Additional Coverage:
- Bahamas cops race to find missing boater Lynette Hooker as deadline to charge husband nears (themirror.com)
Authorities in the Bahamas are intensifying their search for Lynette Hooker, who went missing near the island during the night of April 4. Lynette, a Michigan native, was on vacation with her husband, Brian Hooker, when she reportedly fell from a rented boat into the sea.
Brian Hooker has been detained by police but has not been formally charged in connection with her disappearance. The authorities face a Monday evening deadline to either file charges or release him, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler.
Brian was taken into custody four days after reporting Lynette missing. He claims she fell off their rented dinghy along with the boat keys, leaving him to paddle back to shore alone.
During a recent police interview, which lasted more than three hours at Grand Bahama’s Central Police Station, Brian was not initially informed that he was considered a suspect. Butler noted Brian’s confusion over the questioning related to potential harm or murder when no evidence of Lynette’s whereabouts had been provided.
“He definitely denies causing her death and remains hopeful she will be found,” Butler said.
The search for Lynette was suspended last Tuesday and has since shifted to a recovery mission. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force continues to conduct extensive searches across air, land, and sea.
Meanwhile, Brian’s stepdaughter, Karli Aylesworth, has expressed serious concerns, alleging that Brian had previously “choked” Lynette and even threatened to throw her overboard. “I hope this was just a freak accident, but I just have a hard time believing it at the moment. I just want to know the truth,” Aylesworth told Fox News.
Court records from Michigan reveal that Brian was acquitted of child abuse charges in 2006.
Authorities plan to interview Brian Hooker again on Monday as the investigation continues.