Nathan Carman's story is as haunting as it is heartbreaking, here's why
In 2016, Nathan Carman was rescued alone in a life raft. He had spent eight days at sea after his boat, Chicken Pox, sank during a fishing trip with his mother, Linda Carman. She was never found. What started as a missing person case soon turned into a broader investigation involving family inheritance, suspicious deaths, and alleged deception.
Nathan Carman, a Vermont resident, was later indicted in 2022 for first-degree murder and fraud. The charges were in connection with his mother’s presumed death as per a CBS News report dated June 15, 2023.
The story is heartbreaking because Nathan died by suicide in jail in 2023 before his trial could begin. His death left behind unresolved accusations and no legal resolution for either death. It is haunting because, despite years of investigations, the murder of his grandfather John Chakalos remains unsolved. Additionally, the circumstances around Linda’s disappearance are still in dispute.
And it remains deeply unsettling because, even in death, Nathan Carman occupies a strange space neither fully exonerated nor fully condemned. He is both a grieving grandson and an alleged killer.
The ABC 20/20 episode Family Lies revisits the case, featuring new alleged evidence, interrogation footage, and insights into the fractured Carman family. Their story has spanned over a decade and includes two unsolved deaths.
"I think he is both a victim and a villain in his own story," said Blood in the Water author Casey Sherman, who has covered the Nathan Carman case in depth
The case of Nathan Carman, which resurfaced in the ABC 20/20 episode Family Lies, has long puzzled investigators, legal experts, and the public. In 2016, Nathan Carman was rescued from a life raft off the coast of Massachusetts after eight days at sea. However, his mother, Linda Carman, was never found.
Prosecutors later alleged that he intentionally sank his fishing boat, Chicken Pox, as part of a scheme to kill his mother and claim her inheritance. In 2022, he was indicted on federal charges of fraud and first-degree murder, as per a USA TODAY NETWORK report dated April 3, 2025.
But before the case could go to trial, Nathan Carman died by suicide in his jail cell in June 2023, at the age of 29. His death ended a decade-long investigation without legal resolution, as noted in a CBS News report dated June 15, 2023.
Nathan Carman’s complex life was shaped by personal, familial, and legal turmoil. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, he struggled with social interaction from a young age. Those close to him described him as a difficult but intelligent person. Blood in the Water author Casey Sherman, who has covered the Nathan Carman case in depth, said:
“I think he is both a victim and a villain in his own story...Nathan Carman remains an enigma."
Sherman’s observation reflects the duality that has defined Nathan Carman’s life. A man who claimed innocence while facing accusations of killing both his mother and grandfather for financial gain. Yet, he was also someone who battled isolation, mental health challenges, and a deeply fractured family dynamic.
He inherited approximately $550,000 following the unsolved 2013 murder of his grandfather, John Chakalos, a wealthy real estate developer. Authorities identified him early on as a suspect in the shooting, but he was never charged.
According to a Middle Town Press report dated October 11, 2023, Nathan’s mother, Linda, amended her will in 2013. She removed her son entirely as a beneficiary, three months before her father was killed.
Nathan Carman became a suspect in his grandfather John Chakalos’ 2013 shooting after investigators discovered he had purchased a Sig Sauer rifle weeks before the murder and later claimed to police that he had lost it. According to an ABC News report dated April 4, 2025, ballistics from the crime scene matched the type of weapon he bought, raising further suspicion
Investigators found gaps in his story
After Linda’s disappearance, Carman filed an $85,000 insurance claim for the loss of his boat. During the civil trial, the insurance companies argued that Carman made faulty repairs, rendering the vessel unsafe.
A judge eventually ruled in their favour, citing evidence such as improperly sealed holes and a bilge pump that may not have been operational, as per a Providence Journal report dated September 4, 2019.
Oceanographer Richard Limeburner, testifying for the insurers, said that Carman’s reported drift path from east to west didn’t match ocean current data, Limeburner told ABC 20/20
“Nathan claimed he drifted eastward. That did not make any sense,” he claimed.
Authorities also questioned why Carman left port with no functional anchor and bait still in his car. U.S. Coast Guard Special Agent Eric Gempp asked during the ABC 20/20 interview:
“If you left the dock and didn’t take your bait, then what are you using for bait if you’re going fishing?”
Carman, however, consistently denied all accusations. He told investigators that he believed the boat took on water due to a mechanical failure.
In May 2022, a federal grand jury indicted him for the murder of his mother and multiple counts of fraud. He pleaded not guilty.
A legal case that ended without closure
Nathan Carman was discovered unresponsive in his cell at Cheshire County Jail on June 15, 2023. The New Hampshire Department of Justice confirmed that his death was not suspicious and was believed to be a suicide, as per a CT Insider report dated June 16, 2023.
His attorneys, who had spoken with him the night before, said he seemed upbeat and focused on his upcoming October trial. Defence attorney Martin Minnella told Oxygen on June 16, 2023:
“We were prepared to start picking a jury, and we were confident we were going to win."
A note, believed to be from Carman, was recovered from his cell, though its contents have not been publicly disclosed.
Nathan Carman’s death closed the criminal proceedings, but left many questions unanswered. The murder of John Chakalos remains under investigation by Connecticut’s Cold Case Unit, and both Chakalos’ and Linda Carman’s estates are still in probate. Despite their belief that Nathan was responsible, his aunts attended his funeral. Charlene Gallagher told ABC 20/20:
“Nathan should be remembered as a troubled soul.”
Nathan Carman's story has been covered extensively in ABC 20/20. It remains an example of a high-profile case suspended between suspicion and resolution. The legal system never reached a final verdict, and as a result, the truth remains elusive.
Stay tuned for more updates.
