Missing US woman Lynette Hooker’s daughter demands answers from stepdad: ‘How do you lose my mom?’

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: What started as a supposed boating accident is now spiraling into a mystery that’s left a family grasping for answers.

As authorities in the Bahamas dig deeper into the disappearance of 55-year-old Lynette Hooker, her daughter Karli Aylesworth isn’t buying the story at face value.

A phone call that raised more questions than answers

Recalling the moment her stepfather Brian Hooker contacted her, Aylesworth says it felt less like a crisis call and more like a casual shrug.

"He called me Sunday night around 8:00 to 8:30 and he said ... like matter of fact, 'Hey, your mom is missing. We don't know where she is. She's been missing since last night, but we're gonna come up there soon to see you," she told CNN Thursday.

The 28-year-old said the delivery alone set off alarm bells. "I just want to know the truth. I don't want him to be in trouble. I just hope this was a freak accident, but I don't want it to just be swept under the rug," she pleaded.

Instead of offering clarity, the call left her stunned and suspicious. "I was just like, 'Okay, like, what?'" she said. "How do you just lose my mom?"

"Why wouldn't he drop anchor and look for her? Why did he paddle the other way?" she wondered. "If my significant other fell into the water, I'd be freaking out and going after him, I wouldn't just 'bye.' I'd be out in the middle of the ocean with you, at least we'll be, you know, alive and together."

Still, she insists she’s not out for revenge. "I don't want anything bad to happen to him. I don't want anything bad to happen to my mom, but I just want answers," Aylesworth said.

Husband arrested as family sheds light on troubled marriage

Brian Hooker, Lynette’s husband of roughly 25 years, was taken into custody on Wednesday by the Royal Bahamas Police Force. So far, he hasn’t been formally charged.

Authorities say he’s being held "for additional questioning based on some probable cause we have," according to Assistant Commissioner Advardo Dames.

His attorney, Terrel Butler, is pushing back. Hooker "categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing," Butler said, adding Thursday that he had "so far been interviewed as a witness" and "He has been cooperating with the police."

In a statement Friday, Butler described her client as shattered by the ordeal, saying he "appears completely heartbroken and deeply distressed," and is in an "extremely fragile state."

But Aylesworth painted a more complicated picture of the marriage. While she said the couple cared for each other, she described their relationship as turbulent and violent at times. She claimed her mother had previously told her that Brian Hooker had choked her, an allegation CNN has not independently confirmed.

Butler said her client denies "allegations recently made by Karli Aylesworth," declining further comment.

Meanwhile, Lynette’s mother, Darlene Hamlett, is also searching for answers. She told the Associated Press she had "many unanswered questions" but was "glad to hear" about the arrest.

"Our family grew up on water and so Lynette her whole life has been near lakes, on boats, sailing and swimming," Hamlett said. "It would be a miracle if (she's rescued), but I'm still counting on one."

A search that turned grim

According to investigators, the couple had been sailing through the Bahamas on their yacht, “Soulmate,” when Lynette disappeared Saturday evening.

Brian Hooker told authorities she fell from an 8-foot dinghy near Elbow Cay while they were navigating rough waters in the Abaco Islands. "Strong currents subsequently carried her away," police said he told them, adding that "he lost sight of her."

He also said the dinghy lost power because Lynette had the engine safety lanyard when she fell, forcing him to paddle. Hooker claimed he last saw his wife swimming toward shore as the dinghy drifted away, eventually making landfall near Marsh Harbour hours later.

Before his arrest, he described the ordeal as a tragic accident. "I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy," he said. "Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her, and that is my sole focus."

Authorities initially launched a full-scale search involving the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Hope Town Volunteer Fire & Rescue, and even the US Coast Guard, which conducted aerial sweeps.

By Tuesday, with no sign of Lynette, officials confirmed the operation had moved from rescue to recovery.

The Coast Guard has since opened a criminal investigation and interviewed Aylesworth for two hours, according to her attorney. The US State Department says it’s aware of the case and is assisting while working with Bahamian authorities.

For now, investigators are keeping details close to the vest.

"I just want to know what happened," Aylesworth said.