5 chilling details about Nathan Carman’s crimes as shown in Netflix’s The Carman Family Deaths 

Netflix's documentary The Carman Family Deaths explores the story of a family that appeared to have it all: wealth from real estate, close bonds, and a shared love for the sea in New England. But beneath the surface lay tensions over control, inheritance, and mental health that erupted into unimaginable loss.

Directed by Yon Motskin and released on November 19, 2025, the documentary centers on Nathan Carman, a young man with autism. He was accused of orchestrating the 2013 shooting death of his millionaire grandfather, John Chakalos, and the 2016 disappearance of his mother, Linda Carman, during a fishing trip off Rhode Island.

Rescued alone after eight days at sea, Nathan's account raised questions, leading to murder charges tied to a $42 million estate. The film explores how a routine outing spiraled into a federal probe, blending grief with suspicion. It features interviews with family members, investigators, and experts.

Viewers can stream The Carman Family Deaths on Netflix, available worldwide with subtitles in multiple languages.

---

The Carman Family Deaths: Five facts about Nathan Carman's crimes

1) The close-range shooting of grandfather John Chakalos

Nathan bought a rifle a week before John's death (Image via Unsplash/@STNGR LLC)

John Chakalos, an 87-year-old real estate developer worth around $42 million, was found dead in his Windsor, Connecticut, home on December 20, 2013. He died from a single gunshot to the head while asleep in bed, as per People. The case was ruled a homicide, but no arrests followed. Nathan Carman, then 19, was the last person known to see him alive after a visit that evening.

Weeks earlier, Nathan had bought a SIG Sauer rifle in New Hampshire, but later told police he had lost it. Ballistics linked the murder weapon to that type. He also discarded his computer's hard drive and vehicle GPS the next morning, actions investigators later flagged, according to a report by People.

An email from Nathan to the family estate attorney inquired about inheritance rules, specifically who needed to pass away first for him to access the funds. Though Nathan had an alibi for part of the night via surveillance video showing him at home around 2 a.m., gaps in his timeline from 3 to 4 a.m. persisted.

The documentary The Carman Family Deaths uses police logs and family interviews to show how this unsolved killing cast a long shadow, with no body evidence tying Nathan directly to the crime, but enough to fuel later probes.

---

2) Modifications to the boat before the fateful trip

Nathan took Linda fishing on an offshore route (Image via YouTube/Netflix)

In the weeks leading to September 17, 2016, Nathan made unusual changes to his 31-foot cabin cruiser, Chicken Pox. Witnesses reported seeing him drill holes in the hull and remove trim tabs, which are parts that stabilize boats at sea, according to Netflix's Tudum. These alterations, as depicted in the documentary through expert recreations and Coast Guard photos, compromised the vessel's structure.

Nathan, an inexperienced boater, chose an offshore route to Block Canyons, 60-70 miles from Point Judith, Rhode Island, farther and riskier than typical spots. The unused bait in his truck suggested that the trip might not have been fully planned for fishing. The documentary interviews Deputy Chief Alfred Bucco III, who noted these prep steps as odd for a routine overnight outing with his mother, Linda.

No Mayday call was issued during the incident, and GPS data revealed deviations from safe paths.

---

3) Gaps in Nathan's account of the sinking and rescue

Nathan was rescued alive (Image via Unsplash/@Enguerrand Photography/ The Carman Family Deaths )

During the 2016 fishing trip, Nathan claimed that the boat's floor gave way while he was fixing an issue in the wheelhouse, causing it to flood rapidly. He said while he distracted Linda by asking her to bring in fishing lines on deck.

Nathan was rescued eight days later while drifting on an inflatable raft by a Chinese freighter 100 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. He claimed that he survived by rationing food and drinking rainwater.

However, ocean current experts in the documentary The Carman Family Deaths analyzed drift patterns: the raft moved eastward, against the expected westward flow, suggesting that the boat had sunk elsewhere.

His failure to use the radio for help, despite being in range, and a detached demeanor in interrogations, described as selective and literal, drew scrutiny. FBI Agent Lisa Tutty noted Nathan deflected questions about Linda's life vest.

The film contrasts this with footage showing him climbing aboard the freighter unaided, appearing fit during his rescue. The scene has raised doubts about his reported autism diagnosis, which experts say can affect how trauma is expressed, according to WTNH.

---

4) The insurance claim and links to family inheritance

The Carman Family Deaths (Image via Unsplash/@Alexander Grey)

Two weeks after his rescue, Nathan filed an $85,000 claim for the lost Chicken Pox, but it was denied after a judge ruled the sinking stemmed from his faulty hull repairs. This sparked federal involvement, as the insurer shared findings with authorities.

The Carman Family Deaths ties this to broader financial threads: After Chakalos's death, Nathan received about $100,000 yearly from the estate and bought a property in Vermont. Prosecutors alleged a scheme for early access to Linda's share of the $42 million fortune, blocked until her death.

Investigators found an essay by Nathan in which he expressed distrust of law enforcement and his reluctance to participate in interviews. The title of the essay read:

"Why I Am Reluctant to Cooperate With Police,"

Family members, like Linda's sister Charlene Gallagher, discussed inheritance strains in the film. Though Nathan denied fraud, the claim's timing and estate details painted a picture of motive, with no direct proof but enough for indictments on forgery and false pretenses alongside murder, as per People.

---

5) Indictments, jailhouse death, and lingering mysteries in The Carman Family Deaths

In February 2022, Nathan faced federal charges in Rhode Island for Linda's murder and fraud, along with counts in Vermont for Chakalos's killing, his first formal accusations after years of probes. He pleaded not guilty, with his attorney citing an alibi video for the 2013 shooting.

However, the trial, scheduled for October 2023, never took place. On June 15, 2023, the 29-year-old was found dead in his Rhode Island jail cell. The death was ruled a suicide. Charges against him were dismissed posthumously, and Linda was declared dead that year.

The Carman Family Deaths ends with divided family views, his father Clark Carman defending Nathan's innocence due to autism, while others grieve unresolved loss. Investigators maintain suspicions, but no boat wreckage or bodies have surfaced, leaving open questions about accomplices or accidents, according to WTNH.

---

Catch The Carman Family Deaths available on Netflix.

Jermain Charlo case on Cold Justice - A complete timeline of events

Where is James Schwalm now? Details explored from the Ashley Schwalm case on Dateline