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Bahamian authorities are racing against a Monday evening deadline to either formally charge Brian Hooker or set him free. Hooker, the husband of the missing Michigan boater Lynette Hooker, remains in custody as officials investigate her mysterious disappearance near Elbow Cay.
Detained since last week, Brian Hooker is currently under scrutiny in connection with his wife’s vanishing. According to Hooker’s attorney, authorities have until approximately 7:20 p.m. ET on Monday to determine if they will press charges or release him.
Meanwhile, the search for Lynette Hooker continues by air, land, and sea. However, officials have now transitioned the operation from a rescue mission to a recovery effort, reflecting the grim outlook.
Police reports indicate that Lynette disappeared after she fell overboard during a boating excursion near Elbow Cay on a Saturday evening.
Final hours under scrutiny
The last confirmed sighting of Lynette Hooker was on the night of April 4. She and her husband had departed from the Abaco Inn on a dinghy, en route back to their anchored yacht.
Fox News Digital previously retraced the route — a short trip through waters local experts say are typically shallow, clear and heavily trafficked.
According to Brian Hooker’s account, Lynette fell overboard in worsening weather and strong winds. He has said the couple was not wearing life jackets and that the dinghy lost power after the ignition key went into the water.
In a recorded phone call obtained by CBS, Hooker described the incident as a series of mistakes, saying Lynette “basically just bounced off the dinghy” before he lost sight of her in the dark.
He has said he later paddled for help after searching for her.
WATCH: Volunteer fire and rescue team searches for missing Lynette Hooker
Family raises concerns
In an interview on Ashleigh Banfield’s “Drop Dead Serious” podcast, Lynette’s mother described a volatile relationship and said her daughter had left her husband multiple times in the past.
“They had a lot of highs and a lot of lows,” she said. “When there were bad times, they were bad times.”
She alleged Brian Hooker could become “mean” and “hateful” when drinking and said there had been instances where he became physical, adding she had long feared for her daughter’s safety.
Lynette had been planning to leave the marriage, her mother said in the interview.
Separately, Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has questioned Brian Hooker’s version of events, saying the circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance “don’t add up.”Â
An Oak Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue boat searches for missing Lynette Hooker on Sunday, April 5, 2026 near Marsh Harbor, Bahamas. (Abaco Asian Market)
In a previous appearance on “Fox & Friends,” she also alleged he had been physically violent in the past.
“I’ve seen him choke out one of his daughters before. And we had to go to court for that,” Aylesworth said. “So he’s just repeating patterns.”
General view of Marsh Harbour Boatyards, The Bahamas, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Brian Hooker, 58, reportedly paddle his boat back to the boatyards on Sunday morning after losing his wife, Lynette Hooker at sea. (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital)
Brian Hooker has denied wrongdoing and has spoken publicly about the incident, saying in a Facebook post that he is “heartbroken.”
“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas,” he wrote. “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”
An Oak Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue boat searches for missing Lynette Hooker on Sunday, April 5, 2026 near Marsh Harbor Bahamas. (Abaco Asian Market)
Attorney: Hooker denies wrongdoing
Hooker’s attorney said his client wants “closure” to find out what happened to his wife.
“He denied the allegations and he maintained his innocence,” Terrel Butler said, adding that a decision on whether to charge him would likely come before the deadline.
The attorney also said the case would ultimately be handled by prosecutors, not just investigating officers, and that Hooker is “drained and tired” as he awaits a decision.
If he is not charged by the deadline, authorities would be required to release him, though re-arrest remains a possibility under Bahamian law.
Search continues as deadline nears
Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker seen in a picture taken in 2023 on a small boat. (John Waters)
A flotation device believed to have been thrown to Lynette was recovered, according to multiple reports, but authorities have not announced that they have found her body.
Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commander Origin Deleveaux told NBC News that authorities were continuing to search for Lynette, and that early efforts were complicated by severe weather.
Fox News Digital has also reported that local boaters say it would be unusual for someone to disappear without a trace in the area due to the water clarity and proximity to land.
The Hookers had documented their boating lifestyle online after buying and restoring a sailboat in Texas, eventually making their way to the Bahamas.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Hooker’s attorney for additional comment.