“Family Lies”: 20/20 Reports on Nathan Carman April 4 2025

On Friday, April 4, 2025, ABC’s 20/20 presents “Family Lies,” a two-hour investigation into the mysterious and disturbing saga of Nathan Carman. Co-anchored by Deborah Roberts, this episode explores the disappearance of Carman’s mother, Linda Carman, during a 2016 fishing trip, and the earlier unsolved murder of his millionaire grandfather, John Chakalos. Through exclusive interviews with family members, law enforcement, legal experts, and authors, the program revisits the series of events that turned what began as a rescue story into a chilling criminal case.

The episode revisits Carman’s dramatic 2016 rescue at sea and follows the long trail of suspicions that led to his indictment for fraud and murder. The broadcast promises never-before-seen footage and newly uncovered details about the family’s tragic history, including insights from Casey Sherman, author of Blood in the Water, and retired FBI agents who worked the case. This episode marks a definitive look into one of the most perplexing and high-profile familial murder cases in recent memory.

The Vanishing of Linda Carman at Sea

On September 17, 2016, Nathan Carman and his mother Linda departed Ram Point Marina in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, for what appeared to be a routine overnight fishing trip aboard Nathan’s boat, Chicken Pox. Days later, Nathan was found alone on a life raft by a freighter, more than 100 miles from shore. Linda was never found and was presumed dead. Initial reports framed the incident as a tragic accident at sea, but discrepancies in Nathan’s story soon prompted deeper investigation.

Nathan claimed that the boat suddenly took on water due to engine trouble and sank within minutes. However, investigators discovered that key components of the boat — including trim tabs that provide stability — had been removed. Witnesses at the marina noted the absence of fishing gear aboard the vessel and expressed skepticism about the trip’s legitimacy. Authorities grew suspicious that the boat had been intentionally sabotaged.

The 2013 Murder of John Chakalos

Three years earlier, on December 20, 2013, Nathan Carman’s grandfather, John Chakalos, was shot and killed in his home in Windsor, Connecticut. The 87-year-old real estate developer had amassed tens of millions of dollars through property investments. He was found with a gunshot wound to the head in what authorities described as an execution-style killing. There were no signs of forced entry or robbery.

Nathan, who was especially close to his grandfather, was identified early as a person of interest. Police questioned him and searched his residence, where they found several firearms. However, none matched the weapon used in the murder. Despite circumstantial evidence — including Nathan’s recent purchase of a rifle that went missing and the destruction of his computer hard drive and truck GPS unit — no charges were filed in the grandfather’s case at the time.

The Federal Indictment and Allegations of Greed

In 2022, a federal grand jury in Vermont issued an eight-count indictment charging Nathan Carman with fraud and the murder of his mother on the high seas. Prosecutors alleged that both deaths were part of a calculated plan to inherit family wealth. According to the indictment, Carman stood to gain $7 million as Linda Carman’s sole heir and had already received $550,000 from his grandfather’s estate after Chakalos’s death.

Investigators pointed to Carman’s financial instability as a motive. After receiving a substantial sum from Chakalos’s bank accounts, Nathan moved to Vermont and lived off the funds. By late 2016, the money was nearly gone. Prosecutors alleged that he arranged the fishing trip to kill his mother and claim both her inheritance and insurance money. He filed an $85,000 claim for the loss of his boat, but insurers rejected it, citing evidence of intentional tampering. A federal judge later agreed that Carman had made suspect modifications to the vessel.

The Delayed Trial and Carman’s Death in Custody

Carman’s trial was scheduled to begin in October 2023. His defense team, led by attorneys Martin Minnella and David Sullivan, maintained that he was innocent and argued the case against him was speculative. They questioned the strength of the prosecution’s evidence, particularly regarding the murder of John Chakalos, for which Carman had never been charged directly.

On June 15, 2023, while in pretrial detention at the Cheshire County Jail in New Hampshire, Nathan Carman was found dead in his cell. Authorities did not immediately disclose the cause of death, but his lawyers stated that he left a note addressed to them. The federal government dropped all charges following his death. His attorneys expressed sorrow and disappointment that Carman would not have the opportunity to defend himself in court. They insisted that he had been in good spirits and had been preparing for trial up to the day before his death.

Family Legacy and Public Reaction

Following Carman’s death, the surviving daughters of John Chakalos — Nathan’s aunts — released a statement expressing sadness and a desire for privacy. They had previously taken legal steps to prevent Nathan from receiving further inheritance from Chakalos’s estate. Public interest in the case remains high, with documentaries and books — including a forthcoming Netflix feature and a new volume by maritime attorney David Farrell — continuing to examine the evidence and implications of the case.

Farrell, who played a key role in the insurance litigation that revealed critical evidence, maintains that the motive was financial. He argues that the civil proceedings unearthed damaging contradictions in Nathan’s story and helped form the basis for the federal criminal case. Farrell’s work suggests that without the insurance claim, Nathan Carman may never have faced prosecution.

Conclusion

The Nathan Carman case reveals a deeply unsettling narrative of alleged familial betrayal, unsolved homicide, and an inheritance dispute that turned deadly. Though the charges against Carman were never tested in court due to his death, the allegations and the weight of circumstantial evidence continue to haunt public memory. With new investigative efforts from journalists and legal experts, the story remains alive — not just as a mystery, but as a cautionary tale of greed, deception, and the fragility of trust within families.

ABC’s 20/20 episode “Family Lies” aims to shed further light on this grim tale, offering viewers a chance to reconsider the case in the light of new revelations and interviews. The broadcast airs April 4, 2025, at 9:01 PM ET and will be available to stream on Hulu.

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