The US Coast Guard is looking for the owner of a boat that was tied up near the boat of Lynette Hooker’s missing mother the night she disappeared
Federal investigators are appealing to the public for tips in the disappearance of Michigan mother Lynette Hooker – including finding the owners of the sailboat that was tied up next to her and her husband Brian’s boat the night she disappeared in the Bahamas.
The US Coast Guard Investigative Service announced Tuesday that it is asking for the public’s help in the investigation into Hooker’s mysterious disappearance near Aunt Pat’s Bay on the night of April 4.
In particular, Coast Guard investigators are looking for the owner of a sailboat — pictured in photos released by the agency — that was tied up next to the couple’s 45-foot yacht, “SV Soulmate.”
Investigators have been searching for clues beyond the channel when Brian Hooker, 59, told authorities Lynette, 55, fell from the 8-foot boat while returning to the boat in rough waters off Elbow Cay, CBS News reported.
Hooker said his wife of 25 years fell into the water with the boat keys to him. He said he could no longer see her and decided to row back to the shore.
Officials are now looking for potential witnesses who were near the couple’s boat before or when the mother was reported missing and are busy interviewing them for the investigation, the newspaper reported.
The Post previously got an exclusive look at the Soulmate as it was built near Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island.
The ship was carrying two paddle boards, a grill, and exercise equipment, as well as a canvas with a Cookie Monster image. It was decorated with a torn American flag, a Buddha statue, conch shells, an aloe plant, and daily sailing paraphernalia.
Brian was arrested by Bahamian authorities in connection with his wife’s disappearance and then released after investigators failed to charge him.
He left the Bahamas, reportedly to deal with another family emergency, one day after vowing his “only focus” was to find his wife.
Blaine Stevenson, a friend of the couple, told CBS News that he texted Brian, asking him to come to authorities the night of his wife’s disappearance.
“See [Lynette Hooker’s family] they trusted you with their loved one, and you didn’t live up to it,” Stevenson said of his message, “So, now is the time for you to live up to that, and take care of them, and give them the answers they want.”
Brian is accused of abusing Lynette by her loved ones, who suspect her of having a hand in her disappearance.
Lynette’s mother revealed that her daughter had considered leaving Brian many times, and described him as an “absurd” and “hateful” drunk.
Lynette’s daughter from a previous marriage also said her stepfather had a violent history, including choking Lynette and threatening to throw her into the ocean.
Brian was also charged with child abuse in 2005 when he strangled his daughter, who he shared with his ex-boyfriend, during a disagreement over her Christian beliefs.
In 2015, Brian accused Lynette of slapping him in the face, and Lynette said she choked him and punched him in the forehead in a drunken rage.
Brian has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, asserting in an interview with NBC News that he would “never hurt” his wife.
The Coast Guard is asking anyone who knows the owner of the pictured boat or its occupants, or has information related to Lynette’s disappearance, to submit tips through the CGIS Tips app.
