Vermont Man Arrested on Charge of 'Murder on the High Seas' in 2016 Death of Mother

Nathan Carman, 28, of Vermont, was arrested yesterday on multiple charges including murder on the high seas in the 2016 death of his mother, Linda Carman, according to federal officials.

The eight-count indictment includes not only his mother’s death, but also accuses, but does not officially charge Carman with an inheritance fraud scheme involving the deadly shooting of his grandfather, John Chakalos, in 2013.

Relatives have previously accused Carman of killing both his mother and grandfather. Chakalos was a wealthy real estate developer and Nathan wanted the $7 million dollars Chakalos left to his mother, per NBC 10.

According to the indictment, Chakalos left Carman $550,000 and spent most of it between 2014 and 2016. By the time of his mother’s death, he was “low on all funds.”

Nathan and Linda were on his boat, named Chicken Pox, for a fishing trip in 2016 when it sank, leaving Linda missing and presumed dead. Nathan was found floating on a raft off of the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Rhode Island.

Carman denied doing anything to intentionally allow the boat to sink. Witnesses testified to improper repairs to the boat.

In 2019, a federal judge from Rhode Island said he believed the Carmen contributed to the sinking and issued a written decision in favor of an insurance company who refused to pay $85,000 claim for the loss of his boat.

Carman is due in federal court on Wednesday in Rutland, Vermont for arraignment. If convicted of murder on the high seas, Carman faces mandatory life imprisonment. Each fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of thirty years according to the U.S. Department of Justice.