Michigan man released by Bahamas police after wife fell overboard from boat

Brian Hooker of Onsted, Michigan, was freed after prosecutors declined to press charges in the disappearance of his wife Lynette, 55, who went overboard on April 4.

Bahamas releases Brian Hooker as wife's disappearance remains under investigation

Bahamian police have released a Michigan man held for questioning over the disappearance of his wife, who he says fell from a small motorboat last week. Spectrumlocalnews.com reports that Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, was freed on Monday after prosecutors recommended against filing charges while investigations remain ongoing.

Hooker had been in police custody since April 8. He told authorities that his wife, Lynette Hooker, 55, went overboard the night of April 4 while the couple were travelling in an 8-foot motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay — a stretch of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat's keys on her when she fell, causing the engine to shut off, and that he was left to paddle to shore.

"Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her," police said in a statement.

Brian Hooker alerted someone about his wife's disappearance early the following morning after reaching shore, according to authorities. His attorney, Terrel Butler, said he has denied any wrongdoing. Butler did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Monday regarding his release.

The U.S. Coast Guard has opened a separate investigation alongside the one being conducted by Bahamian authorities.

Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News she does not believe her mother would "just fall" overboard, describing her as an experienced sailor who had been on extended voyages for years.

The couple, married for more than 20 years, documented their sailing trips through the Caribbean on a Facebook page called "Sailing Hookers." In 2023 they posted videos of purchasing a sailboat named Soul Mate in Rockport, Texas, before setting out through the Gulf of Mexico from Kemah, Texas. Their home in Onsted is approximately 70 miles southwest of Detroit.

Court records add a layer of history to the case. A 2015 police report from Kentwood, Michigan, obtained by NBC, shows that Brian and Lynette Hooker each accused the other of assault. Brian Hooker, who was intoxicated and bleeding from the nose at the time, told officers his wife had struck him in the face repeatedly. Lynette was also reported to be drunk. She spent the night in jail, but a warrant was ultimately denied because it was not clear who had initiated the assault.

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