‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic To Be Resentenced In Murder-For-Hire Plot Against Carole Baskin

Could the Tiger King be set free following a ruling from a federal appellate court?

July 23, 2021

Photo of self-proclaimed "Tiger King" Joe Exotic [via AP Images]

Photo of self-proclaimed "Tiger King" Joe Exotic [via AP Images]

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known as Joe Exotic or the “Tiger King,” was convicted in late 2019 and sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot.

The alleged target of his ire? A rival tiger sanctuary owner named Carole Baskin who operates an exotic animal park in Florida.

A federal court has ruled that Maldonado-Passage’s sentence must be reconsidered because the trial court miscalculated the appropriate amount of time he should serve behind bars.

The new sentence, when announced, could shave as much as five years off his time in prison.

Prior to his arrest, Maldonado-Passage was the owner of Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma where he cared for and bred various species of big cats, including tigers.

What sent Joe Exotic down the path of depravity, polygamy, live animal collecting and trading and ultimately, conspiracy to commit murder?

To catch up on the backstory of the self-proclaimed Tiger King, start streaming Joe Exotic: Before He Was King on discovery+ now.

The comprehensive, one-hour special examines the childhood traumas and dramatic events that help put the entire sordid story in context.

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