Brian Hooker Arrested in Bahamas Amid Investigation into Wife Lynette's Disappearance
Brian Hooker was arrested on Wednesday night in connection with the disappearance of his wife Lynette more than a week ago. Hooker had told police that Lynette fell off their small boat and was swept out to sea. Attorney Terrel Butler represents Hooker in the criminal investigation by the Bahamian Royal Police Force.
włodi from London, UK / Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)Arrest and Investigation Brian Hooker was arrested on Wednesday night.
The arrest relates to a criminal investigation by the Bahamian Royal Police Force into the disappearance of his wife Lynette Hooker more than a week ago. Attorney Terrel Butler represents Brian Hooker in the investigation. Terrel Butler said his client denies any wrongdoing, is heartbroken by the incident, and wants to be released from custody to search for his wife.
Lynette Hooker disappeared more than a week ago. CBS News reported that Brian Hooker recounted events of the night his wife disappeared in recordings of phone calls, text messages, and maps. Brian Hooker previously told police that his wife fell off their small boat and was swept out to sea.
Maps made by Brian Hooker and shared with friends and boaters detail his version of events. The maps created by Brian Hooker show the incident happened in shallow water under 10 feet at high tide.
Account of Events on April 4 Brian and Lynette Hooker anchored their sailboat Soulmate on Aunt Pat's Bay in Elbow Cay on Saturday April 4.
Brian and Lynette Hooker hopped on a dinghy from their anchored sailboat to start their day on April 4. Brian Hooker said Tahiti Beach is a place that is really popular and dries out at low tide. Brian Hooker said a barge pulls up on Tahiti Beach and serves drinks all day.
Tahiti Beach is in shallow water and located on the southern tip of Elbow Cay. Brian and Lynette Hooker used their 8-foot hard bottom dinghy to go to a restaurant at the Abaco Inn near Hope Town after Tahiti Beach on April 4. Hope Town is a small island village located in Bahamas' Abaco Islands.
A manager at the Abaco Inn told CBS News the Abaco Inn is cooperating with authorities. Brian Hooker said he had a phone on him during the incident but it did not work because it was only able to make calls with Wi-Fi.
Search Efforts and Conditions Brian Hooker had a nearly 40-minute phone conversation with friends Marnee and Blaine Stevenson on April 7 while search and rescue efforts were ongoing.
Brian Hooker told Marnee and Blaine Stevenson in descriptive detail what led to the incident where his wife allegedly went missing. The vessel traveled four miles from the point where the incident happened to the Marsh Harbour Boat Yards. m.
on Sunday, April 5 at the Marsh Harbour Boat Yards. The time from the incident to Brian Hooker being found was eight hours. Conditions in Hope Town at the time included high sustained winds at around 15-25 knots with gusts sometimes exceeding 40 mph and a few showers.
Andrew Kozak stated the impact in shallow waters would have been significantly less than on the open sea.
Story Timeline
5 events- 2026-04-13 (Wednesday night)
Brian Hooker arrested in connection with investigation.
1 sourceunattributed - 2026-04-07
Brian Hooker had a nearly 40-minute phone conversation with friends Marnee and Blaine Stevenson while search and rescue efforts were ongoing.
1 sourceunattributed - 2026-04-05 (4 a.m.)
Brian Hooker found at Marsh Harbour Boat Yards.
1 sourceunattributed - 2026-04-04
Brian and Lynette Hooker anchored sailboat and went to Tahiti Beach and Abaco Inn.
1 sourceBrian Hooker - More than a week ago (prior to 2026-04-13)
Lynette Hooker disappeared.
1 sourceunattributed
Potential Impact
- 01
Cooperation from Abaco Inn could provide additional evidence to authorities.
- 02
Search and rescue efforts for Lynette Hooker continue amid weather conditions.
- 03
Ongoing criminal investigation may lead to charges against Brian Hooker.
- 04
Friends and boaters receiving Hooker's maps may assist in verifying account.
- 05
Brian Hooker's release from custody to aid search depends on investigation progress.
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