Linda Carman, 54, departed with her son, Nathan, for a fishing trip on September 17, 2016, and never returned. Was it an unfortunate accident, as Nathan claimed, or something more sinister?
The Carman Family Deaths, a new Netflix documentary streaming Wednesday, November 19, examines the clues from Linda’s disappearance and revelations about the family’s past—including another suspicious death.
Nathan was ultimately arrested and charged with his mother’s murder, but maintained his innocence. Because of one more tragic twist in the case, however, the full truth remains elusive.
Who Were Linda and Nathan Carman—and What Happened to Them?
Linda Carman was one of four daughters of John Chakalos, a wealthy Connecticut real-estate developer. According to New York Magazine, Chakalos was known for doting on his grandchildren, including Nathan—Linda’s son with husband Clark Carman born in 1994.
Nathan’s parents divorced when he was young, and he grew up primarily with Linda. The mother and son often traveled together, including a trip to Greece and a Canadian fishing excursion, but their relationship became increasingly strained as Nathan reached high school.
Nathan was diagnosed in childhood with Asperger syndrome—now among the broader category of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Like others with the disorder, he struggled with social interactions and had difficulty making friends. Sometime around age 16, Nathan’s beloved Irish Sport horse named Cruise died of colic, leading to what his mother described as “paranoid illusions” and a “psychotic episode” at school in which he compared his principal to Satan.
As Linda and Clark struggled to make sense of their son’s behavior—even signing over his guardianship to a behavioral correction camp in 2011—Nathan remained close with Chakalos, who at one point paid for his grandson’s apartment. “John was the most important thing to Nathan,” Clark Carman said. “At times I think he felt he was his father more than me.”
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However, a violent tragedy would soon call details of the relationship into question.
Did Nathan Carman Kill His Grandfather, John Chakalos?
On December 20, 2013, Chakalos was found dead inside his Windsor, Connecticut, home. He had been shot three times in the head and back, with no sign of forced entry.
Police questioned both Linda—who had a gambling habit, according to sources close to the family, and stood to inherit millions after her father’s death—and Nathan. He was the last to see his grandfather alive, eating dinner with him the night prior.
Eventually, investigators discovered Nathan had purchased an assault rifle matching the caliber of the gun used to kill Chakalos. He claimed he had forgotten about the firearm when questioned and lost it. Additionally, Nathan had destroyed his computer around the time of the killing. According to Boston Magazine, the Windsor Police Department drafted a warrant for Nathan’s arrest, but it was left unsigned without enough concrete evidence.
Those details—and the lingering questions surrounding Linda Carman’s disappearance—are central to Netflix’s The Carman Family Deaths, which re-examines both tragedies nearly a decade later.
How Did Linda Carman Go Missing at Sea?
Less than three years later, Nathan became tied to another mystery—this time including his mother.
Around 11 p.m. on September 17, 2016, Nathan and Linda departed Ram Point Marina in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, for a fishing excursion on his boat, the Chicken Pox. But when three of Linda’s friends attempted to contact her the following day with no response, they reported the boat missing. The Coast Guard began looking for any sign of the vessel and its two passengers, but found no trace and suspended the rescue mission on September 24.
The following day—more than a week after he and his mother had gone missing—Nathan was found floating at sea in an emergency raft by the crew of the Orient Lucky freight ship. He was rescued about 100 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.
Nathan claimed the boat had a malfunctioning belt in its engine area and began capsizing. In the ensuing struggle, he didn’t place a distress call and lost track of Linda. “I got onboard the life raft and was looking around, and I was calling out to my mom. I did not see or hear my mom, and I was blowing the whistle with three loud, short bursts, which is a distress signal,” he told ABC News reporter Linzie Janis. “I assume that if she had been on the surface and conscious that she would have been calling out to me, and I would have been able to find her. But I didn’t know why that hadn’t happened.”
Linda was never found, and attention quickly turned to Nathan’s conflicting version of events.
Was Nathan Carman Ever Charged or Convicted?
As police continued to investigate Linda’s disappearance, Nathan filed an $85,000 insurance claim for his lost boat, according to ABC News. The claim was denied because of “holes in his story.” For example, an oceanographer determined water currents should have pushed the emergency raft to the west. Carman claimed he drifted east.
According to the FBI, Carman had purchased an anchor incompatible with his boat shortly before the excursion, as well as lengths of chain.
Eventually, the inconsistencies in Nathan’s account became too much to ignore. The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced on May 10, 2022, that Carman was arrested and indicted on charges including the murder of Linda on the high seas and “related frauds to obtain family and insurance funds.”
Carman pleaded “not guilty.” Prosecutors alleged he altered the boat to make it more likely to sink, but Carman denied that allegation and any wrongdoing.
How Did Nathan Carman Die in Prison?
Carman’s trial was scheduled for October 2023, but it never happened.
On June 15, 2023, a corrections officer found Carman unresponsive inside his cell at the Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire. According to MWUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire, staff members and first responders used a defibrillator and administered CPR for 40 minutes, but Carman was pronounced dead early that morning.
According to an autopsy report, Carman was the only person in his cell and his death was not ruled suspicious. Investigators found a note in Carman’s cell but, according to his attorney Martin Minnella, it contained information about his case and “was not a suicide note.”
The criminal charges against Carman were subsequently dropped. According to ABC News, the investigation of Chakalos’ death is still ongoing as of April 2025. The estates of both Chakalos and Linda Carman went to probate court, and their current status hasn’t been shared publicly.
Although Nathan was never convicted of any wrongdoing, family members speculate he had a role in the deaths of both his mother and Chakalos. Still, there are many complicated factors that will potentially be explored by the new documentary
“Nathan should be remembered as a troubled soul,” his aunt, Charlene Gallagher told 20/20. “I’m relieved that Nathan was buried in the family plot next to my dad. He needs to rest.”
What to Know About Netflix’s The Carman Family Deaths
The Carman Family Deaths streams on Netflix starting Wednesday, November 19. According to Netflix’s Tudum, it features interviews with Clark Carman, one of Nathan’s aunts, as well as police, FBI, and Coast Guard investigators.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
