Joe Exotic has reportedly been moved out of isolation. The star of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness was being held in solitary confinement while serving out his 22-year prison sentence, which was done out of concern for coronavirus. However, a recent post to the former zoo owner’s Instagram announced a big change and thanked those that helped it happen.
“Joe is OUT of isolation and getting the care he needs because of YOU,” the caption read. “More than 2,000 of Joe’s BIGGEST FANS hand-wrote letters asking for his release and it worked, proving that there is strength in numbers. THANK YOU!!!” The caption also asked that fans sign the petition at HelpFreeJoe.com, which is petitioning for his pardon by President Donald Trump.
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The post itself, which included an image advertising a plea for Trump to “free” Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also had a quote where he said he was “in a real hospital bed with a window.” It also included a note from Eric Love, which also pleaded with fans to petition for Exotic’s release. “Who among us has not committed an act of wrongdoing over the course of our lives? Most of us are lucky enough to be given the chance to right those wrongs and go on to lead full and productive lives,” the note read, in part.
Love’s note also thanks to the 2,000 people who signed the petition requesting he be moved out of isolation, where he’s currently serving a 22-year sentence after being found guilty of 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of murder for hire. The latter was directed at Carole Baskin, a big cat animal sanctuary owner and Exotic’s sworn enemy, as portrayed extensively in the Netflix docuseries. Baskin, incidentally, was granted ownership of Exotic’s old Oklahoma roadside zoo back on June 1.
This is also the latest effort of Exotic and company to get a federal pardon, and recently sent podcaster Josh Belcher a three-page letter to be read on Josh Belcher Uncharted that also detailed what he considers to be a wrongful conviction. He also alleged that “two Assistant U.S. Attorneys, two FBI agents and federal wildlife agent all conspired to commit perjury.” He also claims he’s been abused behind bars, claiming he has “scars from the skin coming off of my arms from being strapped in a chair so tight and so long just for demanding answers.”
