Missing U.S. Woman Who 'Fell Overboard at Sea' Was 'Physically and Emotionally Abused' by Husband, Her Mom Claims — As He's Arrested by Bahamas Police
Lynette Hooker's mom claimed her daughter's husband had previously abused her.
April 10 2026, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
The mother of missing woman Lynette Hooker has spoken out, claiming her daughter was "physically and emotionally" abused by her husband, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Darlene Hamlett claimed her daughter and her son-in-law, Brian Hooker, had an up-and-down relationship, separating several times through their 25-year marriage, before Lynette is believed to have fallen overboard in the Bahamas.
Lynette Hooker's Disappearance Details
Lynette Hooker's mom has accused her daughter's husband of abusing her.
On Sunday, April 5, Brian reported his wife missing, according to Bahamian authorities. He claimed the two had been on a small dinghy heading to their yacht. However, they ran into bad weather, which caused Lynette, 55, to apparently fall overboard with the boat key on her person, leading the boat engine to shut off.
According to Brian, Lynette was driven away by the current, and he lost sight of her. He was able to report her missing after paddling to a marina.
Lynette has not been seen since, and 58-year-old Brian has been arrested in connection with her disappearance.
Brian's lawyer, Terrell Butler, revealed his client "categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing." As of Thursday, April 9, Brian has not been charged with any crime.
'I Do Believe Something Might Have Happened to Her'
Brian Hooker claimed his wife fell overboard and he lost sight of her.
However, Brian's apparent dark past has now been pushed into the spotlight following Lynette's disappearance. Lynette's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, claimed Brian had previously made threats against her.
"There's history of him choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard," she claimed to Fox News. "So the fact that this is actually happening makes me believe there's more to the story."
She added: "I do believe something might have happened to her."
According to Aylesworth, something sinister would take over her stepdad Brian's persona after drinking alcohol.
“He starts to act more smart-a—y and more picking at you and like, 'I know this will irritate you, so I'm gonna do that' type of attitude," she explained.
Lynette Hooker's daughter does believe 'something may have happened' to her mom.
Aylesworth confessed she's losing hope her mother will be found alive, as she previously told CNN, "The more time that goes on, the more I disbelieve that she will come back alive. I don't think that you can tread water for that long."
"But I hope maybe she’s on a little island somewhere," she said.
Following her disappearance, Brian took to Facebook to reveal he was "heartbroken" over the tragic incident.
"Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart," he claimed in the post. "We continue to search for her, and that is my sole focus."
'How Do You Just Lose My Mom'
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Brian Hooker has been arrested in connection with Lynette's disappearance, but he has not been charged with a crime.
While discussing her disappearance, Aylesworth recalled how she first learned something was terribly wrong after receiving a call from her stepdad.
"He called me Sunday night around 8 to 8:30, and he said … like matter of fact, 'Hey, your mom is missing. We don't know where she is," she recalled. "She's been missing since last night, but we're gonna come up there soon to see you."
Aylesworth, who described it as a "bomb" that was dropped on her, added, "I was just like, 'Okay, like, what?'"
She then asked, "How do you just lose my mom?"
