Carole Baskin Said She Would 'Kill' First Husband In Shocking 1990 Letter

Carole Baskin's words are coming back to haunt her. In a letter sent to Don Lewis' first wife in August 1990 (seven years before he went missing), the Dancing With the Stars contestant says she would have "killed" to get out of her first marriage to Michael Murdock.

According to TMZ, Baskin sent the letter to Lewis' wife, Gladys, while having an affair with Don. In it, the Big Cat Rescue CEO apologized for being "a source of great pain" to her and her family and explained that she needed out of her relationship with Murdock. "I had to get out of my marriage and would have eventually killed my husband to do it," the letter reveals.

However, though Baskin has admitted to writing those words, she says her statement needs context. "I only meant it in the context of self-defense as Mike Murdock was physically abusive to me to the point of causing me to fear for my life," Baskin told TMZ.

ID will air a Joe Exotic special on Sunday, October 4, that will detail the controversy surrounding Baskin's missing husband and the role she played in his disappearance. The special will see homicide investigator Jim Rathmann talk about the letter and why he thinks it could relate to Lewis' disappearance.

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Baskin, who's being sued for her insensitivity around the disappearance of her husband, has claimed in the past that Murdock was abusive to her throughout their marriage.

The Tiger King star, who's bringing in massive ratings on DWTS, insists that she had nothing to do in Lewis' disappearance and previously claimed that she was the only person who supported him and got him help for his mental health.

The Investigation Discovery special Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies and Cover-Up premieres Sunday, October 4, with two parts at 9 PM ET.

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