
Loading summary
Amy Roebuck
This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Chelsea Handler
This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea after the Big Game like most people, I kept thinking about the commercials and there was one that stayed with me. It was from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. And it wasn't loud or flashy. It showed a Jewish kid being targeted at school and another student who chose not to ignore it. As someone who was Jewish, that moment felt very real to me. Not dramatic, just familiar. And what struck me was how clearly it showed that hate doesn't always announce itself, but the impact is still huge. If you saw the Blue Square spot during the Big Game, it's worth thinking about. And if you want to show support, sharing the Blue Square is one small way to do that.
Geico Ad Narrator
Gigo presents a 30 second podcast between your podcast Today's story is shared by one of our listeners. It's called Betrayed by Bill. It was in that moment I caught who was staring back at me in betrayal or or more like what, my insurance bill. With trembling hands, I grabbed my phone and switched to geico, saving about $900 in the process and never to be betrayed again. Now that was bloody riveting.
Lowe's Ad Narrator
It feels good when the story ends with savings. It feels good to Geico Introducing Home Care Plus, a new subscription service from Lowe's that helps make life easier by giving members a hand with home maintenance. Let Lowe's tackle the tasks you keep meaning to do, like electric dryer, vent cleaning, replacing hard to reach light bul and more. Subscribe to Home Care plus for just $99 a year and consider your to do list done. Members get more at Lowe's. Available in select zip codes only. Cancel anytime. Non refundable fee Product purchase required terms and service restrictions apply. Details@lowe's.com Terms subject to change My perfect day has sand, salt water and friends, but my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis can take me out of the moment. Now I'm all in with clearer skin thanks to skyrizi risen Kizumab RZA, a prescription only 150mg injection for adults who are candid for systemic or phototherapy with Skyrizi. Most people saw 90% clearer skin and many were even 100% plaque free at four months. Skyrizi is just four doses a year after two starter doses.
Amy Roebuck
Don't use if allergic to Skyrizi. Serious allergic reactions, increased infections or lower ability to fight them may occur before treatment. Get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor about any flu like symptoms or vaccines.
Lowe's Ad Narrator
Thanks to Skyrizi, there's nothing on my skin. And that means everything is everything. Ask your doctor about Skyrizi, the number one dermatologist prescribed biologic in psoriasis. Visit skyrizi.com or call 1-866-Skyrizi to learn more.
TJ Holmes
Hey there folks, it is Thursday, April 9th and well, I guess we saw this one coming. Woman falls off a boat, goes missing. Husband comes back to shore, says my wife went overboard. And wouldn't you know that husband has now been arrested. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. This has been days and days of building. You hear the story, you hear the details and we all thought, yeah, this is a true crime story episode waiting to happen. And sure enough, here we are.
Amy Roebuck
Yes, this unfortunately wasn't too hard to see coming, especially when you have the daughter of the missing woman speaking out about her stepfather and getting very specific about her suspicions based on past behavior where she claims he had been violent towards his mother and even had threatened to throw her overboard. So yes, she went on a media campaign of sorts which honestly very commendable and brave of her. She just once her mom went missing, she actually showed and like let a lot of folks listen to this voicemail from her stepdad and said yeah, this I don't believe is an accident. And she actually called for the investigation that had taken place. And now yes, it looks like her stepfather is officially under arrest.
TJ Holmes
So we'll take you back here. What we talking about is Lynette Hooker. This is a 55 year old woman from Michigan who has been missing since last Saturday. And the story was that she had gone out with her husband Brian. They'd gone out in a dinghy, a eight foot dinghy. So a small boat but hard bottom boat. And this was a both of them experienced folks who are out there on the sea. They are experienced at doing this. So she goes missing, he comes back and claims she fell over some kind of way. She had the keys to this dinghy with her in her pocket. So the engine shuts off, he can't control it and he has to paddle his way back some hours later. And that's the story he told Robes when he got back. Everybody heard that story and immediately called bullshit on that story. But who didn't do so were authorities who took him at his word. And at least Robes publicly were saying this is a search and rescue operation and he was not a suspect.
Amy Roebuck
That's true. This all happened, think about it. We're now here on Thursday morning. This, this happened Saturday night. They took off at 7:30pm I believe by the time he paddled his way back to shore, it was around 4:00am on Sunday. So, yeah, we're talking four full days of, yes, searching for Lynette, who they still have not found somewhere in the Caribbean Sea, and saying that, yes, Brian was not a suspect, that they were not looking at him. He was not considered in any way a part of this investigation until now, where he has been officially arrested. And I. I have to think that this. This woman, Lynette's daughter, had to play a significant role. She filled in so many holes in this story, because if it weren't for her. What. What do they have to go on? You got a guy who claims something happened where there is no other version to compete with his.
TJ Holmes
But, babe, you can't arrest the guy just because the daughter is pissed. They must have something or know something. The. The daughter's suspicions or even. They could have had the most explosive, violent, volatile relationship leading up to this. And that is not evidence that he killed the woman. So I am. They have to have something, and I'm curious to know what it is, because they don't have her body. Craig. I've seen nowhere they have that.
Amy Roebuck
As of this recording, they do not have Lynette Hooker's body. We do have a statement, however, from Brian's attorney upon his arrest. So here is what he is claiming at this moment. I maintain the position stated by my client. He categorically denies the allegations and made against him. And he said that he had advised his client to refrain from any other public comments to ensure the integrity of the legal process. But we had just. We did a podcast on this yesterday, and we heard from Brian on Wednesday. He put out this heartfelt statement on social media talking about, you know, thanking all of the different Bahamian entities and organizations, Police, search and rescue, helping him find his Soulmate. That was the name of their yacht, by the way, that they were going back to. Their boat's name was Soulmate, and they had been documenting all of their travels on the high seas on social media. So they were very active and very public in their relationship and their journeys. So, yes, he put out the statement, basically just saying how much he missed her and what had happened. And apparently police weren't buying any of it, or at least it looks as though they aren't necessarily believing his version of what happened.
TJ Holmes
I was surprised, I have to tell you. I was surprised when you and I happened to be out. Alerts started coming through on our phones. I was surprised to hear that an arrest had been made now the announcement that they made robes and there were some. I don't know if there was much confusion, but they. The authorities weren't specific in who they arrested. They. But you could read between the lines here. But I think other outlets were able to confirm. But they would only say that a 50, what, nine year old American male.
Amy Roebuck
Yes.
TJ Holmes
Was arrested in connection.
Amy Roebuck
Yes. That was a little confusing at first because we thought how could there be another man around the same age of her husband involved in some way where he's arrested potentially for the murder or at least the disappearance of Lynette? Turns out, yes, in fact, it was her husband. He was claiming that he was heartbroken and he called it the recent boat accident. I just think, look, I don't know how they're going to go about proving this. They have the boat. If there are any forensics in that boat. That would be the only plausible explanation because short of having her body be recovered or what do you have? That's my point. You're. You make a good point. Her, her daughter may have really valid historical evidence that this or something similar to this or a threat of this existed, but that does not rise to the level of arresting somebody. You have to have some sort of other evidence connecting him to a crime. And right now all we know is what he told us, that she fell overboard in rough seas, that the current pulled the two of them away too far from one another. His boat was unable to move or operate because she had the keys and so he couldn't go get her or save her on the boat. And I don't know other like. And you've made the point. And her daughter did say this was a strong swimmer. Lynette knew how to swim. So the thought could be, did he have to kill her if he did before throwing her overboard? If that's what happened. And if that did happen, if. Is there any evidence of that on the boat?
TJ Holmes
Well, short of her body. If there has to be something on the boat, there has to be something he told somebody. There has to be. This has to be based on something to make this arrest. So I'm fascinated to hear what that thing may be. I was. I didn't know. The stepdaughter is one thing to behalf suspicions rose. But she described a pretty volatile relationship between these two involving alcohol and even some physically violent altercations between these two as she almost talked about it like it was just a part of their recent history.
Amy Roebuck
That is true. She said that they had been drinking lately and fighting a lot. And she even pointed out that there was a prior incident where he had she used the words choked her out, so had choked his her choked her mom and then threatened to throw her overboard. So she claimed. And she told police, she told members of the media that this was a couple who looked beautiful and happy and adventurous on Instagram and on their social media pages, I think mostly Facebook, but that actually if you knew the couple and you knew and you just dug a little deeper, there was a lot of toxicity, a lot of volatility. And she said the moment she heard her mother went missing off this boat, she was immediately suspicious.
TJ Holmes
Well, we did hear from the man who is now a suspect, the man who is now under arrest. Before he became officially a suspect, before he was put under arrest, he actually put a message out for all of us to hear about this case, about his soulmate, about his wife, about this accident. We'll tell you what he had to say word for word. And you know what? See what you make of it. Stay here.
Geico Ad Narrator
Geico presents a 30 second podcast between your podcast Today's story is shared by one of our listeners. It's called Betrayed by Bill. It was in that moment I caught who was staring back at me in betrayal or more like what my insurance bill. With trembling hands I grabbed my phone and switched to Geico, saving about $900 in the process and never to be betrayed again. Now that was bloody riveting.
Lowe's Ad Narrator
It feels good when the story ends with savings. It feels good to Geico. Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for Informational purposes only and is not an investment, recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comdisclosures hi, I'm
Amy Roebuck
Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but like, I never liked being told, oh, wow, you look so good for your age. Like, why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty. Beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningful beauty.com.
Bethenny Frankel
This is Bethenny Frankel from Just Be with Bethenny Frankel. Let me be blunt. Most dog food is junk. It just is. And I'm not feeding junk to Biggie and Smalls. That is why they eat just food for dogs. It's real, 100% human grade food with ingredients I actually recognize, not mystery pellets pretending to be healthy. And once I switched, the difference was obvious. Better digestion, better skin, more energy. Dogs who actually feel good instead of just surviving dinner. Here's the thing. You care about quality. You make an intentional choice to be healthy. So why are you gambling with your dog's health? So let's think about our furry babies. Go to justfood for dogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code. Just try it. Because once you see the difference, you're not going back.
TJ Holmes
All right, we continue here on Amy and TJ Robes. Brian, right? Brian Hooker.
Amy Roebuck
Brian Hooker.
TJ Holmes
Brian Hook is is his name. Look, he was speaking there. Were you. I think you saw the video as well. They were camera. I can't remember which I think was cbs. Maybe they caught up with him in the Bahamas. He didn't want to say anything to them, so didn't make any comment on camera. But he did make a comment on social media. Won't you know what? Not gonna give an opinion about it. We'll read you have it in front of you.
Amy Roebuck
I can pull it up in just a sec. Because also remember, we also got to hear that, like, we'll get into this too. He left a voice message for his stepdaughter, which also didn't feel in tone with what you would expect someone to leave a message for the daughter of your wife who has gone missing. But yes, I do have his official statement that he put out on social media as he was waiting for word about whether or not his Lynette would be found. He wrote this on Wednesday. I am Heartbroken over the recent boat accident and in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continued to search for her, and this is my sole focus. Our family is deeply grateful for the Bahamian people's assistance. He talks about the fire and rescue teams, the Bahamas police force, the Bahamas Defense Force, the U.S. coast Guard. He says everyone who's worked tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us. Thank you to everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and for your support of our family during this difficult time. That was just hours ago that he put this statement out. And now he is under arrest.
TJ Holmes
I don't know. Right. He's. This is an innocent man. Remember that. About our justice system. These. Excuse me. This is not our justice system.
Amy Roebuck
This is the Bahamian justice system.
TJ Holmes
Pump the brakes there, tj this is not our justice system. So will there be? I'm actually not sure. Robes, as I speak to you, I don't think it would be that much of a huge disparity between our two justice systems. But there has to be some level of evidence against this man. And right now all it is is a. Right now the evidence is. Come on, man. That's. That's the extent of this story. Like who you think you're kidding? Obviously that. But that doesn't hold up in court. What do they have. They must have something. This statement here, first line of it is just peculiar. Robes, how do you say. I'm heartbroken. The recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds. And high winds.
Amy Roebuck
It's just not how people talk. And if you just had gone through something that traumatic where he is claiming he saw his wife.
TJ Holmes
Oh, my God.
Amy Roebuck
Beloved. Fall off a boat in front of him. He could do nothing to save her. According to him, based on the conditions they were both in and the fact that he then lost power of the boat because she had the keys and the boat basically stopped operating when she fell into the water. I'm just thinking about how you would describe that. It wouldn't be clinical. And look, I guess I. I do wanna. And you always say this. Hold space for the fact that we don't know how we would react in a situation until it happens to us. But this just felt very clinical, very. Just strategic, where you're actually trying to lay a case about what happened that had nothing to do with you. But there's no Emotion there. It just feels very performative. I don't know. And then we heard the voicemail that he left his stepdaughter where he told her that your mom's missing, she fell out of the boat. And he. Basically the whole point of the voicemail was for him to establish that he tried to throw a life preserver to her and that they found the life preserver but they didn't find her and they didn't know if she ever got it or not. But he wanted to let her know he tried. It all felt allegedly.
TJ Holmes
Again, what you're saying makes perfect sense based on us seeing this movie time and time again. This story is so familiar to us all that it's bizarre that you almost can't even believe. Really, bro? You going with this again? And then you point it out to me. Well, you go with it because it's a he said, she said and she can't say anything at this point.
Amy Roebuck
She's not here to say anything. Yes.
TJ Holmes
So, but this, the story and the, the, the, the story he's telling. Robes and the words he's using. I leave space for how people might react to things. But you just witnessed your love float away from you and you're powerless to do anything about it. And the first thing out of your mouth is it was a recent boat accident.
Amy Roebuck
Strange.
TJ Holmes
In unpredictable seas and high winds. It's strange, okay, But I, I just, I always want to try to leave a little space. But every step along the way of this, including everything he has said, just continues to pile into that other been of. Yeah, yeah, seen this before.
Amy Roebuck
Exactly. And look, we will see what happens going forward because again, this is in the Bahamian jurisdiction, but you've got two U. S. Citizens. The U. S. State Department has only said this that they are aware of reports regarding a missing American near Elbow K and is working with Bahamian authorities to provide assistance. Obviously now with this arrest, I would think that the US Would take a larger role, but I don't know how this works exactly because, yeah, you've got two US citizens, one missing, presumed dead and one now arrested in connection with her disappearance. So I don't know if US authorities step in, take over. I don't know what happens next, but we shall see and it will be interesting and we of course will be following it for all of you, but we always appreciate you listening to us as always. I'm Amy Roebuck alongside TJ Holmes. We will talk to you soon.
Geico Ad Narrator
Geico presents a 30 second podcast between your podcast Today's story is shared by one of our listeners. It's called Betrayed by Bill. It was in that moment I caught who was staring back at me in betrayal or more like what, my insurance bill. With trembling hands, I grabbed my phone and switched to Geico, saving about $900 in the process and never to be betrayed again. Now that was bloody riveting.
Lowe's Ad Narrator
It feels good when the story ends with savings. It feels good to geico.
Amy Roebuck
At cvs, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit us@cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.
Bethenny Frankel
This is Bethenny Frankel from Just Be with Bethenny Frankel. Let me be blunt. Most dog food is junk. It just is. And I'm not feeding junk to Biggie and Smalls. That is why they eat just food for dogs. It's real, 100% human grade food with ingredients I actually recognize. Not mystery pellets pretending to be healthy. And once I switched, the difference was obvious. Better digestion, better skin, more energy. Dogs who actually feel good instead of just surviving dinner. Here's the thing. You care about quality. You make an intentional choice to be healthy. So why are you gambling with your dog's health? So let's think about our furry babies. Go to justfood for dogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code. Just try it. Because once you see the difference, you're not going back.
Amy Roebuck
Wasn't that delicious? So good.
TJ Holmes
Your bill, ladies.
Geico Ad Narrator
I got it.
Amy Roebuck
No, I got it. Seriously, I insist.
Bethenny Frankel
I insisted first.
Amy Roebuck
Don't be silly. You don't be silly.
TJ Holmes
People with the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card prefer to pay to pay because they earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
Amy Roebuck
Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it.
Bethenny Frankel
Rock, paper, scissors. Shoot.
Amy Roebuck
No.
TJ Holmes
The Wells Fargo ActiveCash credit card. Visit Wells Fargo. Com ActiveCash terms apply.
Amy Roebuck
This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Episode: Husbands Behaving Badly (Part 1): Brian Hooker Arrested In Connection With Wife Missing At Sea
Release Date: April 9, 2026
Hosts: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts
This episode centers on the arrest of Brian Hooker, who is suspected in the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker, off the coast of the Bahamas. Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes break down the timeline, discuss the media and legal dimensions, and examine the role Lynette’s daughter played in pushing for an investigation. The hosts provide context, analysis, and candid reactions to the twists and turns of the case, highlighting the familiar contours of a true crime narrative.
Immediate Suspicion & Advocacy
Credibility and Impact
“I have to think that this woman, Lynette's daughter, had to play a significant role.” —Amy (05:09)
Details of the Arrest
Skepticism & Forensics
The hosts debate what kind of evidence could be sufficient in the absence of a body: forensics on the boat, physical evidence, or confessions are posited as possibilities (08:36–10:18).
T.J. expresses skepticism that arresting someone based solely on a family member’s suspicions is possible:
“They must have something or know something...that is not evidence that he killed the woman.” —T.J. (06:10)
“She said that they had been drinking lately and fighting a lot...there was a prior incident where he had...choked her out...then threatened to throw her overboard.” —Amy (10:52)
Denial and Demeanor
“It's just not how people talk...it just felt very clinical, very...strategic, where you're actually trying to lay a case about what happened that had nothing to do with you” —Amy (18:22)
Voicemail to Stepdaughter
“The whole point of the voicemail was for him to establish that he tried to throw a life preserver to her and that they found the life preserver but they didn't find her and they didn't know if she ever got it or not.” —Amy (18:30)
General Reaction
“This story is so familiar to us all that it's bizarre that you almost can't even believe. Really, bro? You going with this again?” —T.J. (19:50)
The case falls under Bahamian jurisdiction, though both parties are U.S. citizens. The State Department is aware and providing support, but next steps are murky (21:04).
T.J. and Amy express uncertainty about how U.S. authorities might be involved going forward.
“I don't know how this works exactly because, yeah, you've got two US citizens, one missing, presumed dead and one now arrested in connection with her disappearance.” —Amy (21:04)
On the Daughter’s Advocacy
“She just once her mom went missing, she actually showed and like let a lot of folks listen to this voicemail from her stepdad and said yeah, this I don't believe is an accident.” —Amy (03:17)
On Public Statements and Authenticity
“It's just not how people talk. And if you just had gone through something that traumatic...it just felt very clinical, very...strategic...” —Amy (18:22)
On Familiar True Crime Patterns
“The story he's telling...every step along the way of this, including everything he has said, just continues to pile into that other bin of yeah, yeah, seen this before.” —T.J. (20:44)
On Legal Uncertainty
“I don't know if US authorities step in, take over. I don't know what happens next, but we shall see and it will be interesting and we of course will be following it for all of you.” —Amy (21:04)
Next Episode Preview:
The hosts promise continued coverage as new information emerges, particularly around the evidence supporting the arrest and international legal proceedings.