CT - John Chakalos, 87, Windsor, 20 December 2013 *Grandson arrested in 2022, found dead in 2023*

[Bodhi]

Wow!!!

What stands out to me in the news coverage is contrast in the depiction of the relationship between Nathan and his grandfather between the boat sinking and today's indictment. Prosecutors allege Nathan began spending significant time with his grandfather John Chakalos in 2012, the year before he was murdered, in order to influence Chakalos's actions on the family trust and its beneficiaries. But according to coverage from 2019, it would not have been out out of character for Nathan to spend significant time with his grandfather. Reportedly, they were extremely close.

Was there a significant change in the amount of time or the nature of the time Nathan spent with his grandfather in 2012? That's the year Nathan graduated high school, IIRC. It seems plausible Nathan's presence at his grandfather's legal/financial dealings could have been the grandfather's initiative--preparing or mentoring his grandson as he entered adulthood? Or he began accompanying his grandfather on these meetings simply because he was had much more unstructured time once he finished high school.

Prosecutors clearly believe strongly, no doubt based on evidence, that Nathan's involvement in his grandfather's legal/financial affairs was purposeful and motivated by money. I'll be interested in what is presented in court.

Nathan Carman, subject of bizarre ordeal at sea in 2016, accused of killing his mother and grandfather in scheme to increase his inheritance

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Vermont released an indictment that charges Carman had been scheming since 2012 to increase his share of the fortune his grandfather, John Chakalos, intended to leave to his daughters and their designees upon his death. Chakalos was a nursing home developer who had...

www.courant.com

 

[Bodhi]

FBI and Coast Guard Investigative Services arrested Carman and searched his home in Vernon, Vermont. Prosecution is being handled by the US Attorney's Office for Vermont.

Video published by the Bennington Banner shows two boats in the the driveway of Carman's home in Vernon, Vermont today. One boat is named "Out Foxed" with the home port listed as Marblehead (Massachusetts). I've attached a screenshot.

'Murder on the high seas': Carman charged in death of his mother, grandfather

RUTLAND — A Vernon man who was a person of interest in the killing of his grandfather in 2013 and the disappearance of his mother in 2016 was arrested Tuesday

www.benningtonbanner.com

From the article:

"In addition one count of murder, Carman also has been charged with seven counts of fraud for lying to investigators and attempting to profit off the deaths."

* * * * *

“On Nov. 11, 2013, Nathan Carman used the New Hampshire driver’s license to purchase a Sig Sauer rifle at Shooter’s Outpost in Hookset, N.H.,” states the federal indictment. “On Dec. 20, 2013, Nathan Carman murdered his grandfather, John Chakalos, shooting him twice with the Sig Sauer while Chakalos slept in his Windsor [Conn.] home.”

* * * * *

“Nathan Carman planned to kill his mother on the trip. He also planned how he would report the sinking of the Chicken Pox and his mother’s disappearance at sea as accidents,” states the indictment. “After leaving the marina, Nathan Carman killed his mother, Linda Carman, and eventually sank the Chicken Pox.”

* * * * *

“After being picked up ... Nathan Carman made false statements to the Coast Guard, to law enforcement investigating the disappearance of Linda Carman, and to others about what happened to Linda Carman and about what occurred on the Chicken Pox,” states the indictment.

* * * * *

"Participants in the multiyear investigation of Carman included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Connecticut State Police, the Windsor, Conn., Police Department, and the South Kingstown Police Department."

 

[TTF14]

Wow, didn't think this would ever happen. I'm happy to see this.

 

[MajorHoople]

Man found on raft off Rhode Island coast is charged in mother's murder

A man found floating on a raft off the coast of New England was charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday with killing his mother at sea to inherit her $7 million share of the family estate.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"A 28-year-old man has finally been charged with killing his mother at sea six years after he was found floating on a raft off the coast of New England.

Nathan Carman was arrested on Tuesday after being the prime suspect in the death of Linda Carman, 54, since she never returned from a fishing trip off Rhode Island in 2016.

Prosecutors claim he tampered with their boat - called Chicken Pox - so it would take on water in a planned attack to seize her $7million share of the family estate.

He was found in an inflatable raft eight days after leaving the marina but his mother's body has never been recovered.

Attorneys are referring to the alleged scandal - which was revealed in unsealed court documents this month - as 'Murder on the High Seas'.

The indictment in Burlington, Vermont, also claims Carmen shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos, 87, as he slept at home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013.

It claims he killed him in a bid to defraud insurance companies, but he has not been charged with the death."

 

[Bodhi]

Here's the indictment.

Nathan Carman Federal Indictment | PDF | Trust Law | Lawsuit

Nathan Carman, 28, is accused of killing his mother, Linda Carman, 54, on a fishing trip off the Rhode Island coast in September 2016.

www.scribd.com

 

[Bodhi]

I'm reading this long article from New York Magazine in 2018 to refresh my memory of the case. I'm sharing in case others are interested in reading it.

A Son Took His Mother Out Fishing. She Never Came Back.

 

[vls12345]

I'm reading this long article from New York Magazine in 2018 to refresh my memory of the case. I'm sharing in case others are interested in reading it.

A Son Took His Mother Out Fishing. She Never Came Back.

Thanks for posting that. I wasn't aware of this case and this was a good overview.

 

[Bodhi]

Cross-posting this from the Linda Carman thread. After this, I think I will focus on the thread for Linda, since that is the murder and fraud he is charged with.

Wired reported last summer that Carman's account of where and when the boat sank does not jive with expert analysis of wind and current data from a research buoy in the area.

An experienced maritime lawyer working for the insurance company learned about an expert in ocean forensics who'd help locate the wreckage of Air France flight 447 when it disappeared over the Atlantic in 2009. He contacted the oceanographer and asked him to analyze data from an offshore scientific research buoy in the area.

The expert's analysis of weather and current data from that week indicates the raft would have drifted west (toward New York) if it sank in the area Carman said it did. But for Carman's account to be true, the life raft had to have been drifting east (toward Massachusetts) in order for it be in the proximity of the commercial vessel 7 days later. The oceanographer also worked backwards from where the crew of the commercial vessel picked up Carman, using the oceanographic data to reconstruct the life raft's position on previous days. Scientific analysis indicates the Chicken Pox did not sink in the area Carman claims and/or it was not drifting for the number of days Carman claims it was.

The oceanographer's findings were part of the insurance trial. Because Carman's work on the boat undermined its structural integrity and seaworthiness, thus voiding his insurance claim, the insurance company's argument and the court's decision focused on his alterations to the boat.

That trial did not hinge on the plausibility of Carman's account of where the boat sank and when. But the forensic analysis done at the behest of the insurance company's attorney may have been pivotal in the indictments for murder and fraud.

A Son Is Rescued at Sea. But What Happened to His Mother?​

archive.ph

 

[Bodhi]

Thanks for posting that. I wasn't aware of this case and this was a good overview.

You're welcome. It's been 5.5 years and the case is so convoluted. If he is guilty, it appears that filing the insurance claim for relatively small money in light of his inheritance will be his downfall.

 

[Bodhi]

In 2018, Carman's attorney filed a document in court detailing that Carman's grandfather, the 87-year-old recent widower John Chakalos, had an ongoing sexual relationship with a 25-year-old woman referred to as "Mistress Y" at the time of his death. Her boyfriend reportedly had drug convictions.

From the Hartford Courant reporting, Mistress Y worked at a company that managed an apartment complex Chakalos owned in Keene, NH. Every time they met, Chakalos gave her at least $800. On December 13-14, 2013, the weekend before he was murdered, Chakalos spent the weekend with Mistress Y at Mohegan Sun casino. Mistress Y denied having sex with him. She stated that Chakalos gave her $3500 for breast enhancement surgery.

On December 19, the night Chakalos was killed, Chakalos and grandson Nathan Carman went out for dinner, then returned to Chakalos's home. Chakalos received a phone call from Mistress Y. He paused the conversation to say goodbye to his grandson. That means Mistress Y was aware that Chakalos was alone at his home in Windsor. The call lasted 19 minutes. According to Mistress Y, the conversation was sexual. Carman meanwhile was seen on video shopping at Stop & Shop after he left his grandfather's.

Law enforcement believes Chakalos was killed between 3 and 4am on December 20th. The Courant reporting states a neighbor told police she heard a loud bang around 2am, however, and tires squealing about an hour later. Windsor is about 15 minutes drive from Bloomfield. Security footage shows Carman did not leave his apartment in Bloomfield until around 3am.

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Because the indictment states that Carman murdered his grandfather, authorities do not believe Mistress Y or any associates caused his death directly or indirectly (by telling someone else about the 87-year-old man who lived alone and kept lots of cash around). Yet it seems that the evidence they have that Carman committed the murder is insufficient to charge him. I wonder if she had been to the house, whether she or her reported boyfriend have criminal records, and whether they have alibis for the time of the murder. Unless Carman is indicted for his grandfather's murder, the duration and character of Chakalos's relationship with Mistress Y is unlikely to come out. It does make me wonder if unanswered questions about Mistress Y's knowledge or actions factor into the decision not to indict Carman for his grandfather's murder.

 

[Cryptic]

It looks like a trial date has been set for October. I wonder if the accused was offered bail, or if he is a "no bail" type defendant?

Vermont real estate heir accused of killing WWII hero grandpa for inheritance gets October trial date

A federal judge set an October trial for Nathan Carman, a Vermont real estate heir, in a double murder and fraud case following the deaths of his grandfather and mom.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Seattle1]

It does make me wonder if unanswered questions about Mistress Y's knowledge or actions factor into the decision not to indict Carman for his grandfather's murder.

^^rsbm

I think the reason why no murder charges filed against the grandfather at this time is this would be a STATE murder charge vs the active murder case in FEDERAL court for the murder of his mother. The defendant himself opened the door wide with incriminating evidence he gave in his insurance suit also heard in federal court.

There is no statute of limitation for murder and he may very well be charged with the murder of his grandfather in the future.

^^rsbm

Yes, it's this $85K claim that I think will ultimately cost Nathan life in prison for killing Linda Carman at sea. His testimony about his mom being more of the problem than the solution (when boat sinking) will also be heard by the jurors in his murder case.

And other than financial motive, it does not seem to me there's any new evidence for grandfather's murder here and/or state murder charges against NC for the murder of JC.

Need to look for the federal complaint now. Also, I expect this will be later sent to a grand jury for indictment. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

It looks like a trial date has been set for October. I wonder if the accused was offered bail, or if he is a "no bail" type defendant?

Vermont real estate heir accused of killing WWII hero grandpa for inheritance gets October trial date

A federal judge set an October trial for Nathan Carman, a Vermont real estate heir, in a double murder and fraud case following the deaths of his grandfather and mom.

www.foxnews.com

Still Missing - RI - Linda Carman, 54, Point Judith, 18 Sept 2016 *SON ARRESTED*

Amanda Pitts‏ @APittsABC6 12m12 minutes ago Insurance attorney says Carman made “shotty repairs” to the holes in his boat, and Carman contradicted himself when testifying on the stand showing his knowledge of boats. “The policy is void and there’s no coverage for Mr. Carman’s insurance claim.”...

www.websleuths.com

 

[sds71]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1669362904947216385

An indictment in this case also alleged that Nathan Carman shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos, 87, in Chakalos’s home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013. Chakalos also owned a home in Chesterfield, New Hampshire

 

[Seattle1]

Nathan Carman, charged with killing mother at sea, dies in jail

Nathan Carman, who was set to go on trial this fall after being charged with killing his mother at sea during a 2016 fishing trip off the coast of Rhode Island, died in jail, prosecutors said.

www.cbsnews.com

6/15/23

Carman's cause of death is not yet clear.

"Mr. Carman was in the custody of the U.S. Marshal, as is the case for all pretrial defendants who are detained. The U.S. Marshal confirmed Mr. Carman's death this morning. We have no further comment beyond our public filing," said Fabienne Boisvert-DeFazio, public affairs officer for the Vermont U.S. attorney's office.

One of Carman's layers, Marty Minnella, said the legal team is devastated and in shock.

"We had conversations with him earlier yesterday and he was upbeat," Minnella said. "We were planning to go to trial and we were very confident we were going to win."

Carman, 29, of Vernon, Vermont, pleaded not guilty last year to fraud and first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Linda Carman of Middletown, Connecticut.

 

[Skigirl]

Weird that they are not releasing the cause of death at the family's request -- as far as I know, cause of death of inmates in federal custody is public record.

 

[Bodhi]

Weird that they are not releasing the cause of death at the family's request -- as far as I know, cause of death of inmates in federal custody is public record.

The New Hampshire Attorney General does not release cause or manner of death if it is not deemed suspicious. I don't see any official statement from the US Attorney in Vermont. It does seem odd that the US Marshall Service in Vermont is saying Carman's cause of death is not being released due to the family's wishes. Nathan's father, presumably, is his next of kin. I assume he is the person with standing to request cause of death not be made public.

The official cause and manner of death may become public this month. After the funeral on June 22, attorney Martin Minella said a full medical report is due in 60 days.

Nobody claimed Nathan's remains, so Minella (one of Nathan's attorneys) paid for his funeral. Nathan's father is in California and was not able to attend. Three family members were at the church for the funeral. Nathan's father is expected to be at the interment in July.

Funeral held for Nathan Carman, man accused of killing mother in inheritance scheme

Carman, who was accused of killing his mother on a fishing trip, died in jail last week.

www.wfsb.com

 

[Trinitee]

The New Hampshire Attorney General does not release cause or manner of death if it is not deemed suspicious. I don't see any official statement from the US Attorney in Vermont. It does seem odd that the US Marshall Service in Vermont is saying Carman's cause of death is not being released due to the family's wishes. Nathan's father, presumably, is his next of kin. I assume he is the person with standing to request cause of death not be made public.

The official cause and manner of death may become public this month. After the funeral on June 22, attorney Martin Minella said a full medical report is due in 60 days.

Nobody claimed Nathan's remains, so Minella (one of Nathan's attorneys) paid for his funeral. Nathan's father is in California and was not able to attend. Three family members were at the church for the funeral. Nathan's father is expected to be at the interment in July.

Funeral held for Nathan Carman, man accused of killing mother in inheritance scheme

Carman, who was accused of killing his mother on a fishing trip, died in jail last week.

www.wfsb.com

Why was his father not able to attend? I thought Nathan was still on decent terms with his father but I may be wrong.What a sad situation all the way around.