It looks like the drama isn’t over for Carole Baskin following the release of Tiger King on Netflix. The cat enthusiast and Big Cat Rescue owner was one of the key players in the true-crime series which delved into her toxic feud with controversial zookeeper Joe Exotic.
Not only was Baskin the target of a money-for-hire plot but her first husband Don Lewis disappeared in 1997, an incident that was scrutinised by the series in which it was heavily implied by Joe Exotic and Lewis’s first wife and daughters that she had murdered him herself.
The animal activist from Florida has strongly denied the claims levelled at her in the show but now local police are taking a closer look at the cold case.
This week, the sheriff of Hillsborough County Chad Chronister posted a tweet asking for any information people might have regarding Lewis’ disappearance.
‘Since Netflix and COVID-19 quarantine has made Tiger King all the rage, I figured it was a good time to ask for new leads,’ he wrote.
The sheriff says there has been a lot of responses since the Netflix show aired on Friday, March 20th.
‘We are already receiving new tips and we hope to close this cold case soon with the help of the public,’ Chronister told CNN. ‘Since the documentary came out we've been receiving about six tips a day related to this case. We are looking into each one thoroughly.’
None of the tips so far have been credible and the sheriff says the series doesn’t provide any new leads that haven’t already been investigated. ‘They certainly spun it a certain way for entertainment purposes,’ he said.
Lewis left his first wife for Baskin, a fellow animal lover who he set up a big cat sanctuary with. The millionaire went missing on August 18, 1997. She filed a missing person report with sheriffs’ deputies the following day but after five years and no leads to his whereabouts, he was declared dead by a judge.
One of the more outlandish theories offered in the series is that Baskin killed her husband and fed his body to her tigers. Since the show aired, she has issued a statement refuting the allegations and criticising the filmmakers.
‘There are not words for how disappointing it is to see that the series not only does not do any of that, but has had the sole goal of being as salacious and sensational as possible to draw viewers (sic),’ Baskin writes on her website.
‘As part of that, it has a segment devoted to suggesting, with innuendos from people who are not credible, that I had a role in the disappearance of my husband Don in 1997. The series presents this without any regard for the truth or in most cases even giving me an opportunity before publication to rebut the absurd claims.
‘They did not care about truth.'
Tiger King is centred on Joe Exotic (real name Joseph Schreibvogel) a mullet-wearing, out and proud gay polygamist who has made a name for himself as the owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma. It played host to over 200 tigers, lions and wild cats that he bought or bred on-site, and it's claimed he made his money by overcharging the public to see these dangerous animals up close on a tour, as well as offering people the chance to pet the cubs, too.
He caught the attention of Baskin, who was campaigning to end private ownership of wild animals and did not approve of Joe Exotic breeding baby tigers for cub-petting. Her goal was to shut him down but Joe was not one to go quietly and the series follows the plots and schemes that took place over their five years of conflict.
The Netflix series has proven to be a massive hit for the streaming service with it ranking in the UK top ten most streamed since it premiered on Friday, March 20th.
Tiger King: Murder, Madness and Mayhem is available to stream on Netflix now
READ MORE: Tiger King Will Make You Forget About Coronavirus For Five Hours
Grazia's Best Cookbooks
1 of 20The Modern Cook’s Year, Anna Jones
Rosamund DeanFor people… who are trying to eat more ethically.This beautiful book of absolutely scrumptious vegetarian recipes is organised by the seasons, with categories such as 'start of the year' and 'first warm days', making it easy to eat seasonally all year round.
2 of 20Eat Green, Melissa Hemsley
Emma StoddartFor people... looking to make healthier meal options that still taste delicious. The 'flexitarian' recipes are mainly vegetarian but do encompass some fish and meat options, too. I was surprised to learn how much you can do with the humble lentil – and at £1.80 a packet, these recipes are great if you're on a budget.
3 of 20Leon Happy One-Pot Cooking Book, By Rebecca Seal and John Vincent
Emma StoddartFor people... missing their desk lunchIf you don't want to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen but fancy a freshly cooked meal – this recipe book is for you. Every dish is easy to make, requires few ingredients, one pot, and most importantly, doesn't take up your entire evening. My absolute favourite is 'make a hash of this' with eggs, chorizo and potato – it's a great breakfast, lunch or dinner dish.
4 of 20Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course by Darina Allen
Lynn EnrightFor people... who want to get good at the basics.Want to make a roux? Or a pavlova? Or custard? Or looking to use up a particular fish or meat or vegetable? This is a brilliant resource for every kitchen, jam-packed with useful recipes and clear instructions. Indispensable.
5 of 20Dishoom by Kavi Thakrar, Naved Nasir, and Shamil Thakrar
Lynn EnrightFor people... who are missing Dishoom.No one is going to Dishoom for a while – and that's a hard blow to all of us who adore Dishoom. Luckily, this cookbook fills the gap. Admittedly, to get Dishoom-standard food, you have to put in the hours as the recipes are intricate and time-consuming, but you might yourself with the time over the next few months.
6 of 20The Everlasting Meal: Cooking With Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler
Lynn EnrightFor people... looking to reduce waste.This cookbook has no pictures and features quotes from Seneca and Chekhov. It's wordy and maybe also a little worthy – but I love it. It feels especially right for now, with an emphasis on avoiding waste and cooking from leftovers or with items often thrown away (the bones, the skin, the peel).
7 of 20The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià
Anna DewhurstFor people... looking for fool-proof cooking.I mostly love this book because of its back-to-basics 70s style photography, but what this book does brilliantly is simple food, cooked well. It has step-by-step photos and a super-helpful timeline for all of the three-course meals – so there is little room for error. In fact, just looking at it now has got me very inspired for tonight's dinner (Farfalle with pesto, since you ask).
8 of 20Sardine, by Alex Jackson
Anna SilvermanFor people… who want to feel like they're on that cancelled holiday in Southern France.A mixture of simple mid-week and showstopper dinner party meals using the kind of Mediterranean ingredients that make you feel like you'll live to 102. It's also divided into seasons, which feels especially helpful during corona-times - when we might find it harder to order exotic, out-of-season foods.
9 of 20Leon Fast Vegetarian, Jane Baxter & Henry Dimbleby
Joely WalkerFor people… who want veggie, fuss-free, easy-to-follow recipes with bloomin' delicious results.To be honest, I'd buy the book for Baxter's Brunch (page 39) alone (gruyere and Marmite sourdough with poached eggs – bliss), but it really is ideal for people who want speedy solutions with flavours that pack a punch.
10 of 20The Vegetarian Kitchen, Prue Leith & Peta Leith
Joely WalkerFor people... looking to cut down on meat.Proving veggie food goes well beyond your average onion and goats cheese tart, this new cookbook gives smart spins on classic dishes without trying to make things too fancy schmancy. Homecooked and delicious, but out there enough to impress dinner party guests.
11 of 20The Hemingway Cookbook, by Craig Boreth
Jasmine Langcaster-JamesFor people... who are fans of literature.It's a bit of a niche one - a collection of recipes taken from all the food/meal references in Hemingway's novels and short stories. It not only contains beautiful recipes of delicious and wholesome food but accompanies them with passages from Hemingway's fiction and some interesting biographical/geographical info. As Hemingway did a lot of camping in his time the cookbook actually has a good few tips for making the best of what you have in terms of ingredients so I personally think it would make a great read and inspiration to anyone in self-isolation with limited ingredients!
12 of 20Forever Summer, Nigella Lawson
Rhiannon EvansFor people… who want to practice for the dinner parties to come.Pick any of the Nigella books tbh (and she also does great recipes on her Instagram every day) but I'm going for Forever Summer, because why not imagine you're about to pop off on a foodie trip if you're going to walk around the kitchen pretending you're as sassy and sultry as the Food Queen herself?
13 of 20Ottolenghi, Simple
Rhiannon EvansFor people… with time on their hands and want to make instagrammable foodThe title of this book belies some classically complicated Ottolenghi dishes, so it's good if you've finally got some time of your hands (and you can get a delivery slot for all those spices). Definitely produces recipes for the grid.
14 of 20The Naturalista, Xochi Balfour
Melissa HenryFor people... who know you are what you eat!I personally love this book as Xochi has the perfect mix of recipes that will suit both meat eaters (me) and non-meat eaters. Also doubles up as great cookbook for babies (see banana pancakes). She provides short paragraphs for each recipe, explaining the benefits, alternative ingredients to use (Banoffee Pie may not be suitable for breakfast but a Banoffee Chia pot definitely is), along with stories of how she was inspired. Along with this she's included a beauty section raising awareness of whether we actually know what we put in our bodies and provides natural alternatives to mainstream brands, such as how to make your own deodorant (still haven't braved this one yet), body scrub and hair rinse (I swear by this). Could not need this more than ever in my life now!
15 of 20East, by Meera Sodha
Natalie HammondFor people... who want to be whisked away on a taste holiday.There are so many delicious recipes in East, but the Chilli Tofu is my absolute favourite. It's an Indo-Chinese dish, often made with paneer instead of tofu, that mixes Indian spices (cumin seeds) with Chinese sauces (soy) to utterly glorious effect.
16 of 20Canteen, Great British Food
Rebecca HolmanFor people... who want proper old-school comfort food.From the banging chicken pie to the macaroni cheese that's the subject of far too many of my 3pm daydreams, this book is full of straightforward, delicious crowdpleasers.
17 of 20Brasserie Zédel: Traditions and recipes from a Grand Brasserie
Rebecca HolmanFor People...who want an evocative restaurant review with their recipesCome for the 40 iconic Brasserie Zedel recipes, including Soupe à l oignon, Moules marinières, Boeuf bourgignon, Profiteroles and Tarte au citron, stay for the late AA Gill's evocative history of the iconic French brasserie.
18 of 20Amaretto, Apple Cake and Artichokes: The Best of Anna Del Conte
Rebecca HolmanFor people... who are obsessed with amazing Italian foodSo that's everyone, right? Anna Del Conte is the undisputed queen of Italian cooking, spanning far beyond the standard pasta dishes we all know and love. A must read.
19 of 20Ekstedt: The Nordic Art of Analogue Cooking
Rhiannon EvansRenowned for his back-to-basics approach of cooking over fire, largely in the depths of Swedish forests and at his Michelin-starred restaurant Ekstedt in Stockholm, Niklas is a pioneer of outdoor cooking using traditional techniques including open fire grilling and foraging.
20 of 20Midnight Chicken, by Ella Risbridger
Rhiannon EvansOne night, Ella found herself lying on her kitchen floor, wondering if she would ever get up – and it was the thought of a chicken, of roasting it, and of eating it, that got her to her feet and made her want to be alive.Midnight Chicken is an honest and funny book about how cooking can save your life. It is the story of Ella's life in a Tiny Flat, and the food she cooked there, sharing stories and recipes that are about people, about love and about the things that matter every day. This is a cookbook-of-stories to make you fall in love with the world again.