Nathan Carman, the Vermont man who was accused of killing his mother and grandfather for a $7 million inheritance, was found dead in his jail cell on June 15, 2023. According to the New York Post, sources close to the investigation said that Carman likely died by suicide while awaiting trial for allegedly murdering his mother at sea in 2016. His cause and manner of death have not been publicly released, but his defense attorneys said he left a note for them in his cell.
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The Mysterious Disappearance of Linda Carman
Carman was facing charges of fraud and first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Linda Carman, who vanished during a fishing trip with him off the coast of Rhode Island in September 2016. Eight days after they set sail from a marina in a boat he named the Chicken Pox, Carman was found alone floating in an inflatable raft by the US Coast Guard. He told them he had tried to rescue his mother when their boat sank, but failed.
However, prosecutors alleged that Carman had intentionally tampered with the boat to make it more likely to sink as if by accident. According to CNN, they claimed he had removed the boat’s trim tabs, which help stabilize it in rough waters, and made holes in its hull with a drill. They also said he had brought a faulty life raft and an emergency beacon that he did not activate until he was rescued.
The Unsolved Murder of John Chakalos
Carman was also suspected of killing his grandfather, John Chakalos, a wealthy real estate developer who was found shot dead in his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013. No one was ever charged with the murder, but prosecutors said Carman had a motive to kill him as well. According to the Boston.com, Carman stood to inherit an estimated $7 million from his grandfather’s estate, which was his mother’s share as one of his four daughters.
Carman’s three aunts, who are also Chakalos’ daughters, filed a lawsuit in probate court in Connecticut to block him from receiving any money from their father’s estate. They accused him of killing both their father and their sister for financial gain. They also claimed he had a history of mental illness and violence, and that he had once held his mother at gunpoint when he was a teenager.
The Shocking Death of Nathan Carman
Carman pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and maintained his innocence throughout the case. He was arrested in May 2022 and was being held at the Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire, while awaiting trial. His trial was scheduled to begin in October 2023, and his defense attorneys said they were confident he would be acquitted.
However, on June 15, 2023, Carman’s body was discovered inside his cell at around 2:30 a.m. by guards who were making their rounds. He was the sole occupant of the cell at the time. The Cheshire Corrections Department said his death “is not considered suspicious” and that it was being investigated by police in Keene. His defense attorneys said they were shocked and saddened by his death, and that he appeared “upbeat” and “in excellent spirits” during their last conversation with him on Wednesday night.
Carman’s death has put an end to the criminal case against him, but it has also left many questions unanswered about what really happened to his mother and grandfather. His aunts said they were “devastated” by his death and that they hoped he had left behind some clues or evidence that could shed light on their family’s tragedies. They said they would continue to pursue justice for their father and sister through civil litigation.
