GPS Data Raises New Questions in Hooker Case

U.S. and Bahamian authorities investigating the disappearance of Michigan resident Lynette Hooker have seized a dinghy linked to the case, marking a significant development in the more than two-month search for the missing woman.

Hooker, 55, was lost when she was vacationing with her husband, Brian Hooker, in the Abaco Islands, Bahamas, on April 4. Evidence in the case is ongoing and investigators are still working through the case, which has been reported to be a possible homicide case.

Dinghy Removed During Search Operation

The dinghy, around 8 feet long, was recently taken away by authorities that Brian Hooker claimed the two were operating on the night Lynette went missing.

During the operation, investigators were escorted by a cadaver dog, witnesses reported. As police go through all the evidence, there has been a previous search of the couple’s sailboat, Soulmate, before the seizure took place.

Investigators Revisit Disappearance Timeline

The couple was sailing away in their dinghy from Hope Town on the evening of April 4, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Brian Hooker told investigators he was holding the keys to the boat when his wife fell off while the boat was in rough water.

He was not able to save her life and eventually he paddled back to shore because of the strong currents that swept her away. A broad search was started according to that story. Investigators have since turned their attention to figuring out the events of the night of Lynette Hooker’s disappearance.

GPS Data Leads to Additional Areas of Interest

Brian Hooker’s GPS data recovered from one of his electronic devices allegedly showed movements that investigators said don’t match part of his story. It is said that the data revealed areas of the Sea of Abaco that had not been searched before.

Authorities are still checking the area for more evidence that could be recovered as the FBI digs through the information. Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has also submitted DNA samples that help investigators.

Husband Denies Involvement

Bahamian police took into custody Brian Hooker shortly after his wife went missing and questioned him for several days before letting him go. He later moved back to the U.S. Brian Hooker has not been charged with murder.

He has so far refused to admit any involvement in his wife’s disappearance in his attorney’s name. The Bahamas and the United States are still investigating the case. Lynette Hooker is still missing.

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