“Knowing what I know about Brian, he lied about everything,” Brian Hooker’s stepmother, Donna Hooker, said as questions continue to swirl around the disappearance of his wife.
Donna Hooker spoke about her stepson during a livestream appearance on the “Surviving the Survivor” podcast, saying she is committed to helping investigators uncover any possible leads in the missing-person case involving Lynette Hooker.
Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old mother from Michigan, disappeared in the Bahamas while sailing with her husband aboard their vessel, “Soulmate.” She was reported missing on April 4 after Brian told authorities she had fallen from a dinghy.
Brian Hooker visits the Central Police Station in Freeport, The Bahamas, with his attorney, Terrel A. Butler, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, to retrieve his wedding ring and watch. The ring, seen on his pinky, was not with him when he was released from jail the previous night following police questioning in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker. (Matthew Symons for INC News)
Bahamian authorities initially detained Brian Hooker and questioned him about his wife’s disappearance. He was later released and returned to the United States in mid-April.
According to The Tribune, a Nassau-based newspaper, Donna Hooker said investigators have never reached out to her, despite her having known Brian for decades.
FRIEND SAYS MISSING AMERICAN’S HUSBAND HAD $33K THERMAL CAMERA ON BOAT THAT NIGHT BUT DID NOT USE IT
Lynette Hooker, left, and her husband, Brian Hooker, right, are shown beside their sailboat, Soulmate. (Brian Hooker/Facebook; obtained by INC News; Matthew Symons for INC News)
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 INC News)
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.
INC News 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.
INC News 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.
