The US Coast Guard has taken possession of the dinghy that vanished mom Lynette Hooker was reportedly using when she disappeared over two months ago in Bahamian waters during a vacation with her husband.
This week, the search intensified with the help of cadaver dogs and divers, focusing the investigation on her husband, Brian Hooker, as a person of interest.
The couple had been traveling in the small, open boat back to their sailboat, “Soulmate,” where they lived, when Lynette went missing in the water in early April.
Coast Guard personnel were observed loading the eight-foot dinghy onto a truck, planning to inspect it for any possible evidence.
While the boat was being transported, divers were deployed to a new section of the Sea of Abaco, according to a report by Fox 35.
The investigation into 55-year-old Lynette Hooker’s disappearance recently gained momentum after GPS data from her husband’s phone reportedly failed to match his account to detectives.
Brian Hooker, 59, was detained as a suspect after his wife plunged into the sea, but was released days later.
He has not been hit with any charges in relation to the chilling incident and claims he’s innocent, but remains a top suspect.
Lynette Hooker’s body still hasn’t been found.
Investigators secured clearance in May to search the “Soulmate” boat the couple lived and traveled on.
Law enforcement officials seized the sailboat from the Bahamas and docked it in Fort Pierce, Florida. They later moved it to Fort Lauderdale, according to Fox News.
Those close to the couple sounded the alarm that Brian Hooker was allegedly abusive toward his wife and disclosed that they had a turbulent relationship.
The Michigan couple’s longtime neighbor Jordan Plentz recently said she is hopeful that the Coast Guard will finally get some answers in the case, but is skeptical that Lynette Hooker drowned.
“I think something happened prior to that,” she told Jesse Weber Live.
“She was trying to get away from the domestic violence situation, so I hope that justice is served.”
