Ep 30: Missing or Murdered? Discussing the Disappearance of Don Lewis with Attorney Kaitlyn Statile
Don Lewis vanished 23 years ago…and no one has heard from him since. At the time of his disappearance, he was married to Carole Baskin, and his missing persons case was included in the Netflix true-crime docuseries ‘Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’ in which she was featured.
After watching the series during quarantine, Attorney Kaitlyn Statile decided to take a closer look into Lewis’ disappearance, creating a video presentation on the topic for her law firm, Carlson Meissner Hart & Hayslett. Interest in the presentation lead the firm to offer to represent anyone who can give information about the unsolved criminal case. In this podcast, Statile sits down with Sarina Fazan to discuss the current investigation into what many believe is a case of murder.
Statile says, “It all started when I just decided to take a delve looking into this. And, also you still have a family out there that’s missing their father, husband, and grandfather. On a human level, it’s also very upsetting and sad for them as well.”
Lewis disappeared on the morning of August 18, 1997, and the investigation into his whereabouts has stretched from his Tampa home and wildlife sanctuary, now known as Big Cat Rescue, to Costa Rica. While he was declared legally dead on the fifth anniversary of his disappearance, the missing persons case is still open. The popularity of the Netflix series has led to increased interest in the case, and investigators believe it is unlikely that Lewis disappeared on his own.
“Without a body, it’s very, very hard to know what happened,” Statile states.
She encourages anyone with information about the criminal case to come forward. Statile has offered pro bono services to represent any witness or accessory in the case, and she will also assist anyone with a credible lead in going to the Sherriff’s office. Her hope is to help create closure for the Lewis family.
Statile says, “You know, at the beginning of this which started a couple of months ago, I was very, very hopeful. I thought, you know, with all the publicity and all the hype, that someone’s going to know something. Someone’s going to come forward. Someone who’s been living with the guilt of this knowledge, and they want closure as well. However, given that we still haven’t heard anything, I’m starting to lose a little of the glimmer of hope. But I am still hopeful for the family. You know, I can’t imagine losing a father and waking up every day hoping I get a phone call.
The bizarre nature of the docuseries adds another layer of complications to the police investigation, as they try to find credible leads and concrete evidence.
“Parts of it are so outlandish and so outside our realm of reality that you just don’t know that this other world exists. Obviously, that’s one of the complicating factors of this case, that there are so many unique, outlandish characters involved. And, there’s also a lot of other crimes that seem to have taken place in this world,” Statile describes.
As a former prosecutor, Statile understands that the investigation of this cold case has faced challenges from the start. And, while Tiger King fans have their theories about what may happened, law enforcement must have solid evidence before they can make any arrests.
Statile explains, “They have a moral obligation as well. I mean, they can’t arrest someone if they don’t have probable cause. And, probable cause is based on a reasonable person’s standards. So, they can’t arrest someone based on a hunch. I know that millions of people have a hunch that Carole Baskin killed her husband, but the police can’t operate on a hunch.”
After earning her law degree, Statile worked at the State Attorney’s Office in Pinellas County where she conducted more than 50 trials and obtained a murder indictment from a grand jury. She then went on to practice civil litigation, prior to moving to Costa Rica where she focused on immigration and real estate law for ex-pats. Now in criminal defense with Carlson Meissner Hart & Hayslett, these experiences have added insight to her work on the Don Lewis case.
Taking her story full-circle, Netflix recently reached out to Statile for an interview about her work on the case.
If you have a credible lead in the case of Don Lewis, you can contact Statile at kaitlyn@carlsonmeissner.com or 727-443-1562. For more information about the law firm of Carlson Meissner Hart & Hayslett, visit https://carlsonmeissner.com/.
For more discussions like this one, make sure to subscribe to the podcast On The Record With Sarina Fazan.