Daughter of missing American in Bahamas says Brian Hooker using mother's illness as 'excuse' to leave country

The girl of the American pistillate missing successful The Bahamas says she thinks Brian Hooker is utilizing his mother's unwellness arsenic an "excuse" to permission the land federation aft helium spent 5 days successful a Freeport jail.

Karli Aylesworth told Fox News Digital connected Friday that Hooker's parent has been "terminally sick for a while." Hooker abruptly near The Bahamas connected Wednesday aft saying helium would stay successful the state to hunt for his missing wife, Aylesworth's mother, Lynette.

He was released from a Bahamian jailhouse connected Monday nighttime aft 5 days down bars, and made that committedness successful interviews with quality outlets connected Tuesday morning.

"He wants to proceed with the hunt for his wife, due to the fact that that is his main focus," his attorney, Terrel Butler, told Fox News Digital connected Tuesday. "So arsenic agelong arsenic helium tin stay successful the Bahamas, he'll stay successful the Bahamas."

Karli Aylesworth and her spouse Steven get successful Marsh Harbour, The Bahamas, Thursday, April 16, 2025. Karli is the girl of missing American woman, Lynette Hooker. (Matthew Symons for NY Post)

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But astir 24 hours later, Hooker changed his mind.

"Following his merchandise from custody without charge, Mr. Hooker is present facing different emergency. In summation to the trauma of his woman of 25 years being missing, Mr. Hooker has received urgent connection of his mother’s sedate illness," Butler told NBC News connected Wednesday afternoon. "He has traveled to [the] United States of America to beryllium astatine her bedside during this captious time."

Brian and Lynette Hooker beryllium connected a dinghy successful the h2o successful this undated image. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)

Butler did not accidental wherever successful the U.S. Hooker was going, but a root acquainted with the lawsuit told Fox News Digital helium landed successful Atlanta.

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Aylesworth, who arrived successful The Bahamas connected Thursday, has been captious of her stepfather since her parent Lynette went missing.

"I deliberation it shows his character. He someway mislaid my ma astatine oversea and cries connected camera saying he’ll ne'er halt searching, past leaves the adjacent day," Aylesworth told the New York Post upon her accomplishment to the municipality of Marsh Harbour, adjacent to wherever her parent went missing.

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General presumption of the vessel "Soulmate," owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker, successful Marsh Harbour, The Bahamas, April 16, 2025. (Matthew Symons for NY Post)

Hooker abandoned the couple's 40-foot sailboat, called "Soulmate," anchored adjacent a marina successful Marsh Harbour.

The New York Post snapped close-up photos of the idle boat.

Immediately pursuing Lynette's disappearance, Aylesworth told Fox News Digital she was alert of "prior issues" with Brian's behavior.

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General views of the wrong of "Soulmate," the vessel owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker, successful Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, April 16, 2025. Inside the vessel are dumbbells and assorted miscellaneous items. (Matthew Symons for NY Post)

"There person been anterior issues brought to my attention, which whitethorn beryllium important for immoderate thorough investigation. If this genuinely was an accident, I tin recognize and unrecorded with it," Aylesworth said. "However, determination needs to beryllium an intensive reappraisal of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incidental earlier that tin beryllium determined."

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She besides told "Fox and Friends" that thing "doesn't adhd up" with her mother's disappearance, and accused Brian of having a "history of home violence" and choler issues.

Brian Hooker stops by the Central Police Station to prime up his wedding ringing and ticker with his lawyer, Terrel A. Butler successful Freeport, The Bahamas, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. His ring, which helium is wearing connected his pinky, was not with him erstwhile helium was released from jailhouse past nighttime aft being questioned by constabulary successful the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker.  (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

Hooker says Lynette's disappearance was an mishap caused by precocious upwind and unsmooth seas. The brace near The Abaco Inn barroom connected Elbow Cay successful their dinghy astatine dusk connected April 4, headed to their anchored sailboat conscionable disconnected the cay's occidental coast. The thrust was a abbreviated one, but Brian said Lynette fell overboard successful the choppy waters.

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He has ever maintained that helium is guiltless of wrongdoing, and has not been charged with a crime.

He spent 5 days successful jailhouse — the maximum allowable nether Bahamian instrumentality — portion constabulary investigated. That probe remains ongoing contempt his release.