“Tiger King” Joe Exotic, star of the Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, got some good news regarding how much longer he’ll have to spend behind bars.
Exotic, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, currently serves a 22-year sentence related to a murder for hire plot and for violating federal wildlife laws. A federal appeals court ruled in the former zookeeper’s favor Wednesday, saying that an advisory sentence range should have been calculated between 17 and a half years and 22 years. The trial court will resentence him.
His appeals attorney, Brian Sample, is optimistic Maldonado-Passage could receive a lower sentence once the court considers other factors. He did not specify what the factors could be. John M. Phillips, who also represents Maldonado-Passage, hinted that additional evidence is available and the possibility they will push for a new trial altogether.
“People should know what they saw on television isn’t the full truth. It isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. It was snowflakes on the tip of the iceberg, largely manufactured by those who wanted to see Joe Exotic in jail for their own benefit,” the attorney said.
Exotic was convicted of hiring two different men to kill his rival, animal rights activist Carole Baskin. He was additionally convicted of falsifying records, selling tiger cubs, and killing several tigers. He has denied any wrongdoing, even asking Donald Trump for a pardon while he was still president.
