What happened to Nathan Carman and did he kill Linda Carman and John Chakalos?
The deaths of Linda Carman and her father John Chakalos are explored in a new documentary.
Netflix is examining yet another disappearance in new documentary The Carman Family Deaths.
The series details the story of Linda Carman and her son Nathan, who went out on a fishing trip that turned into what Netflix describes as "a modern-day Greek tragedy".
Featuring interviews with Nathan Carman's father and Linda's ex-husband Clark Carman and those who worked closely on the case, the documentary illuminates "long-standing tensions and divided loyalties".
Read on to learn more about what happened to Linda Carman, and how her disappearance soon sparked an interest in a previously unsolved murder.
What happened to Linda Carman?
In 2016, Linda Carman and her son Nathan set out on an overnight fishing trip from South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
But when Linda failed to contact a friend the following day, the authorities were alerted and she and Nathan were reported missing. This sparked a Coast Guard search for the two, which covered roughly 64,000 nautical square miles.
Eight days later, Nathan was spotted drifting on a life raft and was rescued, but Linda's body was never recovered.
Did Nathan Carman kill Linda Carman?
During interviews with law enforcement, Nathan said he had told his mother to bring in the fishing lines, but as he was carrying emergency gear out of the wheelhouse, the boat gave way beneath him and he was submerged into the water.
He told Alfred Bucco III, deputy chief of the South Kingstown Police Department, that he did not see or hear his mother.
During the police's investigation, they learned that Nathan had filed an insurance claim for his lost boat, but it was denied, citing "holes in his story".
A judge found that Nathan made faulty repairs to the boat and ruled in favour of the insurance companies, but it did not determine if he had intentionally sunk the boat or murdered Linda.
In 2022, Nathan was criminally indicted over the murder of his mother Linda, to which he pleaded not guilty.
What happened to John Chakalos?
In late 2013, John Chakalos was found shot dead in his home.
Law enforcement determined that Chakalos had likely been shot by a Sig Sauer rifle, the same gun that Nathan had purchased weeks before the murder.
"Well, he acknowledged that he bought this weapon," Christopher McKee, former Lieutenant of the Windsor Police Department, said in an interview on 20/20. "When asked about it, he said he lost it, and he didn't know where the gun was."
Did Nathan Carman kill John Chakalos?
The police did not manage to find the murder weapon and as such, there was no key evidence strong enough to make an arrest.
Nathan was never charged with the murder of John Chakalos. To this day, the case remains unsolved.
What happened to Nathan Carman?
Before the case of Linda's alleged murder went to trial, Nathan took his own life while in prison. The charges against him were then dismissed.
The Carman Family Deaths is available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
