Home · Politics · Oct 4 archive
FBI Working on Lynette Hooker Case Six Months Later
Confirmed
In Short: Former FBI agent Nicole Parker says investigation into Lynette Hooker's disappearance continues despite public perception that it has slowed.
Former FBI special agent Nicole Parker told Fox News that the investigation into Lynette Hooker's disappearance is far from over, despite the case seeming to have slowed down.
Parker emphasized that the case has not been put to rest, noting that investigators are still working behind the scenes.
According to Parker, certain pieces of evidence were sent to the FBI lab and Quantico for analysis, a process that takes time.
Brian Hooker, Lynette's husband, was released from police custody after being questioned in connection with her disappearance.
Parker said that while the public may not see much activity, investigators are working around the clock to reconstruct a potential crime scene.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service continues to actively investigate the case, having seized the couple's sailboat, 'Soulmate,' in May.
A team of divers was also sent to search for any trace of Lynette at the beginning of June.
Parker acknowledged the public's desire for quick results but emphasized the complexity of such cases.
Lynette's mother, Darlene Hamlett, believes her daughter made it back to the boat before she vanished, suggesting foul play.
Parker noted that there was no one else on the water with the couple that night, adding to the mystery.
Brian Hooker has been spotted walking dogs, chatting with neighbors, and making trips to the pharmacy since his release.
Parker stressed that the limited release of information does not mean the investigation has stalled.
What's confirmed
- "It is not something that has been put to rest," said Nicole Parker, a Fox News contributor and former FBI special agent.
- According to her husband, Brian, she "went overboard" from a dinghy in Hope Town after the couple went out for drinks that evening.
- They were making their way back to their sailboat "Soulmate," he told investigators.
- Hooker was released from police custody the previous night, where he'd been held for questioning in connection to the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital) "Just because the public doesn’t exactly see what’s happening, doesn’t mean that it’s not happening behind the scenes," Parker said.
- The U.S. Coast Guard retrieved the dinghy used by Brian and Lynette Hooker the night she vanished in the Bahamas. (Obtained by Fox News Digital) "Certain pieces of evidence were sent to the FBI lab and to Quantico for investigation, for them to analyze it, and that takes time," Parker said.
- "There were times when even I myself as an investigator, I wanted things to move more quickly. I wanted results, I want it to happen, but these types of cases, they do take time," she said.
- Lynette's mother, Darlene Hamlett, came forward in July and said publicly she believes her daughter made it back to "Soulmate" before she vanished.
- "She made it back to the boat, and there was foul play," Hamlett told Fox News Digital.
- "Remember, there was no one else on the water with them," Parker said.
- She said the limited release of information "doesn't mean that there isn't work going on behind the scenes," she said.
- As the search for any clues in Lynette's case continues, Parker said investigators are working around the clock.
- Brian Hooker, 58, sips on a cup of coffee while standing in a garage. (Kevin Perkins for Fox News Digital) Fox News Digital spotted Hooker walking dogs, chatting with neighbors, making trips to a local pharmacy, and even collecting neighbors' trash items up and down the street.
What's still developing
- Brian Hooker leaves his hotel with lawyer, Terell A.