Vermont man charged with murdering mom at sea over inheritance money after boat sank off Rhode Island coast

Nearly six years after being rescued from a life raft off the Rhode Island coast, Nathan Carman of Vernon, Vermont has been charged with the murder of his mother. He told rescuers that he and his mother had embarked on a fishing trip, but when the boat began gaining water, his mother disappeared. 

Carman was also suspected in the shooting of his grandfather, John Chakalos, who was murdered in his sleep in December 2013. The death of Linda Carman is allegedly part of a scheme to obtain millions of dollars in inheritance money from the Chakalos estate and related trusts.

Included in the eight-count indictment are charges for his mother’s murder and related frauds. While the indictment mentions his grandfather’s murder, no charges were brought at this time. If convicted, Carman faces mandatory life imprisonment. 

For more information:

See Danielle Wallace, “Vermont man charged with murdering mom at sea over inheritance money after boat sank off Rhode Island coast”, Fox News, May 11, 2022.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2022/05/vermont-man-charged-with-murdering-mom-at-sea-over-inheritance-money-after-boat-sank-off-rhode-islan.html