Carole Baskin’s first husband: Get to know Michael Murdock

It’s been only a few months since the world saw the finale of Netflix’s docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, and fans are still taking to the internet by storm to pose questions and theories about the eccentric cast of characters. 

While the show’s central character Joe Exotic is serving time in federal prison, fans are granted a chance to dive deeper into the surrounding cast. Joe Exotic’s archnemesis Carole Baskin has recently reappeared as a topic of discussion for many. 

The CEO of Big Cat Rescue in Florida is living her life outside of cages – unlike Joe and her big cats. Baskin spends time taking care of her nonprofit and enjoying life with her third husband, Howard. However, fans have not forgotten when Carole Baskin was Carole Murdock. As if on queue, they have lined up another juicy theory. 

Who was Carole Baskin’s first husband?  

At the age of seventeen, then Carole Stairs Jones ran away from home and found work at a department store in Tampa, Florida. That is where she met her boss and first husband, Michael Murdock. The two were married in April 1979 and proceeded to conceive Carole’s first and only child, Jamie. 

Baskin criticized her relationship with Murdock in Tiger King, recalling their marriage as toxic. “[Murdock] was extremely abusive.” Baskin even accused Murdock of prohibiting her from working a job. This may have been the catalyst for Carole’s beginnings of breeding and selling large cats & show cats. 

What happened to the unhappy couple?

Allegedly, the night Carole met her second husband – Don Lewis – she was fleeing her house after being attacked by Murdock. She quickly developed a relationship with Don revolving around their shared love for animals.

Carole claimed the only reason she stayed with Michael Murdock at the time was due to fear of raising their child by herself. After their relationship soured, she moved on and married Don Lewis in 1981.

Michael Murdock: The first of two missing husbands

Unless you’ve been avoiding any & all news surrounding Tiger King, you will be aware that both Joe Exotic and countless fans have pointed to the fact that Carole Baskin may have been involved in the murder & disappearance of her husband Joe Lewis in 1997. Joe Exotic, the Tiger King himself, even put out a homemade music video that has stimulated the imagination of fans since the release of the series. 

This all seems of no concern to Carole’s current husband Howard, who insists Carole is “reasonably rational” and that his “number–one goal in life is going to be to make [Carole] happy.” What would Michael make of all this?

What you may not know is that Michael Murdock is also nowhere to be found at this time. Fans have leapt to the internet to cast more speculations about Carole’s involvement in yet another missing individual. The Tiger King certainly does not hold back any speculation surrounding Carole’s motives & peculiar past. Is Michael a missing person? Is he avoiding the spotlight around the Tiger King? If he ran away to avoid becoming the next subject of internet memes, it’s too late. 

The Michael Murdock conspiracy

With Joe Exotic now removed from his position, his former zoo was awarded to a man named Jeff Lowe. Lowe assumed control of all the animals and even began to move some to his new Tiger King Park in Thackerville, OK. 

What Jeff Lowe may not have anticipated was a photograph of him circulating side by side with Carole’s former husband Michael Murdock. Speculative fans of the show began pointing out similarities in the features & aging of the two men. Many are positing that the two might be the same person.

That’s right! The newest internet conspiracy has it Jeff Lowe is in fact Michael Murdock. There’s no evidence at this time to support this claim other than these images. Both Baskin & Lowe have staunchly denied this theory. For fans that do buy into the theory about Lowe & Murdock, you’ll be even more interested to know the latest update: Lowe may be yet another man disappearing from a role Carole Baskin’s life.

According to People magazine, Lowe is being sued by the state of Oklahoma for tens of thousand of dollars in back taxes. Newest updates indicate he may be evicted from his park, turning his animals over to the care of – you guessed it – Carole Baskin. 

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Could it really have been one large conspiracy after all? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!