Exclusive: Mom Says Son-in-Law "Could Be Vicious," Warned Daughter to Leave | Lynette Hooker Missing

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Episode: Exclusive: Mom Says Son-in-Law "Could Be Vicious," Warned Daughter to Leave | Lynette Hooker Missing
Date: April 11, 2026
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Guest: Darlene Hamlet (Mother of Lynette Hooker)

Episode Overview

This episode delves deep into the mysterious disappearance of Lynette Hooker, a seasoned sailor who vanished in the Bahamas. Ashleigh Banfield interviews Lynette’s mother, Darlene Hamlet, who shares a harrowing account of her daughter's turbulent relationship with her husband, Brian Hooker. Darlene describes years of alleged abuse, emotional cycles of reunion and retreat, and her personal fears that the situation would end in tragedy. The episode serves as both investigation and cautionary tale for listeners experiencing or witnessing domestic violence.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Strange Disappearance (01:05-06:53)

• Lynette Hooker went missing in the Bahamas nearly a week prior to the episode.
• Brian Hooker, her husband, is in detention, pending possible charges.
• Brian claims Lynette "bounced right out" of their small inflatable boat, taking the motor’s electric key with her — a scenario Banfield finds highly questionable given her own boating knowledge.
• The prevailing weather conditions and boat mechanics further cast doubt on Brian’s account. (“All of it just doesn't make a lot of sense.” — Ashleigh Banfield, 05:55)

2. Pattern of Alleged Abuse (06:53-13:21, 16:25-21:24)

• Darlene Hamlet reveals that Lynette had left Brian multiple times, always following incidents of alleged physical abuse, only to return.
• “Multiple times Lynette has left Brian and shown up at Darlene's door badly bruised and as Darlene says, badly beaten.” (06:40-07:41)
• Notable domestic violence incident in 2015, which resulted in police intervention.
• Darlene had consulted battered women's shelters for advice, learning to “support your daughter no matter what,” regardless of frustration or emotional difficulty (16:25).

Quote:

“There was violence in this relationship that I can go back… many, many years.” — Darlene Hamlet [09:45]
“He can be very pleasurable… and he can be very vicious.” — Darlene Hamlet [21:21]

3. Alcohol, Volatility, and Failed Escapes (08:35-15:42, 19:04-21:24)

• Brian’s drinking was often the catalyst for violent episodes.
• Lynette regularly documented her injuries with photos as reminders not to return but was unable to break the cycle.
• “She took photos... to remind herself... not to go back.” — Banfield & Hamlet [13:21-13:34]
• Lynette bought a ticket home in March, intending to leave Brian, but ultimately stayed, possibly due to embarrassment or hope for reconciliation. (17:06-17:49)
• Darlene expresses the anguish of watching Lynette return again and again, fearing for her life every time. (“It could potentially be the last time I ever seen my daughter alive.” — 20:44)

4. Critical Incident: The Boat Disappearance (23:35-33:28)

• Brian’s story to police: eight-hour paddle after Lynette disappeared, claiming mechanical failures and uncertainty about her fate.
• Both Lynette and Brian were experienced boaters and strong swimmers, adding skepticism to Brian’s account of events.
• Darlene underscores Lynette’s safety consciousness and advanced boating precautions. (“My daughter was very conscientious of the weather.” — 25:40)
• Discovery of Lynette’s Apple Watch on the beach (30:57), a potentially significant piece of evidence.

Quote:

"Why would she grab the little cord that hangs down from that electric key? Why would she grab that on her way out?" — Ashleigh Banfield [28:55]
"That’s why I wanted a full investigation. That’s why the story just doesn’t make sense." — Darlene Hamlet [29:16]

5. Finances and Motive (33:58-38:13)

• Lynette handled most of the finances, including paying off bills, utilities, and even Brian’s legal bills.
• At the time of her disappearance, Lynette’s assets were estimated in the several hundred thousand dollar range, which could be a potential motive.
• Brian contributed little financially, partly due to high child support payments and being fired from his job.
• Life insurance status unknown.

6. Forensic Evidence and Investigation (30:57-44:40)

• Police seized electronics, including Lynette’s phone and watch.
• Authorities and the Coast Guard in the Bahamas have been in regular contact with Darlene, providing periodic updates.
• Tracking data from the couple’s “no foreign land” boating app and Brian’s smart watch may provide more information on Brian’s movements.

7. Reflections, Red Flags, and Emotional Fallout (23:04-44:40)

• Darlene and her husband’s constant fear and tightrope walking in supporting Lynette.
• Darlene grapples with the likelihood of Brian’s involvement — “the potential is there. It’s been there.” (39:33-40:38)
• A heartfelt message to Lynette:

  “Just nothing more than I love you and wish you would have come home.” — Darlene Hamlet [44:40]

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Brian’s Demeanor:

  “When Brian drank? Brian could be mean, hateful, say unpleasant things... he also got physical.” — Darlene Hamlet [08:40]

• On The Cycle of Abuse:

  "She was embarrassed because her marriage was failing and she went back." — Darlene Hamlet [09:45]

• On The Boat Incident:

  “Why not go after Lynette? Why go the opposite direction?” — Darlene Hamlet [23:42]
  “My daughter was an excellent, excellent athlete and swimmer. ... It makes no sense.” — Darlene Hamlet [24:44-25:01]

• On the Evidence:

  "It’s odd that they... found her watch. ... Apple watches are pretty sturdy. I don’t understand why... it [would come off].” — Darlene Hamlet [31:41]

• On Financial Motive:

  “She was a money winner... she had enough for them to live their lifestyle for sure.” — Darlene Hamlet [36:05, 38:09]

• Darlene’s Cautionary Message:

  “Maybe this person, though you love them, they may not be the best choice for you... get out of it while you can, if you can.” — Darlene Hamlet [19:04]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:05 — Ashleigh Banfield introduction and case summary
• 06:53 — Darlene Hamlet recounts first hearing of Lynette’s disappearance
• 08:40 — Description of Brian’s behavior when drinking
• 09:45 — History of domestic violence, 2015 incident
• 13:21 — Lynette’s self-documentation of injuries
• 16:25 — Consulting battered women’s shelters for advice
• 17:06 — Lynette’s final attempt to leave (purchase of a ticket)
• 19:04 — Darlene’s message to others in abusive relationships
• 21:21 — Brian described as “vicious”
• 23:35 — Darlene questions Brian’s boating story
• 24:44 — Skepticism about the boating incident
• 25:40 — Description of Lynette’s extensive safety precautions
• 30:57 — Discovery of Lynette’s Apple Watch
• 33:58 — Finances and potential motive discussion
• 38:09 — Motive review: Lynette’s financial assets
• 39:33 — William (Darlene’s husband) on Brian’s potential involvement
• 44:40 — Darlene’s message to Lynette

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Reflections & Conclusions

Ashleigh Banfield closes by reiterating the gravity of the situation — a true crime story laced with allegations of long-term abuse, financial entanglements, and deeply troubling circumstances surrounding Lynette’s disappearance. Key pieces of evidence, including digital data from smart devices, could be critical. While Brian is innocent until proven guilty, Darlene Hamlet’s testimony paints a picture of a tumultuous and potentially deadly relationship.

“The truth isn’t just serious, it’s drop dead serious.” — Ashleigh Banfield [46:57]

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For listeners:
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, consider this episode a powerful, cautionary tale: seek support and don’t wait until it's too late.

Transcript

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Hey everyone, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is drop dead Serious. It is Friday, April 10th and I've just gotten off the phone and a very long interview with Lynette Hooker's mother, Darlene Hamlet. As you know, Lynette Hooker has now been missing for almost a week in the Bahamas. Her husband is sitting in a detention cell right now waiting to find out if he's going to be charged. And as of time at 6:12pm Eastern time so far there haven't been any charges announced. But that could change. And what we've been told is that if they don't charge him by tonight, he'll spend the weekend in that detention holding cell in Freeport in Grand Bahamian Grand Bahamas Island. And it's possible there may be charges next week. They would have to extend the 48 hour hold that they have on him right now. He's facing a world of hurt right now. Possibly though in in the missing of his wife Lynette. Because the story that he has told the Grand Bahamian police according to what his lawyer says, according to news reports, just weird. Weird and doesn't pass the smell test. If you're a boater, which I am, and a sailor, which I am, and if you've ever spent any time in bad weather in a small inflatable rib or a small inflatable hard bottom boat, a little outboard, which I have, I'm just going over it and it's Bizarre. And you've probably heard that he claims, Brian Hooker claims that he and his wife had been out and were trying to get from mainland out to their yacht where they had been sailing, because they're retired and they're sort of living out the dream on this 46 foot yacht called Soulmate. And the tender, that little, you know, inflatable boat was taking them from the land out to the boat. They were driving it, it was theirs, and she just bounced right out and then the current took her away and she had the keys to an outboard, which I thought was weird. I've since found out it's an electric motor. And there is sort of a key like device with a string that hangs off it, but it's not wrapped around your wrist. It's not a kill switch. So that's. That's hinky to me. In any case, it's also hinky that when you're in safe harbor, where mooring balls are all anchored so that yachts can come up and hook onto them and be parked for the night, safe harbor is safe harbor. There's not like rip currents and tides and that sort of thing typically. So I also think that's a bit hinky. And he's a marine, and she is an avid boater and has grown up on the Michigan lakes and knows boating safety and is a strong swimmer. This little inflatable boat only goes like a couple miles an hour. It's really, really slow. It's a little, little electric engine about that big. This is not like, you know, James Bond type, you know, boating. So all of it just doesn't make a lot of sense. And the weather apparently wasn't that bad on Saturday night when Brian Hooker claims all of this happened, hence he's being held. And again, they're trying to determine whether they have enough to charge him. And they clearly have probable cause to hold him. Charging him is another matter. So Lynette's mother, Darlene Hamlet, has told me a lot about their past, about Brian and Lynette's relationship, and it is not good. I know you've probably heard snippets and pieces, but the full picture is that it is not good. And she says that multiple times Lynette has left Brian and shown up at Darlene's door badly bruised and as Darlene says, badly beaten. And it got so bad that Darlene said that she consulted a battered woman's shelter for advice on how to try to get her daughter to leave Brian and says that every time her daughter Left her to go back to Brian. She feared it would be the last time that she'd see her daughter. That is how bad this relationship was, according to Darlene Hamlet, Lynette's mom. And she goes into much more detail in the interview I'm about to play for you. Specifically one incident, which is just harrowing, where Darlene says her daughter came back from what she said had been a pitched battle in the cockpit of the sailing yacht of the keelboat soulmate, in which she had hit her head and her neck so badly she felt it crack, and said that Brian said to her that he wished he'd finished the job and thrown her overboard. This is a year and a half ago. So hearing a story like that from Lynette's mom, while that is missing and at this point, possibly presumed dead, it is very, very disturbing. And then there's the part about the money, right? There's that nagging part about the money. Darlene says Lynette seemed to have all the money, and it's not a little bit. It's a lot. It's a lot of money. So I want you to hear this interview that I had with. With Darlene. And I think, listen, it's really important to understand Darlene wanted to do this interview because she wants anybody out there. If you are out there right now and you're listening and you feel that you're in a bad relationship. She wanted to do this interview with me to tell you, please don't let it go on too long. Please don't do what my daughter did. Please don't keep going back, because eventually it could end very, very badly for you. And I am very thankful that she's done this interview with me as a cautionary tale to so many people out there who are victims of domestic violence. Here now is my conversation with Darlene Hamlet. Well, let's just sort of start from. From the beginning. Oh, I mean, what was it like when you got that phone call from Brian 24 hours after Lynette went missing?

[B]

With the lifestyle that my daughter and her husband lived, I had been preparing for that phone call for a long time. So it was. It was short. I have bad. I have news to tell you. Lynette's missing. Pretty much all that was said. And so later on in the day, I had to call him back. I said, I need more details. I said, this is not enough. And so he went through his day with me, and, yeah, it was. I broke down. So, I mean, what else would I do?

[C]

You know, it's Distressing to hear you say that with the lifestyle, it wasn't an unexpected call. Talk to me more about that.

[B]

There was a lot of good times and bad times in my daughter's relationship with her husband. A lot of highs and a lot of lows they had. When it was fun, it was really fun. And when there were bad times, there were bad times. And the fact that she had left him on numerous occasions before and continued to go back even after she had been hurt was something that was very difficult for me to understand. And I did a lot of crying, and I had to prepare myself for what I thought was someday going to happen unless she finally decided she had had enough. I think they loved each other, but they were not good for each other. That's the best way I can say it. They partied hard. They lived a hard life. They lived a full life.

[C]

What was your impression of Brian when he was drinking?

[B]

When Brian drank? Brian could be mean, hateful, say unpleasant things. That pretty much describes him. He also got physical. This is not the first time there's been where I thought I was lucky to have Lynette in the past. This time it's just like it just progressively got worse. And so this is where we're at now. That's why I'm on here. I kind of want to. I want to honor my daughter and tell her story and also support my granddaughter who's lived with Lynette and Brian, that was her mother and stepfather and experienced a lot of things firsthand that I never did. I always got the phone calls when. When she was at her wit's end and couldn't take anymore.

[C]

So you mentioned to me before that Lynette left Brian multiple times.

[B]

Oh, yes. Oh, yes, she left him. It seemed like it ran in about a year and a half, two year cycle. And she'd come home and she'd be like three weeks and then she'd go back. And then she. This last time that she went, when he had choked her, and when she has the bruises on her back and took the picture to remind herself she was here at my house in Florida and she was looking for a job. She was going to stay in this house while we were up in Michigan and start over. She didn't want to. She was 50 years old and she didn't want to start over. She was embarrassed because her marriage was failing and she went back. There was violence in this relationship that I can go back. Oh, goodness. Many, many years. 2015, there was the police report that people are talking about online and that was domestic violence because of kids. And my daughter's daughter Carly and Brian's son were in a locked bedroom and they wouldn't unlock the door. Don't know why. I still don't know why they wouldn't unlock the door. But Brian and Lynette got in a fight in 2015 and he choked her and he hit her. And she had a black eye, didn't show up that day, of course. I mean, boom, he hit her. And then they had the police come. And because Brian had blood on his nose and there was no sign evidence of any kind of struggle on Lynette's side, she went to jail. The whole case, it was done, but the damage was there. That was one of the first times that I knew that he could be mean to her.

[C]

There was a choking incident as well. Brian had was charged in a case where police said he choked his own. I think 12 year old daughter Carly said she witnessed it. She had to go to court and ultimately the jury just acquitted him. But it just sounds like such a volatile relationship.

[B]

He did, he did do that. My daughter was the one that tried to pull them apart. And Kylie did have to go to court. And so those are the kind of things that Kylie saw. She saw him yelling at her and so much stuff that Kylie saw in their relationship. So that's why I wanted to support Kylie, to make sure that people didn't think that she was just the stepdaughter, that maybe she didn't like her stepdad, you know. And I wanted to support her. When she says it was a volatile relationship, it could be a volatile relationship. Now when you look on the sailing hookers, you would think that they were living their best life. Everybody smiles and everything is perfect. But the one thing that I made my daughter do is I said, I want you to document everywhere you go and everything you do so I know where you are because I needed that. And she made sure that she did that. When you go on the sailing hookers and you see Brian, they wanted to have a boat. She kind of wanted to have a boat in Michigan and a boat in Florida or maybe some property in Michigan and one in Florida, but he wanted a boat in Florida and for the warm weather. But they ended up selling everything in 2020 House and the whole content.

[C]

You mentioned that she took photos, Lynette took photos of herself to remind herself what was she trying to remind herself of?

[B]

Not to go back.

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[C]

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Breakfast Meal and Hunt Tricks Meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that, Rumi?

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[C]

Participating McDonald's while supplies last. She wanted some evidence that she would look at and convince herself not to go back to Brian. And yet she went back.

[B]

And yet she went back. She was looking for a job. She had this house to live in and she chose to go back. And I had to get help with that one because I just don't understand why you want to go back to be mistreated when you know it's going to happen again and it's just a cycle. When they were happy together. And when they weren't drinking, it was a good. All marriages have good points and bad points. When there was no drinking, they were fine, but the drinking was their downfall. He would get me.

[C]

I think you mentioned to me that you consulted battered women's shelters for advice on how to handle Lynette. Tell me about that.

[B]

Well, that was because I just can't understand. I could not understand. It just makes no earthly sense. And they said, support your daughter no matter what. Don't criticize and condemn the situation too much, because if he is controlling, you won't see your daughter at all. You know, support your daughter. Be there every time she needs you. And maybe one time she'll be strong enough where she won't go back crazy to me, but that's what I was told by several people.

[C]

And, Darlene, I think you told me that Lynette bought a ticket home just recently.

[B]

A month ago, she called me and she was crying, and she said, mom, I can't take anymore. I just can't take anymore. He's so abusive to me. He yells at me and tells me that I'm a terrible wife and no good for anybody and that. Well. And she says, I don't know what to do. And I said, did you ask him to stop drinking? I said, is he drinking again? And she said, oh, yes, he's drinking. And I said, will he stop? And she said he told her he had no interest in quitting drinking at all. And I said, well, then, you know what you've got to do. You get over to Marsh harbor, you get on a plane, and I don't care what airport you're at, I'll pick you up. And she says, I want my stuff. I said, I don't care about your stuff, Lynette. Just get on a plane. I know my daughter was embarrassed. She didn't want to have a divorce. She tried everything she knew how to do to make the relationship work. So the next day, because they were always together in a small space in a boat, conversations sometimes had to be short. And so she told me they were working on things. And then I found out that she had bought a ticket to come home to Miami and a one way. One ticket to come home. But she didn't get on the plane. I don't know exactly why, but she didn't get on the plane.

[C]

Do you know the date that she was supposed to fly?

[B]

The 11th.

[C]

March 11th. And she had come home multiple times to you before. I think you mentioned to me when we spoke earlier that she'd Come back to you beaten up?

[B]

Yes. Yes. Her back was bruised the time before that. Her ribs and her side were bruised. She's always. He has a pattern of choking, like he choked his daughter, like he choked Lynette in 2015 and a couple other times after that. And I only know, let's say, when it got to be the worst. I don't know if there was any more going on. I don't know. And I want people that are out there, like my daughter, to take the story and understand that maybe this person, though you love them, they may not be the best choice for. For you. They maybe it's just not meant to be. And it's. Take a good look at your relationship and get out of it while you can, if you can. So go ahead.

[C]

When she, when she would visit you, when she would come back from Brian, did she intend to stay with you and then ultimately she would say goodbye to you?

[B]

Yep. She.

[C]

What would that be like?

[B]

And she, like I said this last time, she was looking for a job. She said, I just can't. I can't anymore. I can't anymore. This was about a year and a half, two years ago. And yeah, ultimately he wasn't drinking and things were, you know, nice on the phone, so, well, I'll give him one more try. And I says, how many chances do you want to give him kill you?

[C]

What was going through your mind every time she got back on that plane to go back to the boat?

[B]

It could potentially be the last time I ever seen my daughter alive.

[C]

Did you ever tell her that?

[B]

I don't think so. My husband said he told her, you have to walk such a tight line. You don't want to alienate him too much. You'll never see your daughter again. So. So it's just I tried to support my husband or my daughter when she was with him. We laughed on occasion. We had good times, we played cards. But he has two sides to his personality and he can be very pleasurable, pleasant, and he can be very vicious.

[C]

I think you described for me something that Lynette told you. One of the times she came home when she said she'd been hurt, she said that her neck had cracked. Can you describe what it was she told you and what she said Brian had said to her in that incident?

[B]

Oh, dear. They were on the boat and both drinking. I'm not saying it was a one sided drinking. They were both drinking and they got in a fight and he threw her down on this bench, wooden bench, kind of like a. In a Camper, you know, they have. The boat has a little bench where you sit around the table in the. In the gully. And she landed on that, and it was a wooden bench, and he was on top of her, and he was choking her, and she felt something crack in her neck, and her neck was. She was so stiff necked for a long time, and I don't know how or why, but she stayed on that boat that night. And the next morning, they packed all of her stuff, both of them. He helped her carry all of her stuff to the dock, and she came home to me for a while. But one of the conversations that they had while they were on the boat the next morning is he told her that he wished he had finished the job and thrown her overboard.

[C]

So did she not take it seriously? Did she think it was just hyperbole? Like he was just going. He was just all talk.

[B]

How could you think somebody was all talk when you're being choked? You know, I guess she just. She just kept hoping. She didn't want to be in. In a divorce and another divorce because she was married a couple times before and so's. And so she just kept going back, hoping she loved him, but she didn't love that side of him. And it just was always there.

[C]

Darlene, what do you think happened that night, Saturday night, when she disappeared?

[B]

Brian called me, called us to tell us that Lynette was missing 24 hours after she was missing. And I said, I need more details. And he said, we drank all day, and we were on land all day, and we had been drinking. And he said, everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. I didn't have a radio. He said an oar broke, and he just kept going on and on. I didn't do this. I didn't do that. It's all my fault. And I said, but why not go after Lynette? Why go the opposite direction? He says, I didn't know where she went, but my thought was she fell off of a dinghy that wasn't running, and she didn't swim back to the boat for some reason. It's an unsinkable dinghy. Why wouldn't she swim back? My daughter was an excellent, excellent athlete and swimmer. So it is. I mean, it makes no sense. But he said anything that went wrong could go wrong and that he had to paddle for eight hours to get across and get to where somebody could help.

[C]

I mean, not only is Lynette a good swimmer, he's a Marine.

[B]

Sure. Well, he was an excellent swimmer, too. That's why we couldn't understand why he jump in after her or why not row toward the way he saw her go. So, yeah, I mean, he was a scuba diver, too. He'd go under and clean the bottom of the boat and, you know, they snorkeled and, you know, my daughter was raised on a lake and around boats and her whole life.

[C]

So I think you also mentioned to me she was extremely safe when she was boating. Used to wear a helmet on the keel boat in case the, you know, the boom would come across. And I'm a sailor. I've never even been that safe.

[B]

Well, in particular, more than she did that when the winds were bad. She didn't have a house. So when the winds were bad and they were down below and they would get shuffled around, she'd have padding and the helmet on. And it was. You know, we always thought it was kind of funny when she did that. Yeah. And so I always told her, make sure you got your helmet on, you know, so that she could protect herself. So, yeah, when she was going out, working on the side of the boat, she had life, Jackson. She had belts around her and straps on the boat. And she was always very cautious. My daughter was very conscientious of the weather. I mean, all Mr. Weatherman and all the weather stations, I mean, they were always on her phone. She was always watching the weather. And Brian, too. I mean, if there was any hint of being bad weather, they were very careful about when they went out and what they did. So I've been told that this little cove area that they're in doesn't have a strong current. It's a protected area. So I've heard so many different things. It gets so confusing.

[A]

And, Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[C]

Hey, everyone, Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[A]

Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[C]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[A]

Anyways, only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty.

[C]

Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Well, I mean, the whole idea of safe harbor, where mooring balls are set for sailors to come and hook up to to find safe harbor, is that typically, there are no riptides, there are no strong currents. So I'm just having a really tough time understanding how somebody leaves the bar or the restaurant. To go out to the yacht. And in between, you know, A and B, there's this, you know, catastrophic weather that bounces her out of an eight foot dinghy that can only go about two knots. I mean, it's not the kind of boat that's banging along waves. It barely can go more than a couple miles an hour.

[B]

I know.

[C]

So let's talk a little bit about this key because this has been a big point of contention. He says she went overboard with the key, rendering the engine useless. But you know, for a lot of people who boat, these are, you know, these are outboards. They don't have keys. Maybe they have a kill switch. And then I think your granddaughter Carly said it was kind of like an electric key that had a cord on it, but not a cable that would attach to your wrist. Meaning it's not a kill switch, that if you went overboard you'd take it with you. Correct.

[B]

I can't remember. I've been on the dinghy. I do know it was electric, but that was my thought. It was kind of like a jet ski. When you fall over, the jet ski stops. And I'm thinking that's what happened with the motor on the dinghy. She fell over, she had the key and the boat stopped. But it's an unsinkable dinghy. Why didn't she swim back to it if, you know, also, why would she

[C]

grab the little cord that hangs down from that electric key? Why would she grab that on her way out? And Carly mentioned she never drove and she would have to be in the driver's position to be able to, to, to grab that cord and, and bounce out. Like if you're bouncing out because of the waves, you're not grabbing at the key. There's someone in the boat that's going to have to come and rescue you.

[B]

I have no answer for you. That's why I wanted a full investigation. That's why the story just doesn't make sense. The weather report doesn't even reflect bad weather. I, I just, I just don't understand.

[C]

What did the weather look like that, that particular night?

[B]

They were expecting some, some rain, but no gusting winds and, and waves. So I don't know.

[C]

Well, and again, I'm just going to say for anybody who's not a boater out there, I've been in lots of these little dinghies and they are bouncy in waves, but you have to be going at a certain speed in order to hit a wave to bounce out. And that little dinghy, I've seen the engine. I've seen, seen it driving. I've seen it on their Instagram. It can't go that fast in order to bounce you out of, you know, some big wave. It just doesn't make any sense. And I'm just wondering if they're putting all of that together with the Royal Bahamian police force. Hopefully they've got enough mariners who will understand where his story does or doesn't add up.

[B]

They've been very good so far. They've been very good about talking with us. And I've talked to the police chief. The day it happened. He was call on an email. He. He got in touch with me. And so, you know, they're doing their job for sure and working with the Coast Guard. They, there's been a thorough search. It's odd that they can't. They can't. They found her watch. They found where? I don't know where. I do know that they found her watch. She wore iPhone watch, A watch.

[C]

I watch an Apple watch. Was she wearing it the night she disappeared and they have found it?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And they didn't say if they found it inside the dinghy or on board Soulmate or did they find it on a dock or did.

[B]

They didn't say on, on the beach somewhere. But I can't, I can't swear to that. It wasn't in the dinghy that I heard of the first time. I would have known before that they, they just found her watch.

[C]

Let me just go back a bit. Did you say they found her watch on the beach?

[B]

I am not sure where I said. My thought was that that's where it was.

[C]

So. Well, that would be very telling, you know, that that would be certainly a very big clue and a piece of evidence as well.

[B]

And then they, you know, they have plastic strap around them. The Apple watches are pretty sturdy. They don't. I don't understand why you. Gotcha. Yeah.

[C]

Never comes off. I mean, somebody would have to really be wrenching on me to get that thing off. I've been wearing it for years. It's never come off. Yeah. The other thing I learned from Brian's attorney who he's hired in the Bahamas is that she says he was being taken by the police to Soulmate to the 46 foot yacht. It's 46ft feed. Right. Okay. And on the way there, the weather was terrible and he fell out of the police boat and he was handcuffed and they had to rescue him. Did you, did you get all of that information? Did the police share that with you?

[B]

No, my story was a little bit different that I heard, but I read it online, so perhaps the person that you know did the article did it wrong. I heard that he was on his boat, he was already on Soulmate, and that he had spare clothes that he was taking with him, and they handcuffed him, and that's when he fell in and he had to be rescued. And that he hurt his. His knee.

[C]

Yes, hurt his knee, had abrasions, and they were going to take him to the hospital. I'll be interested to find out the discrepancy because I've heard it now both of these ways that he was on a police boat and bad weather. He could not get his. He couldn't get a grip or hold his. His position in the. In the moving boat because his. Because of his handcuffs and ended up going out and the police rescued him. I did not hear, though, that it was that he was onboard Soulmate, but I did hear that's where they were headed. They wanted to go out to Soulmate to search with him. So do we know if that search even happened? Were they successful in getting to Soulmate to search

[B]

the Bohemian police? Yeah, the police, they've searched the boat. Yes. And they had the dinghy for, I think, an additional day. So they. They looked at the dinghy. So. So yeah, they've been at the.

[C]

Go ahead.

[B]

No, that's it. Go ahead.

[C]

Do you know if they have seized the yacht Soulmate and put it into evidence at all, or is it still sitting there on the mooring ball?

[B]

I do believe it's still on the mooring ball, yeah.

[C]

The other question I wanted to touch on with you is finances, because in so many of these cases, a lot of times, you know, you have to follow the money. And you mentioned to me that the money was all with Lynette.

[B]

Yes, it was.

[C]

Talk to me about that.

[B]

When they first got together, Brian was married previously, twice. So was my daughter. And he had three children. Two with one, one lady, and one with another. And he was paying very, very, very high child support. And so with the bills for the kids and the child support, Lynette kind of picked up all the odd end expenses and the utilities and the house note and everything. And his pretty much went to his child care for his children from the other marriages. And then after they got older and they Both worked at AT&T. So we're not talking. They. They had a nice income. He got fired. He was fired a couple of times from AT&T. There were the lawyer fees not only. Let's go back. There were even lawyer fees that Lynette had to pay for when he choked his daughter. There were lawyer fees for that. She had to pay when he was trying to get his job back. That was all expensive and.

[C]

Let me stop there for a minute. Lynette paid his lawyer's fees when he fought the charges of choking his 12 year old daughter and was acquitted by the jury. She paid for those lawyer fees.

[B]

She was a money winner. I mean, at that time, Jesse was 12 or 13 years old and so he was paying child support on three kids, an astronomical amount of child support.

[C]

So, yeah, she paid his legal bills for the, for that criminal trial.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And what about their current situation? As I understand it, they were retired and sort of living their dream and living on the boat and sailing. Who was paying for all that?

[B]

It was. Well, they did sell their house. They had a house in the Grand Rapids area, Kentwood, and it was a lovely home. And they sold that and they took that money. And then I don't know exactly what my daughter got as a pension or retirement from AT&T, but when he got fired, he didn't get any of that at all. And neither one of them were old enough to get Social Security or anything. So they put all kinds of things on the boat, extra solar panels and the reverse osmosis water and everything that you could imagine so that they could be. He wanted to be off the grid. He didn't want anybody to tell him what to do. And he didn't want anybody to really know where he was in particular. He didn't want to have that identity. And so it's a lot a rough life to live that way because you can't do a lot. You gotta have an address, you gotta have a residence. And they just didn't have it. They didn't have. So they used my house as their residence for a lot of things.

[C]

What do you think Lynette was, was worth? I mean, how much is she worth at this, at this point?

[B]

The last time she told me it was a while back was about, I think 600. But I, I might be kind of, I, I'm not sure. But that was, I mean, they, they could live on a boat comfortably for a while and you know, she didn't want to spend all of her money because at one point they're going to be too old to have that lifestyle. And then they, you know, she wanted to buy a little piece of land, nothing special, and just, you know, go on enjoying life. But yeah, that's not going to happen.

[C]

But several hundred thousand dollars were at stake at this point. If there's. You know, if prosecutors are looking for motive for anything. She had a lot of money.

[B]

She had enough for them to live their lifestyle for sure.

[C]

Did he have any?

[B]

A little. Not much. He had a little.

[C]

And what about life insurance? Do you know if she had any life insurance?

[B]

I do not know that. I do not. I don't know that. I don't know.

[C]

Talk to me a little bit about your feelings as the days go on. Do you think that Brian did something to Lynette on Saturday night?

[A]

And, Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[C]

Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[A]

Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[C]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[A]

Anyways, only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com.

[C]

liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[B]

Oh, I'm sorry. Would you. I'm My husband. Would you say.

[C]

William, do you believe that Brian may have done something to Lynette on Saturday night?

[B]

Just a second. What did you say? William? I'm sorry. I didn't. I didn't mean to. Yeah, okay. He said. Just like he said to me. I don't know. That's why I want this. I want everything to be reviewed. I want to get the facts I need. I really want to know. We don't know. The potential is there. Let me say. You know, the potential is there. It's been there. And what really makes it even worse is the fact that she had bought that airline ticket a month ago to come home. So. God, I don't want to think so. I want to think it's an accident, but my heart just tells me it might not be. And that's why I want people to know that there was another side of Brian than you're going to see on the sailing hookers that my daughter did for me so I'd know where she was. So I always wanted to know where my baby was.

[C]

She was the one who ran the Instagram accounts to make sure that you always knew what was going on. If you had an opportunity to talk to Brian right now, what would you want to tell him?

[B]

I really don't want to. I don't want to talk to him. I really don't want to. I can't I can't imagine talking with him because it's been so painful for so long that I don't want to talk to him. The pain is still too new for all of this. So

[C]

what's the latest thing that the police and the investigators and the Coast Guard have told you about their findings?

[B]

The watch. They seized a lot of the electronics and stuff that Brian had. I think they said they have her phone, but I'm not sure. I didn't even know about the watch. My girlfriend told me she came over last night to see how I was, and. And she says, well, they're going to monitor her heart rate on the watch to see if it coincides with the time she fell in the water and all these things. And I'm going, oh, my God. I hadn't heard any of that. So the Coast Guard, he calls me about every night and tells me the newest things that have come up. And so it's a long waiting process. I just. I just want to find out. I want them to find her.

[C]

And it takes a lot of patience, which, I mean, you've got the patience of a saint. I commend you. Your friend told you about the watch that they're monitoring and looking at the pattern of the watch. Where did she learn that?

[B]

It was online, you know, I mean, online has been where I've gotten a lot of information, and that's where she read it.

[C]

But not firsthand from the police. This didn't come firsthand from the police to her.

[B]

I talked to the Coast Guard last night, the chief at the Coast Guard, and he told me, he said, yes, they did find her watch.

[C]

Also, Darlene, as watches go, your granddaughter Carly told me that Brian had a special watch and that she could plot his course and that she actually saw the course that he took the. That night, and it corresponded with floating for all those hours and eventually beaching at Marsh Harbor.

[B]

Okay,

[C]

so it's news.

[B]

Hey, I mean, water, you know, and. And float around, too. Yeah.

[C]

Were you able to. Were you able to. To track Brian's movements based on his watch and the. And the. The course that he used to track on his own movements?

[B]

No, I don't have access to. To anything on his watch. That was a segment that he posted showing, you know, where he was at? Brian was good. The watch was an Amifit watch, and he had a lot of gadgets added to it so that he could do those kind of things. But one of the things they did have was a wonderful app that I had loaded on my phone. Called no foreign land. And I could watch where they would go and where they would stop and on their journey, everywhere they went. So it was another thing that Lynette, you know, she did for me, I'm sure, so that I would feel a little more comfortable about this unusual lifestyle.

[C]

Well, hopefully the police are able to get that pattern and that tracking off of Brian's watch, but who knows if it'll be. If it'll have evidentiary value. You know, I asked you if you had anything to say to Brian. Is there anything that you'd want to say to Lynette right now?

[B]

Just nothing more than I love you and wish you would have come home.

[C]

Well, we are praying for you and for your family, and we're certainly praying for. For a very thorough investigation of whatever happened out there in the Abaco Islands. Darlene, thank you so much for sharing all of this with me. And if there's anything we can do, please let us know.

[B]

You bet.

[C]

My great thanks to Darlene Hamlet for sharing all of those details with me. This has got to be the hardest thing for a mom to go through, knowing that her daughter is missing and at this point point, potentially presumed dead, awaiting justice, awaiting an investigation, hoping that it will be a thorough and fulsome investigation. It is just such a tragic story and one that we've seen over and over again, the allegations that Brian has been so violent, not only with his wife, Lynette, but also allegedly with his daughter. He went through charges and a trial. He was acquitted. But at other times, the allegation is that he has abused Lynette both physically and mentally. Darlene told me there was a lot of mental abuse as well. Her allegations are that this went back to 2006. Originally, when we had our first conversation. She said she could trace it all the way back to 2006. He is innocent until proven guilty, and at this point, he's not even charged in the incident where Lynette went missing. But watch this space. The fact that they have now found Lynette's apple watch. I think that that could speak volumes. Our Apple watches don't lie. Our digital popcorn trail that we leave, our health popcorn trail that we leave. Well, when you speak to the police, you're locked in to what you say. And if the forensics and the evidence and the digital popcorn trail and the health popcorn trail don't match what you say, that's what you call bad facts. So watch this space. We'll continue to dig up what we can, find out what we can, and we'll continue to report on this story. Thanks so much for listening. Thanks so much for watching. And remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.

[A]

And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[C]

Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[A]

Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[C]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

[A]

Only pay for what you [e-mail].

[C]

liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.