Husband arrested in Bahamas in connection to disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker
Bahamian officials say they have arrested a 59-year-old U.S. citizen who is being questioned in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not release the man’s name, citing the organization’s policy, but his attorney, Terrel Butler, identified him to CBS News as Brian Hooker.
Brian Hooker previously told police his wife fell off their boat over the weekend. Butler said Brian Hooker “categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing” and “has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.”
The search for Lynette Hooker, who is from Michigan, is ongoing near Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas, which the Royal Bahamian Defense Force said has turned into a search and recovery operation.
The U.S. Coast Guard launched a criminal investigation into the case, a U.S. official told CBS News on Wednesday. The Coast Guard is taking the lead on investigative efforts in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to the official.
The Coast Guard’s Criminal Investigative Service handles crimes on U.S.-flagged vessels in international waters. The investigation remains in its early stages, the U.S. official said.
Brian Hooker reported that he and his wife, who are both U.S. nationals, set sail aboard an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy from Elbow Cay on Saturday night, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
He told police his wife fell overboard with the keys to the boat, causing its engine to turn off. He said that strong currents carried her out to sea and he lost sight of her, according to police. Brian Hooker paddled the dinghy to shore, arriving hours later at the Marsh Harbor Boat Yard at 4 a.m. Sunday, police said.
Lynette Hooker was wearing a black bathing suit at the time, officials said.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, is seeking answers about what happened on the dinghy.
In an interview with CBS News, Aylesworth described her mother as an experienced swimmer who has been sailing for more than 10 years. She said she wants authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and that she doesn’t believe the sequence of events described by Brian Hooker.
“For one, I don’t understand how she got the key,” Aylesworth said. “Brian’s always driving. So he basically is in charge of the key. So the fact that my mom had it doesn’t make any sense.”
Aylesworth said Brian and Lynette Hooker had split up and gotten back together in recent years.
Brian Hooker declined to answer questions about the investigation when approached by CBS News on Tuesday but has since addressed his wife’s disappearance in a social media statement.
“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas,” he said Wednesday. “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”
Brian Hooker’s attorney, Terrel Butler, says his client “in particular (denies) the allegations recently made by Karli Aylesworth.”
