The attorney for the husband of missing American boater Lynette Hooker, Brian Hooker, says he remains “hopeful” that she will be located despite his recent arrest in her disappearance in the Bahamas.
Brian Hooker, 59, was arrested Wednesday evening as a person of interest after he told investigators his wife was washed overboard during rough seas as they traveled by dinghy off the Bahamas over the weekend, the New York Post reports.
LIVE at 4pm PT / 7pm ET: Michigan mom Lynette Hooker is still missing in the Bahamas — @JamesAGagliano and @JoshuaRitterESQ break down what we know about her husband’s arrest. Plus, @MattJohnsonNEWS joins us to discuss updates in the Shanna Gardner and Lindsay Clancy cases.🔗👇 pic.twitter.com/mnxj5mn9Ts
— Courtroom Confidential (@CRConfidential) April 10, 2026
His attorney Terrel Butler said on Thursday that Hooker continues to hope his wife will be found as the search for her entered its seventh day. Brian Hooker had become the focus of the investigation earlier in the week when authorities said his story had changed multiple times.
“He feels hopeless without her, so he is hoping that she will be recovered,” Butler said during an appearance on Fox News’ ‘Fox & Friends’ on Friday. “He’s been married for 25 years. She’s his life partner. He says they share everything together.”
Butler also indicated that Hooker had wanted to return to the water himself to assist in the search, describing him as devastated by her disappearance and “hopeless without her.” Brian Hooker was detained in Abaco and continues to be questioned by authorities, though he has denied any role in what happened to his wife.
Police have been looking for Lynette Hooker since her husband said she fell out of their dinghy into the water and was swept away by swift currents Saturday while they were on their way back to their yacht, Soulmate.
Terrell A. Butler, attorney for American Brian Hooker, says an interview scheduled for today will determine whether her client is charged or released in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker. pic.twitter.com/COwfi3ke9m
— Our News Bahamas (@OurNewsRev) April 10, 2026
Jordan Plentz, 29, who lives across the street from the Brian and Lynette Hooker in Michigan, described the Hookers’ marriage as turbulent, and allegedly include an extensive history of “fighting.” Plentz reportedly learned about the history of the marriage from Lynette’s mother, who lived with the couple. The neighbor said she didn’t know the reason for the arguments.
“I wasn’t shocked when I heard about it,” Plentz said about her neighbor’s death. “They fought for a long time. … The violence was pretty bad.”
Brian Hooker said his wife fell out with the key to the boat in her hand which automatically cut the engine and forced him to paddle back to the marina. Hooker’s lawyer, Terrel Butler said Hooker planned to keep looking for his wife before police took him into custody.
Brian Hooker also went overboard during his arrest tied to his wife’s disappearance, according to his attorney. His lawyer said Brian Hooker was holding clothing with his “restricted hands” while attempting to keep his balance in “choppy and dangerous sea conditions” when he fell into the water.
The attorney added that Lynette Hooker’s husband injured his knee during the incident, leaving him with a noticeable limp, and said she has requested medical treatment on his behalf. “He was submerged in the cold water and took in a significant amount of seawater before his life jacket brought him to the surface,” Butler said in the statement, according to Newsweek.
“He had to be rescued from the water by the police,” she added. According to Butler, Brian Hooker was scheduled to be interviewed on Friday and remains “completely heartbroken and deeply distressed.”
Handcuffed Brian Hooker Fell Overboard After Police Took Him Out on Boat: Lawyer https://t.co/nJZQszPCRc via @TMZ “Loses” his wife now wants multi-million dollar judgment against the police. What Brian doesn’t know: Wife was rescued by Nicaraguan fishing boat.
— Joseph Kelley (@joseph_kel71757) April 10, 2026
“We don’t expect (he’ll be charged) unless they find blood on the dinghy or her body or some key evidence like that,” said Steve Hansen, the boyfriend of Lynette Hooker’s daughter. “They just want to put pressure on (Brian) until they have something,” according to a Detroit Daily News report.
