The husband of a missing woman from the Bahamas is hiring a US attorney during the investigation
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The husband of a missing American woman who disappeared in the Bahamas has hired a lawyer in the US, according to a report.
Brian Hooker retained Michigan-based attorney Crystal Marie Hauser after returning to the US last week, according to ABC News. His Bahamas-based lawyer told Fox News Digital that he went to the US to take care of his “very ill” mother.
Brian Hooker told Bahamian officials that his wife the boat fell after leaving the Hope Town beach around 7:30 in the evening on April 4, he added that Lynette dropped the ignition key. Local authorities say he arrived at the Marsh Harbor marina around 4:00 a.m. on April 5 after rowing to shore, about eight hours after his wife did.
Hauser had a message for the American people following the disappearance of Lynette Hooker.
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Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker are seen in a photo taken in 2023 on a small boat. (John Waters)
“I would ask the viewers to treat him the way you would like to be treated, give him the benefit of the doubt, and consider that not all of us, or you, if you consider your relationship, the way you talk to each other, we all handle things in different ways,” said Hauser.
Responding to claims of domestic violence from Lynette Hooker’s mother and daughter, Brian’s lawyer said they were baseless.
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Brian Hooker arrived at Marsh Harbor Boatyards in the Bahamas after his wife, Lynette Hooker, was lost at sea. (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital)
“Consider the idea that because Karli and Darlene are making these allegations, there is absolutely no evidence to support any of the allegations — none at all,” he said.
Hauser said he thinks Brian Hooker’s “heart” is in the Bahamas, but did not say if he plans to return to the island.
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A woman is seen standing outside in the Bahamas. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)
Criminal lawyer Donna Rotunno told Fox News Digital that Brian Hooker’s move to hire a US-based lawyer was smart.
“I think it makes sense for him to hire one unless the body is not found, nothing has been resolved… Smart is hiring an attorney in the state,” said Rotunno.
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A general view of the yacht “Soulmate,” owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker, in Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, April 16, 2025. (Matthew Symons of the NY Post)
Brian Hooker has not been charged with a crime and was released from prison by Bahamian officials, who declined to charge him at the time, but left the investigation into Lynette open.
After Lynette Hooker went missing, Brian said on Facebook that he was “heartbroken.”
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A map of key locations as Bahamian police investigate the disappearance of Brian Hooker and his wife Lynette. Created on April 12, 2026. (Fox Stories)
“I am saddened by the recent boating accident in an unexpected sea and strong wind that caused my dear Lynette to fall from our small boat near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas,” he wrote. “Despite the hard efforts to reach him, the winds and currents have separated us too much. We are still searching for him and that is my focus.”
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, flew to a Bahamian island on Thursday to assist with the search.
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Brian Hooker boards a flight to Nassau from Grand Bahama Freeport Airport in The Bahamas, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. With him is his attorney, Terrel A. Butler. (Matthew Symons of Fox News Digital)
Aylesworth told NBC News that he is questioning Brian Hooker’s version of how his mother went missing, adding that he spent three hours talking to police.
“I feel like this was planned, if anything, it doesn’t seem like an accident,” Aylesworth said.
