The story of Nathan Carman involves a shipwreck, two alleged murders, and a possible plot to inherit intergenerational wealth — here’s what happened to Carman and how his mother played a part in the case, set to be told in an as-of-yet untitled true-crime doc from Netflix.
In 2016, then-22-year-old Carman invited his mom, Linda Carman, on a mother-son fishing trip off the coast of Rhode Island. More than a week later, Carman was rescued on a life raft and reported the family’s boat, the Chicken Pox, sank. But when Carman returned to dry land, instead of being treated like a son who had just experienced a tragedy, not to mention the trauma of spending so much time lost at sea, he was immediately under suspicion for his mother’s death and of wrecking the boat intentionally, The New York Times reported that year.
This was not the first time that Carman, the scion of a wealthy Northeastern family, was suspected of killing a family member, either. In 2013, Carman’s grandfather, John Chakalos, who made his money in real estate and the nursing home industry, died under suspicious circumstances. Nathan was never indicted, but many think his grandson murdered him.
Linda Carman’s body was never found
Reportedly, Linda Carman’s body was never found, and her exact cause of death is unknown. In 2023, seven years after she was last seen, she was declared dead, following state law. Nathan told the Coast Guard the Chicken Pox sank on the mother-son fishing trip, and while he made it to a life raft, and though he tried to rescue her, his mom never resurfaced, the AP reported. Recalling what happened on the boat, Nathan later said, “I was yelling, ‘Mom! Mom! … I loved my mother, and my mother loved me.”
But in the indictment alleging Nathan had a hand in his mother’s death, Nathan was also accused of tampering with the boat beforehand, causing it to sink. Carman denied those accusations.
Three years before his mother disappeared, Nathan’s wealthy grandfather, 87-year-old John Chakalos — Linda’s dad — was shot and killed. Although Nathan was never indicted for the crime, prosecutors allege Nathan murdered his mother and grandfather to inherit the Carman family money, some of which Linda Carman inherited after her father’s death.
Referring to Chakalos, however, Nathan said,
“My grandfather was like a father to me, and I was like a son to him. He was the closest person in the world to me, and I loved him and he loved me, and I had absolutely nothing to do with his death.”
via CBS News
Nathan Carman died in jail
Before he could stand trial for his mother’s death, Nathan Carman, then 29, died from suicide in his jail cell. Nathan reportedly left two notes for his defense attorney, but the contents of those notes were never revealed.
After Nathan’s death, his defense attorney, Martin J. Minnella said,
“We had wanted to go to court and let the truth be known about this kid because the truth wasn’t out there. My mind is blown. It’s a complete surprise.”
via NYT
In Feb. 2024, Deadline reported a Carman documentary was in the works at Netflix, with director Yon Motskin at the helm. The title and the release date for the show were not announced.
