How do you investigate a disappearance when it happens in the open water? Lynette Hooker has now been missing for more than two weeks after reportedly going overboard from a dinghy.
She was sailing with her husband, Brian Hooker, near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas - despite media attention and investigation efforts, there are still no answers. With no body recovered and few clues, law enforcement is facing one of the toughest challenges in any case: searching the open water.
In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, we break down what that really means - from shifting currents to the harsh reality of what happens to the human body in warm ocean conditions. Investigative reporter Anne Emerson is joined by forensic diver Alex Beer, a veteran police officer and dive rescue expert, who explains why investigations in the ocean can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack… or rather, as he says, a “needle in water”.
Alex shares the key red flags he sees in Lynette Hooker’s disappearance based on his experience. His insight into search efforts, ocean behavior, and the investigative process adds a critical layer of expertise to this ongoing mystery.