Nathan Carman Dies While Awaiting Trial In Mother's Death: Reports

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Former Middletown resident Nathan Carman has died while awaiting trial in connection with the death of his mother after his boat sank off the coast of Rhode Island in 2016, according to multiple reports, including NBC Connecticut.

Carman, 29, was scheduled for a trial in October on charges in connection with his mother’s death and what prosecutors said was a scheme to inherit millions of dollars, according to NBC Connecticut.

FOX 61 reports that a new filing from federal prosecutors said that “The United States received information from the U.S. Marshal that Carman died on or about June 15, 2023. Dismissal of the charges against Carman is thus appropriate.”

Carman was arrested in May 2022 on an eight-count indictment charging him with the killing of Linda Carman on the high seas, and related frauds to obtain family and insurance funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Vermont.

“According to the unsealed indictment, in 2013, Nathan Carman shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos at Chakalos’s home in Windsor, Connecticut, and, in 2016, killed his mother Linda Carman and sunk his boat during a supposed fishing trip off the coast of Rhode Island,” officials wrote in a news release at the time. “The indictment alleges that both killings were part of a scheme to obtain money and property from the estate of John Chakalos and related family trusts. The indictment further alleges Carman attempted to defraud the company that insured his fishing boat.”

Carman, who pleaded not guilty, had faced mandatory life imprisonment if he was convicted of murder on the high seas, according to officials. The fraud charges each carried a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison, officials said.

Carman was never officially charged in connection with his grandfather's death.

WTNH News 8 reports Martin Minnella, a lawyer for Carman, said they had spoken to him on Wednesday, and he was in “good spirits.” Minnella also said they were preparing for a jury trial in October and “we were confident we were going to win. It’s just a tragedy, a tragedy,” according to WTNH.

NBC Connecticut reports fellow attorney David Sullivan said they believe Carman left them a note that they “forward to receiving and try to make some sense of a tragic situation.”

The New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said an autopsy has been performed and Carman’s death is not considered suspicious, according to WFSB 3.

Through a spokesperson, family members of Linda Carman and John Chakalos released a statement to Eyewitness News saying: “We were deeply saddened to hear of Nathan’s death this morning. While we process this shocking news and its impact on the tragic events surrounding the last several years we ask for your understanding and respect relative to our privacy.”

See related previous coverage:

• Judge Rules Against Nathan Carman's Aunts In Probate Case: Report
• Probate Case Against Nathan Carman Dismissed
• Nathan Carman Contributed To Boat's Sinking: Judge
• Nathan Carman Denies Knowing Mother's Whereabouts
• Nathan Carman Could Receive Millions From Murdered Grandfather's Estate
• Federal Authorities Join Investigation into Linda Carman's Disappearance
• Nathan Carman Denies Any Involvement with Grandfather's Death, Blasts Media
• Details Emerge in Freighter's Rescue of Nathan Carman

Written by Vincent Salzo/Patch