Vermont Man Killed Mom, Grandpa To Inherit Family Estate: Authorities

VERNON, VT — A Vermont man is accused of killing his mother while on a fishing trip at sea, three years after authorities say he also killed his grandfather to gain access to millions of dollars in inheritance, according to a federal government indictment unsealed Tuesday.

Nathan Carman, 28, of Vernon, was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges related to the 2016 murder of his mother, Linda Carman, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Vermont announced.

Authorities did not say how Linda Carman died, but according to the indictment, Carman killed her before purposely sinking his boat off the coast of Rhode Island. Carman was found adrift at sea on a life raft eight days later, The Associated Press reported.

Carman is also accused of shooting and killing his grandfather, John Chakalos, three years earlier, authorities said. The killing happened at Chakalos’s home in Windsor, Connecticut, according to the indictment.

Authorities say both killings were part of a scheme to obtain money and property from the estate of John Chakalos and related family trusts. Chakalos was a real estate developer who left behind an estate worth nearly $29 million to be split between his four daughters, The AP reported. Linda Carman was in line to get $7 million.

The indictment also says Carman attempted to defraud the company that insured his fishing boat.

In 2019, a federal judge ruled in favor of Carman's insurance company that refused to pay the $85,000 claim, saying Carman contributed to the sinking of the boat, according to The AP.

During the trial, Carman claimed he did nothing to intentionally make the boat sink, The AP reported. He told the Coast Guard he called for his mother as the boat filled with water but never saw her again.

If convicted of murder on the high seas, Carman faces mandatory life imprisonment. He's also charged with several counts of fraud. Each charge could carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Carman was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.