Lynette Hooker’s daughter is heading to the Bahamas to join US authorities searching for her still-missing mom, hours after her allegedly abusive stepfather was freed from custody when time ran out to keep questioning him.
“We’re not doing looking,” Karli Aylesworth, 28, told NewsNation of her plans to head to the Bahamas on Wednesday.
The panicked daughter said she was “happy” that authorities have not charged her stepfather, Lynette’s husband of 25 yearsn Brian Hooker, because that leaves her hope her mom could still be out there.
However, she repeated her fear that her mom’s disappearance was not an accident — and said she has been sharing her concerns about Brian — and his alleged earlier violence toward her mom — with the US Coast Guard, which is carrying out its own investigation.
“They handed everything they gathered about Brian and his history with his mom and sent it over to the Bahamian police and they’re going to head down themselves tomorrow to do their own investigation,” she said.
When asked about the type of history, she said: “Just like his criminal history of possible child abuse and choking out my mom.”
Karli previously alleged that Brian was abusive towards her 55-year-old mom, and USA Today reported Brian faced a child abuse charge in 2005 – which he was later acquitted of by a Michigan jury.
She said she hasn’t answered any of his calls and messages since the voice note he sent Easter Sunday — just hours after Lynette supposedly fell overboard.
Karli’s boyfriend, Steve Hansen, said Brian was monotone in the note – even though his wife was missing at sea.
“It was surreal,” he said. “That’s not typically how he speaks.”
Meanwhile, Brian was released, pending further investigation, after authorities failed to charge him by the deadline of 7:20 p.m. It remains to be seen whether he can leave the Bahamas amid the ongoing search. There is the possibility he could be re-arrested.
His lawyer, Terrel Butler, told Fox News Digital she was unsure if Brian still had his passport, and confirmed she was planning to speak to him and the authorities about his next steps.
“He’s just hoping to have closure, to be released so that he can continue to search to find out what has happened to his wife,” she told CNN.
“I am happy to see justice, that justice is really working in this country. They had no evidence and they had no choice but to release him.”
Brian, who was described as “a bit drained and tired” by his lawyer, didn’t answer questions after leaving custody — where he was seen smirking while ignoring reporters’ questions.
He claims Lynette fell overboard with her dinghy’s key on April 4 while en-route to their yacht named “Soulmate.”
Brian paddled to shore before reporting his wife missing and he has always claimed his wife was swept away by strong currents.
