← Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Loading summary
Transcript105 lines
- [00:00]
Nancy Grace
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human
- [00:06]
Brian Hooker
what happened to her on April 17, the year scariest movie arrives.
- [00:13]
Nancy Grace
Let the mummification ritual begin.
- [00:16]
Brian Hooker
Audiences are calling Lee Cronin's the Mummy glorious. Edge of your seat horror terrifying from beginning to end.
- [00:23]
Sydney Silvani
I really miss being a part of
- [00:25]
Brian Hooker
the family and an insanely scary ride. Lee Cronin's The Mummy only in theaters April 17. Rated R under 17 uninmitted without parent
- [00:37]
Public Podcast Sponsor / Advertiser
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 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 information purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available@public.comDisclosures Do you want to find a stress free way to buy your next car? Start at CarMax and shop your way. If you want to browse with confidence, get pre qualified online with no impact on your credit score and shop cars within your budget. From luxury cars to family rides, CarMax has options for almost every price range, including more than 25,000 cars priced under $25,000. So hey, want to get started? Just head to CarMax.com for details and get pre qualified today. Want to drive CarMax?
- [02:10]
Randy Kessler
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying.
- [02:18]
Brian Hooker
It's not just for celebrities, so do
- [02:20]
Randy Kessler
like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants. Switch you to Mint Mobile today.
- [02:25]
Brian Hooker
I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com
- [02:28]
Coldwater Creek Advertiser
Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to DOL per month required. Intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full terms@mintmobile.com Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.
- [02:48]
Nancy Grace
A gorgeous young Michigan mother, Lynette Hooker, falls overboard in the Bahamas. According to her husband who managed to paddle ashore to safety. Tonight, the search for Lynette underway. Good evening, I'm Nancy Grace. This is CRIME stories. I want to thank you for being with us.
- [03:09]
Public Podcast Sponsor / Advertiser
Lynette Hooker, a mom from Michigan, spent her days sailing the open seas with her husband aboard their yacht. What was meant to be a relaxing trip to the Bahamas quickly turns into a fight for survival.
- [03:21]
Nancy Grace
This gorgeous young mom, Lynette Hooker, falls overboard on a romantic trip to the Bahamas with her husband. How do we know that that's what her husband says? Straight out to Melissa Andrews joining us, crime and investigative anchor WTOL 11. Melissa, thank you for being with us. What happened?
- [03:43]
Melissa Andrews
So Brian and Lynette were out to dinner on Saturday night and they had used this dinghy boat, this eight foot dinghy, to leave the yacht to go to that dinner. Brian said that on the way back from dinner to the yacht on the dinghy that they experienced some rough weather and that as we establish, Lynette was wearing this key to the dinghy and she fell off the boat. He said when she did that, he was unable to reach her. So he spent several hours paddling this dinghy back to shore where he then reported her missing to the local police around 4 o' clock on Sunday morning. So after Lynette was reported missing, we're told by Bahamian police that they immediately began to search for her in the air and in the water and spe 6 hours looking for her on Sunday and they were not able to find her in the water or anywhere else.
- [04:41]
Nancy Grace
So the search goes on for missing mom, Lynette Hooker, who falls overboard on the trip to the Bahamas. This is what her daughter says.
- [04:51]
Carly Ellsworth
For one, I don't understand how she got the key. Brian's always driving, so he basically is in charge of the key. So the fact that my mom had it doesn't make any sense. It just doesn't add up why she was swimming away from the boat or why she had the keys. I have known past issues between them have not been good. From what I've heard from my grandma, their relationship has been a lot of fighting and drinking lately. So I'm just kind of questioning what actually went on in that dinghy.
- [05:26]
Nancy Grace
Curly Islesworth speaking out that from our friends at CBS, NBC and 13 on your side. Straight out to Sydney Silvani joining us, crime stories, investigative reporter. The search is ongoing, but I hear what Melissa Andrews is saying, but I want to break it down bit by bit what we know about the timeline. Start at the beginning.
- [05:52]
Sydney Silvani
Sidney Hookers were eating dinner in Hopetown. And this is a small island in a group of islands in the Bahamas. So their dinghy is located in Hopetown. And their yacht, the Soulmate, is moored in elbow Cay, about two and a half miles away. So the couple finishes dinner, it's about 7:30. They hop in their eight foot motorized dinghy and they are heading back to the Soulmate to turn in for the night in Elbow Cay. Now, somewhere between Hopetown and Elbow Cay, Brian Hooker claims Lynette went overboard with the kill switch lanyard and this.
- [06:34]
Nancy Grace
Hold on, wait, Sid, I want to establish what? I want to establish something. You just said they had left the restaurant. They were on the dinghy, not a yacht. On the dinghy that is attached to the yacht and they were heading back to where they were staying for the evening, right?
- [06:55]
Sydney Silvani
Yes. So they sleep on the boat. They live on their yacht, the Soulmate. So they use the dinghy to get around short distances from where they moor the yacht. So they frequently run to do laundry or run to do groceries from the mainland, leaving the yacht moored in a larger bay.
- [07:18]
Nancy Grace
Can anyone at the restaurant establish what the husband is now saying? Has that been confirmed? They did go to the restaurant, they did have dinner. They did get onto the dinghy. That had to be observed from the pier, the boat ramp. It takes a while to unhook, untie the dinghy, get on the dinghy from the pier and then take off. The dinghy is motorized. They're not having to row. Can that be confirmed? I guarantee you, Sydney, that there are security cams along that pier to guard boats that are in the marina. So can we confirm they really went to dinner?
- [08:01]
Sydney Silvani
All of those details are extremely fuzzy. Carly herself is having a hard time getting any answers from Bahamian police. And these are all details that we just don't know yet.
- [08:12]
Nancy Grace
Wow. Okay, so still trying to establish that they were at dinner. So let's suspend any disbelief and go with the theory. They went to a restaurant, then they left. Okay, Sydney, the time. The time they leave, the rest. Is that in the timeline?
- [08:29]
Sydney Silvani
At 7:30pm on Saturday.
- [08:32]
Nancy Grace
Okay. They leave the restaurant, they go to the pier, they get in the dinghy and then they take off. I know this is dissecting it into very small Bits of time, but. Randy Kessler, veteran trial lawyer, joining us, Isn't that what you do when you're trying to establish a timeline?
- [08:52]
Randy Kessler
Yes, that's what you try to do when you're prosecuting a case is you establish a timeline trying to lead towards guilt. I try to establish a timeline that contradicts that. Nancy, there's so many alternative potential explanations for this situation that I cannot imagine they're going to get a successful prosecution. I just don't understand. This is all innuendo, all circumstantial, all. Well, he usually drives. There's no eyewitness to who was driving that night. Well, he's had some issues in the past. There's no evidence whatsoever that he did anything wrong this time around. Well, he would have seen her, you know, over the boat. Well, it was dark and maybe he didn't see her. I mean, you can't convict somebody on all of this potential innuendo and timelines. So, yes, you do try to establish a timeline. That's not conviction worthy, in my opinion.
- [09:42]
Nancy Grace
Methinks thou doth protest too much. In the immortal words of the Bard, nobody asked you to leap forward to a jury trial. I, I just asked you if you have to go minute by minute establishing a timeline. Oh, my. That was telling.
- [10:01]
Randy Kessler
Yeah. I do try to get ahead of the game.
- [10:03]
Nancy Grace
I say, how do you establish a timeline? You go, he didn't do it.
- [10:06]
Randy Kessler
Nancy, we've been together a long time. I know where you're headed. I just don't want you to get there.
- [10:11]
Nancy Grace
So establishing a timeline, repeat. At the risk of repeating myself, you have to parse minute by minute to create a timeline. Yes. No, Maybe I should stick with cross examination questions with you, Randy Kessler. Yes. No.
- [10:27]
Randy Kessler
Yes. But I do have the opportunity to explain my answer on cross examination and the explanation would be, yes, I want you to put together a timeline. But every minute of that gives me a chance to undo it or to find a hole in it or pick it apart. Yes, you need a timeline. And it better be airtight.
- [10:43]
Nancy Grace
Guys, 7:30pm Saturday night, the husband says they leave the restaurant there at the end to head back across the body of water to get to their yacht where they live aboard. Now we're also learning to Melissa Andrews joining us WTOL 11. The husband says she was not wearing a PFD personal flotation device.
- [11:09]
Melissa Andrews
Yeah, that's right. And I think that's really, Nancy, why a lot of people are questioning his story and have questioned his story because why would she not be wearing a personal flotation device or a life vest out in the open ocean, especially when Brian said at the time those waters were rough.
- [11:29]
Nancy Grace
I mean, I wouldn't get into a dinghy at night on rough water without a flotation device, without a safety vest, a life vest, myself, much less. I wouldn't let my husband do it even if he wanted to, or my children. So if she didn't have on a life vest, why didn't he insist? I'm just very curious because Melissa Andrews, they were both veteran boaters. They have boated, they have dived all over the world. And you know you have to wear your life vest when you're out on the open sea.
- [12:09]
Melissa Andrews
Yeah, absolutely. And maybe the argument could be made that they were so experienced that they felt they didn't need to wear those. I mean, part of Brian's story is that he did throw her some sort of flotation device that ended up coming to the surface later.
- [12:24]
Nancy Grace
Hopetown Fire and Rescue still searching for Lynette. What more do we know? Sydney Silvani joining us from crime stories about what the husband says happened that night.
- [12:38]
Sydney Silvani
Well, from there, after Lynette goes overboard, allegedly, Brian claims that she was quickly swept out of his sight. He couldn't even tell if she received the flotation vise he tried to throw to her. From there, he claims he's now stuck in this dead dinghy and the currents. He's trying to fight the wind. He's trying to make it back to shore where he last saw Lynette swimming. But Hooker washes all the way across to Marsh harbor, and that's across what they call the Sea of Abaco or the Abaco Sound. So Hooker is stuck in the water for a very, very long time and he doesn't beach until nearly 4am Sunday morning.
- [13:25]
Nancy Grace
So from 7:30pm to 4am he is paddling to safety, is that right?
- [13:35]
Sydney Silvani
That's what he claims. So Lynette is not reported missing for hours.
- [13:40]
Nancy Grace
So how long did it take him, Brian Hooker, the husband, to contact Lynette's daughter?
- [13:47]
Sydney Silvani
It takes hooker almost 24 hours to reach out to Lynette's daughter and let her know what's going on. And according to Carly, he was cool as a cucumber on that phone call.
- [13:59]
Nancy Grace
Cool as a cucumber on the phone call. Karen Stark joining us, renowned TV radio trauma expert, psychologist, forensic psychologist and consultant Karen Stark. Cool as a Cucumber. He had 24 hours to get calmed down.
- [14:16]
Karen Stark
Nancy, There's a lot of suspicion here. He was cool as a cucumber. And I also learned that he had written on social media, so think about your wife is missing. He referred to her in the past tense. And instead of collapsing, he's composing something for social media that makes him look good about how he's heartbroken. I mean, in the middle of all of this chaos and horrible news, he's composing something. There's a lot that. I mean, he was a Marine, so you would think it's his wife. He didn't jump into the water. He said he saw her swimming towards shore, which means he did see her. So he didn't jump in and go after her. He had training. He could have done that. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. His story and how he behaved, his behavior is very telling. That coldness that we always talk about, the flat affect.
- [15:26]
The RealReal Advertiser
So you're running out of closet space. The good news? You don't need to stop shopping. You just need to start selling with the real real. The realreal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. Whether it's that mini bag that can't even fit your phone or those boots you never fully broke in, the RealReal handles everything from photography and copywriting to shipping and pricing. So you can just sit back, get paid and make room for things that actually feel like you. And with 10,000 new arrivals every single day from top designers like Prada, Celine, Louis Vuitton and Loewe all for up to 90% off retail, you're bound to find something perfectly on brand to fill that extra closet space with. Plus right now you can get an extra $100 to shop when you sell for the first time. Make room for what feels like you go to therealreal.com to start selling and get your extra hundred dollars to keep shopping@thereal.com that's therealreal.com terms apply.
- [16:26]
Public Podcast Sponsor / Advertiser
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@public.com disclosures you already take Magnesium Smart move.
- [17:30]
Solaray Magnesium Advertiser
But here's the thing. Not all mag gly is created equal. Solaray's Magnesium Glycinate is fully chelated, never blended or buffered. That means it's actually designed for optimal absorption and gentle digestion. If you're ready to upgrade your muscle, bone and relaxation support, choose a quality mag glide that's perfectly chelated for ultimate absorption. Shop Solaray Magnesium glycinate on solaray.com these statements have not been evaluated by the and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
- [17:57]
Coldwater Creek Advertiser
You know what quality feels like. You can see it in the way a fabric moves, recognize it in a flawless fit and appreciate it in the details that make our styles unique. It's the standard Coldwater Creek has honored for over 40 years, derived from a rich Mountain west heritage and designed for today in styles that are distinctively Coldwater Creek. For a wardrobe you can count on season after season, visit coldwatercreek.com, shop new arrivals and save 15% on purchases. $75 or more with code iheart crime
- [18:29]
Nancy Grace
stories with Nancy Grace. Let me understand Melissa Andrews joining us from WTOL 11. This trip to the Bahamas was part of a it was just one leg of a four year live Aboard experience. Is that right?
- [18:49]
Melissa Andrews
Yeah, that's exactly right. From from what I've been able to gather, this couple was described to me as nomadic. They really enjoyed this boating scene. They were documenting it on social media. I'm told that they bought this soulmate yacht, this sailboat in 2022 in Texas and originally started their journey around there. Then they went to Florida and boated around again documenting this and were in the Bahamas for the last month or two.
- [19:18]
Carly Ellsworth
We're pretty distraught that this is even happening. Still in shock. Like it's just surreal. He said that my mom's missing and that she fell out of the boat and that he threw a life jacket to her or something and he doesn't know if she got it or not. But then he paddled the shore and then he called for help. I was just sitting there in shock because I couldn't imagine this actually happening to her. I just hope we find her. I don't want to go forever, just not ever finding her again.
- [19:59]
Nancy Grace
Oh, my stars. The daughter Carly's flat affect. She looks like she's just completely, completely disassociated from what's happening in shock. That's where our friends at 13 News and NBC. I want you to hear the voicemail husband Brian Hooker left for the daughter. A voicemail.
- [20:22]
Brian Hooker
Hello, Honey, I just got call from Booktown Search and Rescue, and I found a flotation device that I threw to mom when she fell overboard. They haven't found her yet.
- [20:33]
Nancy Grace
Okay, I want to hear that one more time, guys. This is the voicemail husband Brian Hooker leaves for daughter.
- [20:43]
Brian Hooker
Hello, Honey, I just got call from folks search and rescue and they found a flotation device that I threw to mom when she fell overboard. They haven't found her yet.
- [20:55]
Nancy Grace
That from our friends at cbs. Why would you leave that in a voicemail? That's just hindsight. To Sydney Silvani. What is the status of the search for Lynette now?
- [21:07]
Sydney Silvani
Well, Bahamian police have turned this from a search and rescue effort to a search and recover effort. They do not believe four days later that Lynette could possibly still be alive if she did go overboard into the water. Land searches are a different story. There's possibility that Lynette did make it to shore, and whatever happened in that dinghy has led her to stay hidden.
- [21:34]
Nancy Grace
Sydney, as the search seemingly turns to a recovery effort, I'm very concerned about some physical evidence, and I'm referring to the AIs tracking system on the boat.
- [21:50]
Carly Ellsworth
Listen, they have an AIs tracking system of the boat. And apparently he was on the boat in while he was paddling to shore.
- [22:03]
Nancy Grace
So, from our friends at Fox and Friends. Okay, what does that mean, an AS tracking system on the boat? And it shows, reportedly he was on the boat when he says he was paddling to shore.
- [22:20]
Sydney Silvani
Nancy, It's a. It's a system that's designed for smaller vessels so that when they're traveling in water, larger vessels, cargo ships, can see them. And this can even be put on smaller vess like the dinghy or a jet ski or something of that manner, so that an individual, if they are not on a ship, can also be seen by other people in the area. It uses radio waves, so it's unclear if it could show if somebody was or was not on a ship, but it can show if that ship is moving.
- [23:01]
Matt Baker
AIs system allows vessels of all sizes to exchange navigation and identification information with each other. When connected to something like your chart plotter or your radar, the AIs 700 allows you to see the name, course, speed, and position of other AIs equipped vessels right on your screen. As a class B device, the AIs 700 not only receives AIs information from other vessels, but it broadcasts your boat's information, too. This helps to ensure other vessels out there are aware of your location and identification.
- [23:35]
Nancy Grace
That from Raymarine on YouTube. So let me understand. Randy Kessler. The daughter, Carly Ellsworth, is stating that there is an AIs tracking system on the dinghy.
- [23:48]
Randy Kessler
You know, technology can be faulty. I don't know what the technology shows yet. All we've heard is hearsay from the victim's stepdaughter and what she heard from somebody else. So once it's all vetted and fleshed out, that may be the proverbial nail in the coffin or the. The smoking gun that so far doesn't exist.
- [24:09]
Nancy Grace
So let me think, Randy, you've had to deal with similar problems like this in many of the cases that you have handled as a defense lawyer. Guys, by the way, just as a formal introduction, Randy Kessler is a veteran trial lawyer. He is a professor at Emory Law School, former chair of the ABA Family Law Section, and he is the author of Divorce Protect Yourself, your kids, and your future. You can find him@ksffamilylaw.com. how would you attack the AIs system that is on his yacht, Soulmate?
- [24:52]
Randy Kessler
First thing I would do is hire somebody much smarter than me that understands this technology and can point out to me all the flaws and all the potential pitfalls. And then after that, I would say, are we going to trust some technology that is, you know, weird science? And, you know, unfortunately, the rest of the story makes a jury want to buy in, I think, because everyone wants a drama like this. Everyone wants to know this guy who seems to have been abusive in his past, and there are allegations that he's choked his other child and he's, you know, hurt his wife and threatened to throw her off the boat. That's not enough to convict, but this piece of technology evidence scares me as a defense lawyer, because that could be what the jury needs to be able to say, okay, now there's some proof, because except for that, there's no proof. So I check out the technology. I'd have an expert that's well versed in it somebody who's equally competent as the state's best expert to go to battle. But I'd have to see what they say and what they tell me before I can even develop a strategy. It would scare me as a defense lawyer. Absolutely.
- [25:53]
Nancy Grace
You mentioned allegations of prior choking. Well, you opened the door. You brought it up. And now I'm stepping across the threshold.
- [26:05]
Carly Ellsworth
Listen, there's history of him choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard. So the fact that this is actually happening makes me believe there's more to the story. I've seen him choke out one of his daughters before, and we had to go to court for that, and I was only in third grade, so he's just repeating patterns.
- [26:32]
Nancy Grace
That is Carly Ellsworth. That is Lynette's biological daughter from our friends over at Fox and Friends. Yeah, that's your worst nightmare. Randy Kessler.
- [26:46]
Randy Kessler
Right. That opens the door. Without that, they're not looking at him as carefully. They're thinking it's a loving couple that are living this dream life, boating across the world, and all of a sudden, there's trouble in paradise. And you've got somebody who's very credible. I mean, she lived with this guy since she was 4 years old. He helped raise her. Why would she turn against him? It's the only living parent figure, you know, that she's lived with, with left. She's got something to say bad about him. They're going to listen very carefully because she's got. Unfortunately for him, she's got a lot of credibility. So her pointing them in the right direction is a good start for the prosecution. It's not enough to convict him, but this new technology that may place him at the boat when he says he was on the dinghy boy. Now all of a sudden, the conviction prospects are a lot worse for him than they were until we knew about this technology. Or if he didn't have this history of violence towards her, towards his wife, and towards others,
- [27:42]
Sydney Silvani
success.
- [27:43]
Brian Hooker
All right, we got the grub. Got groceries delivery. It's a way of life, man.
- [27:50]
Nancy Grace
That is from the sailing hookers on YouTube. And that is just the picture that a veteran defense attorney like Randy Kessler would want to paint. Agree, Randy?
- [28:04]
Randy Kessler
Absolutely. It's the dream come true. Why would he not want that life to continue? It's not like she's replaceable with somebody else who'll just hop on a boat and travel the world with him. Seems like he had the idyllic lifestyle. Why would you point the finger at him? He's the victim. He's suffering. He's lost his partner, his partner in this beautiful life. And now he's got to defend himself and tell the world that he didn't do it. Ladies and gentlemen, let this man go more and more privately. Don't try to convict him of something he didn't do.
- [28:32]
Nancy Grace
Something really stinks. Oh, I think it's you. Did you just say he's the victim?
- [28:38]
Randy Kessler
That he is a victim? Absolutely. He lost his wife. He lost not just his light, his wife, his partner of 20 something years, his boating partner, his world partner, his life partner. He's absolutely a victim. Until he's found guilty of murder. He's not a. He's. He's not guilty of anything.
- [28:58]
Brian Hooker
Right.
- [28:58]
Randy Kessler
He's innocent to proven guilty and he certainly has suffered a loss.
- [29:02]
Nancy Grace
I'm pretty sure that regardless the outcome, that most people consider her to be the victim since she's the one missing. And it's turned into a search and recovery. Okay. They're no longer looking for her swimming in the water. They're trying to find her dead body. I would think, call me crazy, that she's the victim. So now you've left me in a conundrum. Believe him or the AIs? Him or the radar. Hmm. I'll think about that. Straight out to special guest joining us, Ben Dobrin, emergency response diving instructor, dive instructor, trainer, police diver and emergency services diver. Ben Dobrin, thank you for being with us. Initial thoughts about what happened to Lynette? My initial thought is if he could paddle to shore, why didn't he paddle to her and save her?
- [30:07]
Brian Hooker
That's my exact thought. I was talking about it with a friend today and I read his account is that she started swimming and he started paddling. And why didn't they swim? Why didn't they meet together in the middle? If he could paddle to shore, he could paddle to her. My other question is the daughter has said that Brian is the one who usually operates the boat. Why was the kill switch lanyard on her? The kill switch lanyard is a very short piece of, you know, string or rope or whatever that is usually attached to the operator of the vessel so that if the operator fall overboard, the boat would stop. Daughter says that he always is the one who operates the boat. There's no reason that she had the kill switch lanyard and went into the water. So that didn't make sense to me at all. Looking at pictures of the little dinghy. It's tiny. You're not going to not know somebody went overboard. You're Going to know they went overboard. But even if she was driving for some reason, he could have paddled back to her. If she fell off that. The. The motor. Looking at the motor, I don't know how many horsepower, but it's not big. It's not a fast boat. He's not gonna. Once that kill switch lanyard got pulled, he might have gone 10, 15, 20ft and been able to paddle. If he did that long distance paddle to shore, he could have paddled back to her 10 or 15ft. And if he said she was swimming towards shore, that means she was conscious and awake and ability to swim. She could have very easily swum that little distance back to the boat. Even if he couldn't have paddled to her for some reason, she could have swum that distance back to the boat. It's not. It doesn't make sense, the story that he's giving. I'm not. It doesn't make sense.
- [31:49]
Nancy Grace
Okay? I'm trying to take in everything you're telling me, Ben. Look, I'm just a trial lawyer. Yes, I know how to dive. I've dived all over the world. But you're giving me so much information, it's hard to take in. Let me just start at the beginning and please bear with these rudimentary questions. Kill switch. Kill switch. What is that?
- [32:09]
Brian Hooker
There is like if you've ever rented a jet ski or been on a jet ski, there is a little, little switch that you put in to make sure that it runs. And then as soon as you fall overboard, you pull it and kill the switch. So on small boats, there's this safety feature, and you attach it to yourself. Like I said, it's a little lanyard. It's a little rope. You can attach it to your wrist or you can tie it to your pfd, but it's designed on a small boat or a jet ski that if you fall over, it stops. It's not. Some of the things that it's a. It's a ignition key. It's not a key. There's no key on little motors like this. But it won't run without it. And if he was operating the boat, it's attached to him. It's not a very long rope. It's only like two or three feet. The fact that he keeps saying she had it, she had it when she went overboard, that means she was driving. The daughter keeps saying that she never drives the dinghy or, you know, he's the driver of the dinghy. It doesn't make sense that she had this kill switch on her or with her, it would be attached to the person driving the boat. It's not long enough. That's a tiny boat. It's not long enough to get to the next person.
- [33:17]
Nancy Grace
Okay, My understanding is a kill switch is like an engine cutoff switch, an ecos. It's a mandatory safety device. You have to have it. It instantly shuts down the engine if the operator is thrown from the helm. It uses a physical lanyard, it can use a wireless fob and it breaks the ignition circuit. Now that is federal law. That's federal law for power boats under 26ft. Now this is my question to you so we can all understand. Kill switch. You keep saying only the boat driver, the boat operator has a kill switch. Is that because if it gets a certain distance away from the boat, the boat automatically cuts off?
- [34:12]
Brian Hooker
Well, it's a certain distance away from the motor and from where the kill switch is attached. If, let's say the kill switch lanyard is 3ft. If the boat operator goes 4ft away, it turns off. On a boat that size does not make a difference. But if you're, let's say you're operating your 25 foot Boston Whaler and you're at the helm and you walk toward the front of the boat, it's going to kill. That happens all the time. That's why a lot of people don't actually turn. They don't wear them because if they leave the helm, it's going to kill of the motor. On a little boat like that, there's really not that much distance. But still, if it's only a 3ft, most of these lines are only 2 to 3ft long. That boat, the, the person not driving the boat isn't wearing it. It's only the person wearing the boat who wears it. I can't imagine why somebody else would wear it. It would unplug. You're too far away from the motor for it to stay plugged in. If you were not the operator, it's gonna, it's gonna kill the motor real quick.
- [35:02]
Matt Baker
I want to tell you guys the importance of wearing your kill switch. I mean, this thing is here for a reason. So make sure you're clipping it onto your belt buckle or somewhere onto your body whenever you're out driving the boat. The reason for this, if you were to ever get thrown out of the boat or thrown out of the seat and this boat is left in forward, it's going to be out of control. The kill switch pops off, kills the motor on contact. Just like that. And you're not going to crash into anything just like that. So make sure you're wearing your kill
- [35:32]
Nancy Grace
switch that from Matt Baker on wearing your keel switch and boat Safety tips.
- [35:46]
The RealReal Advertiser
So you're running out of closet space. The good news? You don't need to stop shopping. You just need to start selling with the RealReal. The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. Whether it's that mini bag that can't even fit your phone phone or those boots you never fully broke in, the RealReal handles everything from photography and copywriting to shipping and pricing. So you can just sit back, get paid and make room for things that actually feel like you. And with 10,000 new arrivals every single day from top designers like Prada, Celine, Louis Vuitton and Loewe, all for up to 90% off retail, you're bound to find something perfectly on brand to fill that extra closet space with with. Plus right now you can get an extra $100 to shop when you sell for the first time. Make room for what feels like you go to therealreal.com to start selling and get your extra hundred dollars to keep shopping@thereal.com that's therealreal.com terms apply.
- [36:46]
Public Podcast Sponsor / Advertiser
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 etc 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 NSIPC 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.com disclosures magnesium supplements.
- [37:49]
Solaray Magnesium Advertiser
You've mastered that now take it to the next level. Upgrade to Solaray Magnesium Glycinate from the number one magnesium brand in health food stores. With a 50 year legacy of quality and trust, Solaray triple tests every raw ingredient for identity, purity and potency. The result? Expertly chelated magnesium for powerful muscle, bone and relaxation support that fits your daily stack. Shop Solaray Magnesium glycinate on solaray.com these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
- [38:18]
Coldwater Creek Advertiser
You know what quality feels like. You can see it in the way a fabric moves, recognize it in a flawless fit and appreciate it in the details that make our styles unique. It's the standard Coldwater Creek has honored for over 40 years. Derived from a rich Mountain west heritage and designed for today in styles that are distinctively Cold Water Creek For a wardrobe you can count on season after season, visit coldwatercreek.com, shop new arrivals and save 15% on purchases. $75 or more with code iheart crime
- [38:49]
Nancy Grace
stories with Nancy Grace. So now I get it. Ben Dobran. You're telling me that he, the husband says she fell overboard in the Bahamas. She had the kill switch and you're saying that's impossible?
- [39:09]
Brian Hooker
If he was driving, it was impossible. If he's driving, he's wearing the kill switch lanyard. Let's just for the sake of argument say she was driving out of the ordinary. According to the daughter's you know what she has said. The daughter said he always drives, but let's say he had a couple cocktails or he's feeling seasick for some reason. Let's say just for argument's sake, she was the one actually driving. She falls overboard. It still doesn't explain he said she started swimming to shore. He started paddling ashore. Did he just paddle in a parallel course to her? Why didn't he paddle to her? If she could swim, why didn't she swim to the boat? Like I said, when the kill switch kills the motor, that little boat not going very far. 20, 30, 40ft at most. It's not very far. So I mean the motor is dead. He's not pulling away from her. If she has the kill switch, he is not pulling away from her. Under power. If she can move, she's not far away from it. Even if she can't move, he can paddle to her. If he paddled to shore, he could have paddled to her. Shore is a lot further away than what she was. Even if the current was ripping as he says, the current is pushing him in the same Direction as it's pushing her, he would be going in the same direction. He wouldn't be. She wouldn't be pulling away from him. She'd be going in the same direction. He'd be using the current to get to her. Whether she was driving or and took the lanyard or he was driving and somehow she grabbed the lanyard and fell overboard. She still wouldn't end up very far away from the boat. He could have paddled to her or she could have swum back to him, or both.
- [40:43]
Nancy Grace
So, Ben Dobrin, what should have happened when she fell from the dinghy?
- [40:48]
Brian Hooker
If he was driving and let's say she fell from the dinghy the first thing, and for some reason she grabbed the kill switch lanyard, he would still be able to paddle to her. He made it clear that he paddled too shore. She's drifting. If she was unconscious, she would be floating. If she was wearing a pfd, she'd be floating so she could breathe. She's going whichever way the current's taking her. The current is taking the boat in the same direction at the same speed. He could paddle to catch up to her. If she was conscious, she could swim. She could swim back to the boat. Everything that I say see online looks like she's fit and in shape. And if she spends a lot of time in the water, she probably is a halfway decent swimmer. Once that kill switch gets pulled, the boat stops. It's not going very far away from her. There's not a huge distance. Yes, it's dark. Might be hard to see somebody if she had a PFD on. There's different questions. My PFDs all have lights that are water activated. So if you fall in overnight, it's a light activated. Light activated on the pfd. I also have what's called an epirb, an electronic satellite on my pfd. So if I fall overboard, my PFD pings up to a satellite and then the coast guard knows where I am. He said she wasn't wearing a pfd, but then they found.
- [42:06]
Nancy Grace
Guys, what are you saying? PFD is a personal flotation device. Every time you get on a plane, they scare the hay out of all the passengers by telling them what will happen if you crash over water and they refer to your flotation device and they say it will light up once it touches the water. Nobody wants to think about that, but that's what he's talking about. It's like a life vest that lights up when it hits the water. Personal flotation device. Pfd. Okay. Other thoughts. Ben Dobrin.
- [42:38]
Brian Hooker
If he wasn't wearing a pfd, then it'd be hard to see at night. I mean, I don't know what the moonlight was like, the starlights, but if he's driving a boat at night, he can see enough to operate a vessel. He would be able to see somebody in the water that was near to him. If he's looking out for, you know, it's Bahamas, there's reefs, there's channel markers, there's buoys, there's other boats. He can he. There's enough light that he can operate the vessel. There's enough light that he can see somebody floating in the water who's not super far away from him. And if she was conscious, she would be yelling and waving her hands, or if she was unconscious, she'd still be floating at the surface. So he could see her and be able to see her and then paddle to her and recover her back onto the dinghy.
- [43:22]
Nancy Grace
What is a way, Ben Dobran for us to determine what the weather really was when she, quote, fell overboard?
- [43:28]
Brian Hooker
In America, there's NOAA has buoys and you can get historical data on the buoys of what the sea state was, how big the waves are, the wind. I know the water temperature in the Bahamas right Now is about 76 or 77. So, you know, people don't think that you can get hypothermia in the Bahamas, but after about. It varies, 15 to 20 hours, 25 hours. You can still get hypothermia in the Bahamas if you're in water that long. But if you want to check out the sea state, I don't know if Bahamas has something akin to the NOAA buoys that we have in the United States. Looking at the sea state, if you
- [44:03]
Nancy Grace
know or think you know anything about the disappearance of Lana Hooker, please dial Crime Stoppers 242-300-8477. Repeat, 242-300-8477. Update. In the last hours, her husband has been detained in her disappearance. And we wait as justice unfolds, we remember an American hero, Officer Adam Buckner, Tucson pd Killed in the line of duty, leaving behind a grieving wife, now widow. American hero officer Adam Buckner. Nancy Grace signing off for tonight. Good night, friend.
- [45:03]
Coldwater Creek Advertiser
You know what quality feels like. You can see it in the way a fabric moves, recognize it in a flawless fit, and appreciate it in the details that make our styles unique. It's the standard Coldwater Creek has honored for over 40 years, derived from a rich Mountain west heritage and designed for today in styles that are distinctively Coldwater Creek. For a wardrobe you can count on season after season, visit coldwatercreek.com, shop new arrivals and save 15% on purchases $75 or more with code iHeart.
- [45:33]
Public Podcast Sponsor / Advertiser
It never happens at a good time. The pipe bursts at midnight. The heater quits on the coldest night. Suddenly you're overwhelmed. That's when HomeServ is here for 4.99amonth. You're never alone. Just call their 24.7hotline and a local pro is on the way. Trusted by millions, HomeServe delivers peace of mind when you need it most. For plans Starting at just $4.99 a month, go to homeserve.com that's homeserve.com. not available everywhere. Most plans range between $4.99 to $11.99 a month. Your first year terms apply on covered repairs. Any way you enjoy Taco Bell's crispy chicken nuggets is the right way to enjoy them. And now there's a new way. Inside a Crunch Wrap Slider the all white meat crispy chicken nuggets you love with your choice of creamy Chipotle or Jalapeno Honey Mustard sauce Inside a slider sized Crunch Wrap Iconic the new Crispy Chicken crunchwrap Slider with Creamy Chipotle or Jalapeno Honey Mustard Sauce Sauce A brand new classic only at Taco Bell at participating Taco Bell stores for a limited time only while supplies last contact store for participation, which varies.
- [46:33]
Melissa Andrews
There's a fire inside you you can't ignore.
- [46:36]
Nancy Grace
Stand still. Not a chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we are here to help you keep going further. Capella University what can't you do? Visit capella.edu to learn more.