The Carman family deaths: Lost at sea
In the summer of 2016, 54-year-old Linda and her 22-year-old son Nathan set off from Ram Point Marina in Rhode Island for what should have been a routine fishing trip. It was an expedition they’d been on dozens of times before, so no one worried when they failed to return that evening.
But when Linda didn’t check in the following day, alarm bells rang. Was this a tragic case of misadventure or murder? Keep reading as the Crime+Investigation team unpacks the case in more detail.
The murder of John Chakalos
To understand what happened on that fateful fishing trip, we have to rewind to the very beginning. Nathan Carman was born into considerable wealth. His grandfather, John Chakalos, was a real estate developer who built nursing homes and residential properties across New England. His estate was worth more than $42 million and was set to be divided among his four daughters, including Linda, after his death.
Despite a tense relationship with Linda, John had a soft spot for Nathan. He supported him financially and encouraged his interest in property development. He also believed that Linda coddled Nathan because of his autism – something which Nathan himself agreed with.
In many ways, the Carman family were like any other. But in 2013, everything changed when John was found murdered in his bed. Suspicions quickly turned to Nathan when investigators discovered an email he had sent to his grandfather’s estate attorney, asking questions about the line of inheritance.
However, without concrete evidence, police were unable to pursue the investigation, and John’s murder remains unsolved to this day.
The fishing trip
After John’s death, Linda was even more determined to bond with her son. So, when he suggested a fishing trip on 17th September 2016, she agreed. She’d been on Nathan’s boat, the Chicken Pox, several times before and had no reason to be concerned.
However, when friends couldn’t contact her the following day, they alerted the U.S. Coast Guard, triggering a desperate search across tens of thousands of square miles. Eight days later, a freight ship finally spotted a lone figure on a life raft – it was Nathan, without his mother or boat. He was rescued nearly 100 miles from his last known location.
Misadventure or murder?
Of course, the media was enthralled by the story – a young man missing at sea, defying all odds despite the tragic loss of his mother. Nathan didn’t seem to mind the attention and thanked everyone for their prayers and support.
He told reporters his boat suddenly began to fill with water, and while he was searching for safety equipment, his mother must have fallen, jumped or been swept overboard. He said he barely had time to launch the life raft before the vessel disappeared beneath him.
However, investigators quickly noticed red flags. Nathan appeared unusually healthy after spending eight days at sea. One witness even remarked on how easily he pulled himself aboard the rescue ship.
Most damningly, forensic examination suggested that the Chicken Pox had been structurally compromised before it left the marina, with missing bulkheads that would have helped keep the vessel afloat. Investigators also noted that Nathan failed to pack safety equipment, including the boat’s emergency locator beacon.
While police were still piecing together what happened, Nathan filed an $85,000 insurance claim for the lost boat, which was ultimately rejected due to inconsistencies in his story. To many, this only deepened suspicions that Nathan murdered his mother and grandfather due to financial gain.
The arrest and aftermath
Eventually, the evidence became too much to ignore, and Nathan Carman was arrested for the murder of his mother on 10th May 2022 – six years after the pair went missing.
Nathan continued to insist he was innocent, saying his mother was his best friend. His defence team argued that investigators misinterpreted Nathan’s behaviour because of his autism, claiming that inconsistencies in his story were the result of his condition, not evidence of guilt.
Nathan’s trial was scheduled for October 2023. However, it never took place. On 15th June 2023, he was found unresponsive in his cell. He had committed suicide.
Did Nathan Carman really murder his mother and grandfather for money, or was he a victim of circumstance? We’ll never truly know.
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