found that ownership of the zoo was fraudulently transferred to Maldonado-Passage’s mother in an attempt to pay the verdict.
In March, the Hillsborough County sheriff asked for tips in Lewis ‘case and announced a reopening of Lewis’ case.
“We may or may not have hoped for a fence yesterday, just to try to investigate and find out if, you know, if this was a place where Don Lewis could be buried,” Phillips said in an interview with HLN on Sunday.
The family has set up a tipline at (646) 450-6530.
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