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Amy Robach
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Amy Robach
It is Sunday, April 12th and 58 year old Brian Hooker, the man who has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of his wife Lynette in the Bahamas, will be held by Bahamian officials until 7.20pm tomorrow on Monday. He must be charged by then or he will be be released. And with that, everyone, welcome to this edition of Amy and tj. We have learned from his attorney that Brian Hooker was interrogated for more than three hours on Friday. And his attorney believes at this point it is very likely that police will ultimately charge him with murder or something close to that effect. Something in connection with his wife's disappearance before that deadline.
T.J. Holmes
Like, is he using the word likely? Yes, his attorney is using the word likely.
Amy Robach
Facing murder charges.
T.J. Holmes
I mean, what else? We knew this is what was happening. We'll wait, and I guess the clock is ticking. We'll find out. This woman's been missing for a week now. So I guess we're going to find out tomorrow which way they're going to go. I guess it doesn't preclude them from bringing charges later, even if he's let go. So. But still, it's an important date.
Amy Robach
It is a huge date. And certainly all eyes have been on this investigation. And it's different. They obviously do things different, differently in the Bahamas because you wouldn't typically see or hear someone's defense attorney talk to press. The way this guy's doing it. Like, he gave us a lot of information about what the police were asking his client, how his client answered those questions. It's a little bit of a head scratcher. I can't imagine that would happen here in the United States.
T.J. Holmes
Well, it's a matter of it. I mean, he's defending this the only way he know how because his, his client right now is losing in the one place that it matters for the rest of the world, which is in the press, because it all looks bad. So that is where he is, I guess, right now holding trial is in the trial of public opinion.
Amy Robach
And that's a good point. He is trying to work the press in that sense because, yes, public opinion, as we know, has a huge impact in a lot of ways. And sometimes it's even influences what a DA decides to do, what a police department decides to do. And so here's what we learned from, from Hooker's attorney. He said that his client was asked specifically about the couple's relationship and their personal life. And we know there is a lot of history between Brian Hooker and Lynette Hooker. When you look at court documents and when you listen to Lynette Hooker's own daughter, she has said very often and repeatedly to many news outlets that this couple had a history of. Of, well, basically a toxic relationship.
T.J. Holmes
It does Not a murderer make still, that's just a part of what's the public opinion. That's a part of the trial this guy is going through right now before he's ever charged with anything. The entire. Everybody has an opinion about what they think and what looks bad. But right now, no matter what their relationship was in the past, and we should note, he is denying any involvement in her disappearance. But no matter what their relationship was in the past, it's, it's no evidence of him doing something wrong here. But yes, it will be a part of any investigation.
Amy Robach
And we heard, yes, from his attorney that police, yes, asked about the personal life, asked about the history of the couple, but specifically asked him questions. And this is a quote from the attorney in relation to causing harm which resulted in her death. And yes, he pointed out that his client denied it. And I'll, I'll. This is so interesting. I'll give you some of the quotes from the attorney about how his client answered those questions. He kept reiterating that I need to know what's happening. What is happening with the search of his wife. He was uncertain as to why they were questioning him about causing harm or possible murder when they had not given him any information where she is and if they had recovered her, but they have not recovered her body. And so is this the possible police ploy to kind of break him down? Because if he doesn't admit to causing her harm, what could the possible proof be? What, what could possibly be evidence for them to actually formally charge him with murder or something close to murder?
T.J. Holmes
Circumstantial as hell. I've seen it a lot lately. But there can be enough circumstantial evidence. What are there witnesses who saw him and his behavior in some way when he got back. The whole issue with the key, where was the key? Why they don't have a phone, why they didn't take phones with him. That doesn't make sense. And it's story that she is swimming off in another direction away from him. They're trying to piece this together. And who knows, does the boat contain some evidence of a struggle of any kind? Is there any blood in that? So, but other than that, who knows?
Amy Robach
And police have not given any indication that they have any specific evidence that points directly to some sort of act of murder or something, something that led to her death, led to her falling out of that boat. But his attorney said when it comes to Bahamian law, and this is much like the United States, that authorities have to establish intent and the act of murder to justify any charge. That's where it seems like, obviously, if they had that available to them, they would have charged him immediately. They arrested him on Wednesday, I believe, according Bahamian law, they had 48 hours to charge him. But if they wanted more time, they could add another 96 hours to that clock that was ticking. And it seems like they have maximized. They have been pushing this timeline as far as they possibly can to try and get that evidence. They need to charge him. Forget about even going to court. They just need it to actually charge him.
T.J. Holmes
Oh, yeah, they might not get there. Well, this is a. No matter what, this. This is still. This is an innocent guy who. No matter how many true crime shows we have seen, none of those mean that this story didn't happen exactly the way the guy said it happened. The reason there's a question is because that sounds suspicious. But then the woman's own daughter is talking about. She is the one who is suspicious. The guy's friend is talking about. He is the one who's suspicious. So they will make you listen. It doesn't mean they're right. It doesn't mean he's guilty of anything. But this is one of those media fascinations, Robes.
Amy Robach
It's a media fascination and there's a legal fascination as well, I think, on. On the other side of this. Because, yes, you point this out if it seems like obviously he would be a likely suspect. His story doesn't make a lot of sense to folks who know the weather and the water and boating and how his version of events doesn't really make a lot of sense. So there's like, the common sense aspect of it. But then his friend, his stepdaughter, there. I haven't heard one person come out and say, Brian Hooker would never do this to his wife. He loved his wife. Yes, they might have fought in. Yes, they might have had some issues in the past, but this was a couple who deeply loved each other. He would never do that. Have you heard anyone come to Brian Hooker's defense or at least just in defense of his character at this point?
T.J. Holmes
His attorney hasn't even done that, to be honest with you. So. And again, he could be. It doesn't soften at least as we're learning about this couple, Nothing that has been said has softened your impression that you have gotten based on the facts that we have so far. And none of those facts condemn this man or prove any crime. But ropes, they just add up to things that don't make sense. I think his friend was the one who Was best at listing all of these things. And I even thought, wait, I didn't think about that. That doesn't make sense. Oh wait, I didn't think about the key that he said his wife had in her pocket when she went overboard. The key always stays in the ignition of every boat I've ever been on.
Amy Robach
And so to hear his friend say what he felt was the most likely situation in which she would have ended up with the key in the water is a desperate attempt to try and either stay on the boat or to stop him from leaving her by grabbing the key. This is a woman who knew boats, who knew how to swim, who knew how to survive in aquatic locations. So she might have had the sense in that moment where she is fighting for her life. If that is what ended up happening, if there was a scuffle on the boat to grab that key, she might have thought that was a way for her to prevent him from leaving and perhaps from her to actually be able to survive this thing in the water.
T.J. Holmes
Didn't think about that. Oh yeah, by the way, you hear somebody off, off on the water, you're like, wow. He, I know it gets dark out there. Actually it wasn't dark yet. They still, it was not pitch black in the middle of the night when this took place. This woman also, they had a boat, another one they were trying to get to. If she falls immediately out of an eight foot dinghy that's right there next to her, why is she swimming off in another direction? Which is what he told his friend she did. She went swim. Wait, she went swimming towards the sailboat away from the dinghy. She just fell out where there's her husband who could help her back into it.
Amy Robach
And so the only way that makes sense is if she was afraid of her husband, if she was afraid of what would happen to her if she got back into that dinghy. So if it is true what he told his friend in the hours after that initial when she disappeared, if she really was swimming towards the boat, that would mean she was swimming away from him. That would not make sense unless you wanted to get away from him.
T.J. Holmes
None of these things a guilty man makes, but they just don't make sense. And when you have friends, when you have family raising questions, when you have them telling stories about an explosive or even sometimes in the past has been a documented violent relationship at times between these two, then you pay attention, you listen and I guess tomorrow, 7 o' clock and all important time to see where this case goes.
Amy Robach
That's right. But when we come back, we're going to tell you. We mentioned that we haven't heard someone come out and vehemently stand by Brian Hooker or say, this is a guy who would never do this. But what we do have if you've been following this case closely, some of his friends posted recordings of a phone call they said they had with him the day after his wife went missing. Will tell you what they claim Brian Hooker said about what happened the that night.
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It feels good when the story ends with savings. It feels good to Geico.
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Amy Robach
Welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ where we continue to follow the latest developments on the investigation into 58 year old Brian Hooker. He is being held in connection with his wife's disappearance. 55 year old Lynette, she according to him fell off a dinghy near sunset as they were making their way back to to a sailboat. They are both skilled on the water, skilled in boating and she was apparently an excellent swimmer. She has not been found and police are now and have just interrogated Brian Hooker for more than three hours according to his attorney. But they must charge him by 7:20pm Tomorrow, Monday evening or he will be let go. Now, friends of Brian posted to YouTube a phone call they say they had with him. And in that phone call you hear the man who they say is Brian Hooker talk about his wife and say this is a quote. She basically just bounced off the dinghy amid winds around 20 miles per hour. He said we weren't wearing life jackets. It was sundown. The sun set basically 10 minutes after she fell over. And that's questionable because if it was still light, it's there are so many questions. If he could paddle to shore, why couldn't he paddle towards her?
T.J. Holmes
Okay, the, the argument is that they got separated, right? The current carried her off some direction. That is his story. He is so far sticking to it.
Amy Robach
So he said the winds blew us apart so fast. I think she tried to swim back to the sailboat. So he did also say that same story to his friends back to our sailboat which was probably a thousand yards away. I had no idea they were that close to their boat because the description was that they were leaving a port that they had obviously gone to for the day and were taking the dinghy back to their sailboat. I didn't realize they were so close to their sailboat. But again, why would she swim towards the sailboat versus towards the dinghy?
T.J. Holmes
Wait, he, he's saying what?
Amy Robach
In the voicemail he says, I think she tried to Swim back to the sailboat, I think. Which was probably, I don't know, a thousand yards away or something. But the waves were three foot, I think he said.
T.J. Holmes
Yep, I think so. That's what he thought.
Julian Edelman
Where did he go?
T.J. Holmes
Didn't he go back to shore in the dingy?
Amy Robach
He did. Why would he not have gone back to.
T.J. Holmes
If you're thinking she, like she. Isn't that the closer place to the shore than the shore?
Amy Robach
Maybe I would.
T.J. Holmes
This makes zero sense.
Amy Robach
This is why it's so.
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T.J. Holmes
No, this doesn't make sense.
Amy Robach
He said that there was a cascade of failures and it's something I'm never going to forgive myself for. He said one of the failures was that one of his oars broke. He had anchoring issues and had no flares. So he's saying he didn't have any of the tools that would have helped him get to his wife. He said that he yelled for her, that he threw out a flotation cushion, but he couldn't tell if he. If she was able to grab it or not. Again, if the sun had not set yet. The sun hadn't set for 10 minutes. In those 10 minutes, you couldn't see whether or not your wife got the flotation device. Nothing he says makes sense.
T.J. Holmes
Three foot. Wait now. A three foot wave. I'm trying to understand. You can't see something right next to you of a wave. He said three feet. He didn't say 30.
Amy Robach
He said three. Three foot waves.
T.J. Holmes
Okay, look, this is making less and less sense. And a cascade of failures, robes, all those things just happen to go wrong when this other thing that likely didn't happen happen. There's a cascade of like. That's too many coincidences.
Amy Robach
It's like everything had to go wrong. And we're talking multiple. Multiple things had to go wrong for his story to add up.
T.J. Holmes
100, a thousand feet distance. Then we'll meet back at the boat. A thousand feet is hard to swim, no matter what. I'm not taking that away. But Rose, what we're talking about doesn't make any sense.
Amy Robach
He claims that he had an anchor failure. Why is he focusing on anchoring his boat? He said by the time he got the anchor set, he ended up about a quarter to a half mile away
T.J. Holmes
from her with a dinghy.
Amy Robach
And then the. And then the tide carried him out. What?
T.J. Holmes
Okay, look, I don't pretend to understand all this, but Rose, it just. Yes, okay, fine. We are not all master boaters. Seamen. Fine. But I. Common sense. We've Been on a boat before. We. Excuse me. Let's call it what it is. This was a small raft type situation. She didn't fall overboard from some big yacht. You're right next to me in this little dinghy. I watch you go right overboard in this little dinghy. I have a moment to get. I have a moment to react before you're so far away I can't even see you is what he is arguing. He's not saying he took his back was turned. He didn't realize she had gone overboard. His that makes less and less. You're telling me in a split second you couldn't see her and this is
Amy Robach
why he was interrogated for more than three hours. It is the reason why he is under arrest. And we shall see if police can put enough things together to make enough sense to get a murder charge, which again, his lawyer is saying is likely to happen tomorrow. This is a fascinating story. Apparently, according to his attorney, he was crying, he was emotional, he was distressed during the entire interrogation. But we'll see what his demeanor is if and when police do end up charging him with murder.
T.J. Holmes
I want to leave room robes because I want to leave room for this being a completely innocent guy and this is an awful, awful thing that happened to him. But it's okay. At the same time, look, he's, he's in custody. It's not us questioning his story, it's authorities doing so.
Amy Robach
That is correct. And we will continue to follow any new developments, but there were several over the past couple of days we wanted to catch you up on before this deadline approaches tomorrow, Monday, 7:20pm Eastern Time. And with that, everyone, thank you so much for listening to us. We always appreciate you. I'm Amy Robach alongside T.J. holmes. We will talk to you soon.
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Julian Edelman
It feels good when the story ends with savings. It feels good to Geico.
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Julian Edelman
Always good.
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Amy Robach
Guaranteed human.
In this episode, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes explore the latest developments in the case of Brian Hooker, a 58-year-old man held in the Bahamas after the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker, 55. As the authorities approach a critical deadline to officially charge Hooker or release him, Amy and T.J. discuss the contradictory details, key facts from the investigation, and the role of public opinion. The conversation delves into legal procedures in the Bahamas, family dynamics, and the puzzling aspects of Brian Hooker’s story.
Amy Robach:
T.J. Holmes:
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes meticulously dissect the puzzling case of Lynette Hooker's disappearance, exploring legal intricacies, public and familial suspicion, and the many unanswered questions surrounding Brian Hooker’s account. As the Bahamian authorities’ charging deadline nears, the hosts convey skepticism about Hooker’s story while maintaining the importance of presumption of innocence. With no conclusive evidence released yet, the episode closes on anticipation of whether a murder charge is imminent and the hope for clarity in what remains a haunting and mysterious saga.