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MARSH HARBOUR, Bahamas — The disappearance of American woman Lynette Hooker in the Bahamas is being investigated as a murder, a U.S. official familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital.
Hooker vanished on April 4 while boating near Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands with her husband, Brian Hooker. Her husband has maintained that his wife fell from a dinghy at night and was swept away. Lynette Hooker’s body has not been recovered.
But investigators are treating the case as a homicide, the official said, as they review digital evidence, location data and the couple’s sailboat, Soulmate, which was recently seized by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.
LYNETTE HOOKER MISSING IN BAHAMAS: TIMELINE OF MICHIGAN WOMAN’S DISAPPEARANCE, HUSBAND’S ARREST
Brian and Lynette Hooker sit on a dinghy in the water in this undated image. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)
After the vessel left the Bahamas, authorities seized it and the Coast Guard docked Soulmate in Fort Pierce, Florida. Eventually, officials relocated the boat to a port in Fort Lauderdale.
WATCH: Coast Guard investigators inspect yacht tied to woman missing in Bahamas
A U.S. official familiar with the investigation previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that, once pulled from the water, Soulmate would be taken to a warehouse to be combed for clues.
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Investigators are expected to examine the vessel’s electronics, navigation systems and any other potential forensic evidence aboard.
A map shows the reported movements of Brian and Lynnette Hooker on the night of April 4, 2026 between the Abaco and Marsh Harbour. (Google Maps)
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"Any sort of digital devices that you can take, any computer systems that you can extract, anything of that sort, will be taken in," said Nicole Parker, former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor.
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Brian Hooker leaves Central Police Station after being released from custody, Freeport, the Bahamas, Monday, April 13, 2026. Hooker, who is accompanied by his lawyer, Terrel A. Butler, was being questioned over the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker, who he says fell overboard from their dinghy earlier this month. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
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Brian Hooker was initially detained by Bahamian authorities after Lynette was reported missing, but he was later released.
Lynette Hooker went missing after she fell off a small boat on Saturday evening. Her husband, Brian Hooker, reported her missing early Sunday morning. (Lynette Hooker/Facebook; Brian Hooker/Facebook)
He has not been charged with any crime or accused of wrongdoing. His attorney could not be reached for comment after numerous attempts by Fox News Digital.
