Seized boat may spill Bahamas disappearance secrets — but experts warn ticking clock could wash away the truth

A forensic adept revealed what Coast Guard investigators mightiness beryllium looking for aft the national bureau seized Brian Hooker's sailboat successful their probe into the disappearance of his woman successful the Bahamas.

Brian Hooker initially told Bahamian officials that his woman fell disconnected a dinghy aft leaving enactment astatine Hope Town astatine astir 7:30 p.m. connected April 4, saying that Lynette fell disconnected with the ignition key. Local authorities said that helium arrived astatine a marina astatine Marsh Harbour astatine astir 4 a.m. connected April 5 aft paddling to shore, astir 8 hours aft his woman went overboard. Despite a weeks-long search, authorities haven't been capable to find Lynette Hooker.

A root acquainted with the probe told Fox News Digital that the couple's sailboat, named "Soulmate," was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard. According to CBS News, the Hookers' sailboat was en way to the U.S. erstwhile it was seized by the Coast Guard connected Saturday. The sailboat was taken to a U.S. Coast Guard presumption successful Fort Pierce, Florida.

The outlet besides reported that the Coast Guard Investigative Service's probe into Lynette Hooker's disappearance has intensified. Brian Hooker hasn't been charged with a crime.

COAST GUARD SEIZES BRIAN HOOKER'S SAILBOAT AS IT LEAVES BAHAMAS AFTER WIFE’S DISAPPEARANCE: REPORT

The yacht, Soulmate is moored astatine the U.S. Coast Guard presumption successful Fort Pierce, Fl., Monday, May 11, 2026. The vessel, which belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing woman Lynette Hooker, was brought backmost to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the USCG, according to a source. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

Forensic idiosyncratic Joseph Scott Morgan told Fox News Digital it's apt Coast Guard investigators are looking for signs of "large focal areas of blood."

"That would beryllium a copious magnitude of blood, dried blood, has determination been immoderate effort to sanitize the area, cleanable the area?" Morgan said. "I'd privation to spot if determination was immoderate grounds of conflict successful the signifier of similar breakage of immoderate kind."

"What they could bash is they tin spell successful determination and look for immoderate benignant of hint grounds connected determination that mightiness springiness them immoderate benignant of denotation of immoderate benignant of convulsive enactment took place," helium said.

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The yacht Soulmate is moored astatine the U.S. Coast Guard presumption successful Fort Pierce, Fla., connected May 11, 2026. The vas belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing woman Lynette Hooker and was reportedly brought backmost to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Fox News Digital)

Morgan said that Coast Guard investigators aren't successful an "ideal situation," seizing the vessel much than a period aft Lynette Hooker went missing.

"You don't cognize what individuals whitethorn person been connected there," Morgan said. "The much clip trickles through, you know, the hourglass, each that worldly becomes degraded. It becomes compromised. So that's, it tin beryllium problematic."

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Brian Hooker visits the Central Police Station successful Freeport, The Bahamas, connected April 14, 2026, to retrieve his wedding ringing and ticker with his lawyer, Terrel A. Butler. Hooker was released from jailhouse the erstwhile nighttime aft constabulary questioned him astir the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

The forensic idiosyncratic said the Coast Guard has "the full national authorities astatine their disposal," meaning they tin petition assistance from different agencies, specified arsenic the FBI.

LYNETTE HOOKER MISSING IN BAHAMAS: TIMELINE OF MICHIGAN WOMAN’S DISAPPEARANCE, HUSBAND’S ARREST

Kenneth Engerrand, an adjunct prof of maritime instrumentality astatine the University of Houston Law Center and shareholder successful the Brown Sims instrumentality firm, told Fox News Digital that U.S. authorities, similar the Coast Guard, would person jurisdiction to marque an apprehension if that's wherever the grounds led them, contempt the incidental taking spot successful Bahamian waters, since the vas has an American flag.

WATCH: Coast Guard seizes Brian Hooker's yacht aft wife's Bahamas disappearance

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"The United States is good wrong its rights to asseverate a usurpation of the execution statute. It besides has jurisdiction implicit statutes involving convulsive acts committed connected a United States vessel. That's a abstracted crime, but those are some crimes that tin beryllium prosecuted, involving American citizens connected American vessels, adjacent successful a overseas port," Engerrand said.

Exterior presumption of the U.S. Coast Guard presumption successful Fort Pierce, Fl., Monday, May 11, 2026. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

Engerrand said that Coast Guard officials apt didn't request a warrant to prehend the sailboat.

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"[The Coast Guard has] the authorization to prehend immoderate vas that they judge is progressive successful a transgression activity. So they person the implicit authority," Engerrand said.

The improvement comes astir a week aft the Coast Guard sought the public's assistance successful uncovering the proprietor of a sailboat that was moored adjacent Brian and Lynette Hooker's "Soulmate" successful the Bahamas.

The yacht, Soulmate is moored astatine the U.S. Coast Guard presumption successful Fort Pierce, Fl., Monday, May 11, 2026. The vessel, which belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing woman Lynette Hooker, was brought backmost to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the USCG, according to a source. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

The Coast Guard declined to remark erstwhile reached by Fox News Digital connected Monday, citing the progressive investigation.

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Brian Hooker was detained by Bahamian constabulary for astir 5 days aft his wife's disappearance, but wasn't charged. His Michigan-based lawyer antecedently asked Americans to springiness him the payment of the doubt.

"I would inquire those watching to dainty him the mode you would privation to beryllium treated, to springiness him the payment of the doubt, and to see that not each of us, nor you, considering your ain relationships, the mode you talk to 1 another, we each grip things successful antithetic ways," Crystal Marie Hauser said.

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Lynette Hooker, a 56-year-old American woman, disappeared aft going overboard during a vessel travel successful the Bahamas, according to section officials. ((Brian Hooker/Facebook))

Brian Hooker near the Bahamas soon aft helium was released from jail, with his Caribbean-based lawyer telling Fox News Digital helium went to beryllium with his "very ill" mother.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Brian Hooker's lawyer for comment.