What this former Secret Service agent learned investigating ‘Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies & Cover-up’
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AUSTIN, Texas — Jim Rathmann is a former Secret Service Agent, sheriff’s detective, Army veteran and college football player. But the world came to know him last year as the lead investigator for Investigation Discovery’s ‘Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies & Cover-up.’
Rathmann led the investigation surrounding the disappearance of Carole Baskin’s husband, Don Lewis – a wealthy real-estate entrepreneur who abruptly vanished out of Tampa, Florida, in 1997. On a mission to discover the truth behind Don’s sudden disappearance, Rathmann challenged existing claims and revealed new theories and evidence, supported by criminal and legal experts, while reliving Don Lewis’s final days through the accounts of those closest to him.
Rathmann was one of several presenters earlier this month at CrimeCon in Austin, Texas. Crime survivors, investigators, prosecutors, reporters, defense attorneys, advocates and others met for the annual event that explores everything true crime. I presented about DeOrr Kunz, an Idaho Falls toddler missing since 2015.
I spoke with Rathmann about what he learned during his investigation into Lewis and what he wants people to know about the case. Watch our interview in the video player above.
You can find out more information about CrimeCon here and catch our past interviews below:
- WATCH: Tamara Green, Bill Cosby rape survivor
- WATCH: Dr. Phil explains why true crime is so fascinating and the psychology of evil
- WATCH: Meet the woman behind the largest online missing persons cold case database
- WATCH: Chris Hansen shares what he’s learned doing ‘To Catch a Predator’ and other crime stories
- WATCH: Nancy Grace explains why she’s passionate about crime stories and what she has learned over her career
- WATCH: A conversation with Kevin Balfe, one of the founders of CrimeCon