“Given my past experiences with Brian, I believe he deceived us all,” shares Donna Hooker, the stepmother of Brian Hooker.
Her candid remarks were made during a livestream on the popular “Surviving the Survivor” podcast, where she expressed her determination to aid investigators in finding any leads concerning the puzzling disappearance of Brian’s wife, Lynette Hooker.
Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old mother from Michigan, disappeared without a trace in the Bahamas during a sailing excursion with her husband aboard their vessel, “Soulmate.” She was reported missing on April 4, with Brian reporting her fall overboard from a dinghy as the cause.
Brian Hooker made a visit to the Central Police Station in Freeport, The Bahamas, on April 14, 2026, to retrieve his wedding band and watch, accompanied by his attorney, Terrel A. Butler. Notably, the ring now rests on his pinky and was not with him upon his release from custody after inquiries regarding Lynette Hooker’s disappearance. (Matthew Symons for News Media)
Initially, Bahamian officials detained Brian Hooker for questioning in relation to his wife’s vanishing. However, after being released, he returned to the United States by mid-April, leaving many unanswered questions in his wake.
The Tribune, a local newspaper in Nassau, reported that Brian’s stepmom has never been contacted by investigators despite knowing him for decades.
MISSING AMERICAN’S HUSBAND HAD $33K THERMAL CAMERA ON BOAT THAT NIGHT AND NEVER USED IT, FRIEND SAYS
Lynette Hooker, left, and her husband, Brian Hooker, right, are pictured next to their sailboat, Soulmate. (Brian Hooker/Facebook; obtained by News Media; Matthew Symons for News Media)
Donna Hooker told the outlet she believes she could provide valuable insight as authorities continue investigating Lynette’s disappearance.
Donna Hooker, who was married to Brian’s father for more than 40 years, said she lived with her stepson during part of his teenage years in the 1980s.
She described him as intelligent, quiet and reserved. She said investigators in both the Bahamas and the United States have not reached out to her, but she is willing to answer any questions.
The U.S. Coast Guard seized Brian Hooker’s sailboat ‘Soulmate’ as she was en route from the Bahamas back to the U.S. (DVIDS)
“He had his own room and everything and he would stay in his room all the time,” she said to the outlet. “He was quiet and for a long time he would just stay in his room and not do much of anything,” she said.
She said over the years it became harder to get a ahold of her stepson. She said she and Brian’s late father, George, would try and reach out to him through his sister, Jennifer, who lives in California.
Donna Hooker told a journalist the last time she saw her stepson was in April 2022, when he visited his father after George Hooker suffered a stroke, and she has not heard from him since.
Brian Hooker leaves the Central Police Station in Freeport, Bahamas, a free man after the police let him go in the disappearance of his wife on April 13, 2026. (Matthew Symons for News Media)
She said she learned of Lynette’s disappearance from a family member in Texas who told her to turn on the news, and that Jennifer never responded to multiple messages after reportedly traveling to the Bahamas following Brian’s initial release from Bahamian custody.
News Media has reached out to the Coast Guard Investigative Service, which is investigating the case.
Brian Hooker has not been accused of any crime or wrongdoing.
News Media reached out to his attorney for comment. His attorney previously said he has been in contact with investigators.
The investigation into Lynette’s disappearance is active and ongoing.