Newly surfaced text messages are shedding light on the final years of Lynette Hooker’s marriage as authorities continue investigating her disappearance in the Bahamas, where her husband has been identified as a suspect, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Hooker, a 55-year-old American woman, has not been seen for more than a week after her husband, Brian Hooker, 59, told authorities she fell from their dinghy and was swept away by strong currents while the couple was returning to their yacht.
The incident reportedly occurred in rough seas in the Bahamas.
WAVES OF DOUBT: Bahamian authorities released Brian Hooker, husband of missing Michigan boater Lynette Hooker, after failing to file charges before a legal deadline.
Brian Hooker has denied wrongdoing and has spoken publicly about the incident, saying that he is “heartbroken,”… pic.twitter.com/68ePb92NGT [2]
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 14, 2026 [3]
As the search and investigation continue, a friend of Lynette Hooker has provided CBS News with a series of text messages sent in 2024 that point to difficulties in the couple’s nearly 25-year marriage, including a period when they briefly separated.
According to screenshots of the messages, Hooker confided in her friend, Marnee Stevenson, about the strain in the relationship and her concerns about being on the water with her husband [4].
“I guess it was too much closeness. We decided to call it quits. I’m not going back,” Hooker texted Stevenson in early 2024.
In another message from the same time period, Hooker referenced an attempt the couple made to spend time sailing together, writing, “We were married 21 years. Our marriage lasted 6 weeks cruising.”
She also expressed fear about being at sea with her husband, stating, “It was real bad. I can’t be out there with him.”
In 2024, Lynette Hooker, who has been missing for more than a week after apparently falling off a boat while in the Bahamas with her husband, Brian Hooker, told a friend over text that her marriage was over, writing that they could not reconcile: “It was real bad. I can’t be out… pic.twitter.com/qmsKOHotUE [5]
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 13, 2026 [6]
The messages indicate that the separation was short-lived. Roughly one month after the initial texts, Hooker informed Stevenson that the couple had reconciled. Stevenson responded, “Looks like things are on the up and up.”
The resurfacing of the messages comes after Brian Hooker was taken into custody last week in connection with his wife’s disappearance.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the specific charges, if any, tied to his detention, but confirmed he remains in custody while the investigation continues.
Brian Hooker has denied any wrongdoing. According to his account, Lynette Hooker fell into the water during their return trip to the yacht and was carried away by powerful currents.
Officials have not confirmed that version of events and continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.
BAHAMAS MYSTERY: Authorities are searching for a missing American woman who reportedly went overboard during a boat ride with her husband.
Criminal Defense Attorney @JoshuaRitterESQ [7] unpacks disturbing new claims from the woman’s daughter about the couple’s history of domestic… pic.twitter.com/ywsB7mVMv7 [8]
— America’s Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) April 8, 2026 [9]
The timeline of the couple’s relationship, as described in the messages, includes a temporary split followed by reconciliation in 2024.
The texts, now part of the broader public record through media reporting, have added a new dimension to the investigation by highlighting past concerns expressed by Lynette Hooker.
Authorities have not indicated whether the messages will play a role in the case as it moves forward. The search for Lynette Hooker and the investigation into the events in the Bahamas remain ongoing.
Brian Hooker, the American husband of 55-year-old Lynette Hooker, who went missing in the Bahamas on April 5, has been released from police custody without charges.
His wife’s been missing for 10 days, and he just spent the last 5 days in police custody, and now he’s a free man.… pic.twitter.com/1Kn5PmKt7F [10]
— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) April 14, 2026 [11]