U.S. authorities are returning a critical piece of evidence to American soil in connection with the disappearance of a Southern Michigan woman who vanished at sea in the Bahamas two months ago.
Lynette Hooker, 56, of Onsted, was first reported missing to Bahamian police on April 5 after she allegedly fell from an 8-foot dinghy she and her husband, Brian, were piloting across open water the night before, bound for their sailing vessel, the “Soulmate.”
CBS News reported that the U.S. Coast Guard seized the dinghy Thursday, June 4, as part of the agency’s active investigation.
Brian Hooker initially told Bahamian authorities that his wife was thrown from the small boat as the couple traveled from Hope Town to Elbow Cay. By April 8, the Royal Bahamas Police Force had taken him into custody for questioning, though he was later released without charges.
In early May — more than a month after her disappearance — USCG’s Southeast Sector posted a public appeal on social media seeking information about the owner of a sailboat that had been moored near the SV Soulmate.
Lynette Hooker was last seen being swept away by strong currents late Saturday, April 4.
Because Lynette had fallen overboard with the boat’s keys, cutting the engine, Brian Hooker initially claimed he was left stranded and attempted to paddle to shore alone before drifting four miles and reaching Marsh Harbour Boat Yard around 4 a.m. Sunday. He has since maintained his innocence.
Investigators now plan to process the dinghy stateside, CBS News reported, examining it for blood, hair or any marks that could point to a struggle.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, who has openly questioned the circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance, told ABC News this week that she was grateful the Coast Guard was conducting new searches.
According to the outlet, the Coast Guard Investigative Service secured permission from Bahamian authorities to deploy American divers to areas that had not previously been searched.
The renewed effort reportedly stems from forensic GPS data recovered from electronic devices belonging to Brian Hooker — data that contradicts the account he provided to investigators.