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Linda Carman was a 54-year-old woman from Vermont who went on a fishing trip with her son to Block Island in September 2016 but never returned. Her son, Nathan Carman, was later rescued from the Rhode Island coast.
Nathan Carman revealed that his mother had died of drowning after their boat sank. However, upon investigation, authorities discovered a well-devised plan by Nathan to acquire an inheritance, which led to the murder of Linda Carman.
The new episode of ABC's 20/20 explores the complete story behind the murder of Linda Carman. The episode titled Family Lies is set to make its release on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 9 pm EST.
What is the story of Linda Carman?
As per a report by WTNH, Linda Carman was the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer named John Chakalos. John lived with his wife Rita at this estate in Windsor, Connecticut.
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Reportedly, John was found dead with a gun wound on December 20, 2013. He was found dead on the bed, and forensics revealed that he died because of wounds on his head and chest. When officers from the Connecticut State Police started their investigation, Linda Carman became the prime suspect.
Investigators discovered that she had assaulted her father over an argument in 2011. The prime subject behind the debate was the care of Linda's son, Nathan Carman, who was suffering from Asperger's syndrome.
However, upon initial interrogation, Linda was cleared when they failed to find enough concrete evidence and motive. However, authorities soon began to suspect Linda's son, Nathan Carman, when they began to investigate his personal history.
It was discovered that before John's murder, Nathan started involving himself more in his business. He soon began to attend the meetings, tracking his assets and finances. Soon, John registered two of his bank accounts in Nathan's name, which he would've inherited after his death.
As per the Associated Press report dated June 15, 2023, Nathan was the last person to see John Chakalos alive. Additionally, he owned the same semi-automatic rifle that was used to kill him. Investigators also found that Nathan had discarded his computer hard drive, while during the time of the murder, his GPS unit was in the truck.
Nathan received a sum of $550,000 after his grandfather's death, as per the same outlet. Though investigators found a strong motive for Nathan, they failed to gather enough evidence to arrest him immediately.
The death of Linda Carman
According to the Associated Press report, in September 2016, Nathan arranged to go on a finishing trip with his mother on a boat that he had bought the previous year.
On September 17, 2016, they started their journey from Ram Point Marina in South Kingstown. They planned to travel on their boat all the way to Block Island in Rhode Island and were supposed to reach by the next afternoon.
However, the duo did not return as soon as a search was initiated. It was on September 25, 2016, when Nathan was finally rescued. He was in a raft alone, with food and water supplies. As per The Associated Press, he was found off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, which is an island in Massachusetts.
He revealed that Linda Carman died of drowning after the boat sank, and he managed to escape on a raft. As per CT Insider, it was in October 2016 when Nathan claimed insurance money of $85,000 for his boat but lost the claim after a three-year trial.
It was on July 17, 2017, when three of Nathan's aunts filed a lawsuit against him, claiming he had killed John Chakalos and should be barred from the inheritance worth $43 million. During the trial over the next year, a police affidavit stated about Nathan's mental condition, revealing he has a form of autism named Asperger's syndrome.
As per CT Insider, on May 2, 2022, Nathan was accused of four counts of fraud and the murder of Linda Carman. On May 8, 2022, he was taken into custody, and when authorities attained a search warrant for his residence, they found a sum of $10,000.
The following day, he was charged with first-degree murder but pleaded not guilty. On February 7, 2023, Nathan's trial was declared to be held in October of the same year. As per the prosecutors, Nathan killed Linda Carman on the fishing trip to inherit the family's wealth of $49 million.
It also claimed that Nathan was responsible for the death of his grandfather, John Chakalos, but was not charged. He was sent to the Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire, until his trial. However, on June 25, 2023, Nathan Carman was found unresponsive in his prison cell.
When medical assistance arrived on the scene, he was declared dead. Forensic reports revealed that his death was likely caused by suicide. Nathan's lawyers said they found a note in the prison cell, but the writing contents still remain undeclared.
For more details about Linda Carman's murder, watch ABC's 20/20 episode Family Lies on Friday, April 4, 2025.
