US cop points finger at Tiger King's Carole Baskin in cold-case mystery

NZ Herald

13 Apr, 2020 10:39 PM2 mins to read

Don Lewis (L) went missing in 1997 and now a US sheriff has raised suspicions about his wife Carole Baskin. Photo / Supplied

A US sheriff has said that he is "extremely suspicious" of Tiger King star Carole Baskin over the mysterious disappearance of her second husband Don Lewis.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told TMZ that he believes Lewis was killed for his fortune in a murder-for-hire plot.

He raised his suspicions about Baskin but refused to name her as a person of interest.

"I'm extremely suspicious but not just of her, of this whole circle here," Chronister said.

"I don't want to allude to the fact or insinuate that she's our person of interest we're focusing on. I'm not comfortable saying that yet."

"There's normally not one person that commits a homicide, it's always a couple of people," he added.

Don Lewis (L) went missing in 1997 and now a US sheriff has raised suspicions about his wife Carole Baskin. Photo / Supplied

"This had to be extremely planned out, this had to be well thought out. There's someone else involved in this. There's someone who was paid to do it, there's someone who helped do it."

As part of his appearance on the upcoming TMZ special, Chronister appealed directly to anyone involved in the disappearance.

"I'm hoping that person wants to come and get this off their chest and help law enforcement do the right thing," he said.

"Every deal is on the table right now. Help us solve this case."