Husband of Missing American Woman In Bahamas Released As Questions Emerge About His Story
Brian Hooker is out of jail but remains under scrutiny, as police continue to consider the 59-year-old husband of missing boater Lynette Hooker a suspect in her mysterious disappearance in the Bahamas.
Lynette has been missing since April 4, when Brian claims she “bounced off the dinghy” near Elbow Cay while the couple was returning to their sailboat, Soulmate. He was detained for five days but has not been charged with a crime.
“It’s been 10 days, it’s been a long time, I don’t think I’ve ever been apart from her in 25 years for this long,” Brian said in an interview with NBC News.
Brian told NBC News that investigators may be focusing on him due to the intense media attention surrounding the case.
The case has drawn widespread interest after Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, and her mother, Darlene Hamlett, publicly raised questions about Brian’s account.
According to Brian, rough conditions and a strong current pulled Lynette away after she fell overboard.
However, a longtime Bahamas resident told The Daily Wire that the area where Brian claims Lynette went missing is typically calm and protected. The source, who requested anonymity, said the harbor is sheltered from rough waves and that waters between Elbow Cay and Lubber’s Island are often shallow and clear as glass, adding that land isn’t too far away.
Aylesworth and Hamlett have both said Brian’s version of events does not make sense, noting that Lynette was a strong swimmer.
They also pointed to the couple’s past, including a 2015 domestic violence incident in Michigan. Lynette was arrested at the time, but Hamlett said her daughter had sustained a black eye and alleged that Brian had been physically abusive during their marriage, especially when drinking alcohol.
“I think they loved each other, but they were not good for each other,” she said.
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Hamlett told Ashleigh Banfield on the “Drop Dead Serious” show that she had long feared something like this could happen.
“With the lifestyle that my daughter and her husband live, I had been preparing for that phone call for a long time,” Hamlett said.
Despite the family accounts, Brian has denied ever harming his wife.
“I said I’d never harm Lynette, and I never would harm Lynette, and I want to find Lynette,” Brian told NBC News.
As the search approaches two weeks, the chances of finding Lynette alive are diminishing. Her daughter is expected to arrive in the Bahamas on Wednesday to assist in the search.
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