Survivor or Suspect? The Chilling Mystery Behind Nathan Carman’s Ocean Ordeal and the Mother Who Never Returned

NEW ENGLAND — The open waters off the New England coast have long carried stories of survival and tragedy. But few are as perplexing—or as haunting—as the case of Nathan Carman and his mother, Linda. In a chilling saga that began with a routine mother-son fishing trip and ended in disaster, questions still linger nearly a decade later. Was it a tragic accident at sea—or a calculated act of murder motivated by money?

Now, a new in-depth ABC 20/20 special titled “Family Lies?”, premiering Friday, April 4, at 9/8c, dives deep into the mystery and the complex family dynamics that may have led to tragedy. Detectives, legal experts, and family members break their silence in the hour-long episode, tracing the threads of suspicion, grief, and greed that stretch across multiple states and several years.

The Sinking That Sparked Suspicion

On a September morning in 2016, 22-year-old Nathan Carman and his mother, 54-year-old Linda Carman, set out from a marina in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. They boarded Nathan’s boat, the Chicken Pox, for what was supposed to be a bonding trip—just the two of them, chasing tuna in the vast Atlantic Ocean.

But days later, Nathan was found alone in a life raft, adrift approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Cold, dehydrated, and shaken, he was rescued by a passing freighter. Linda Carman was never found.

Nathan told the Coast Guard a harrowing tale: the boat, he claimed, had suddenly begun taking on water and sank within minutes. He said he barely had time to grab emergency supplies before he was forced to abandon ship.

But as investigators began looking into the incident, his story didn’t add up.

A Pattern of Death in the Carman Family

Suspicion was not new to the Carman family. In 2013, three years before the boat incident, Nathan’s grandfather, John Chakalos, a wealthy real estate developer, was found shot to death in his Windsor, Connecticut home. The murder remains unsolved to this day, but police zeroed in on Nathan as a person of interest early on—particularly after learning he had been the last known person to see Chakalos alive.

The killing of Chakalos was shocking, not only because of the brutality of the crime, but also because it introduced serious questions about money and motive. At the time of his death, Chakalos was reportedly worth over $40 million. Nathan stood to inherit millions, along with his mother and her three sisters.

According to court records, tensions within the family had been building. Chakalos had generously supported his daughters financially, and Nathan—despite his relatively young age—had grown used to living off that wealth. After his grandfather’s death, he inherited $550,000 and reportedly spent it quickly.

Then came the fishing trip with his mother—and her mysterious disappearance.

Investigations That Crossed State Lines

Following the sinking, the FBI, Coast Guard, and local law enforcement in Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island opened investigations. They examined everything from the condition of the Chicken Pox to Nathan’s personal finances and internet history.

According to investigators interviewed in the 20/20 special, crucial questions emerged: Why had Nathan removed two stabilizing trim tabs from the back of the boat shortly before the trip? Could this have caused the vessel to take on water more easily? And why was there no distress signal sent?

Experts in maritime engineering raised concerns about the plausibility of Nathan’s version of events. Family members also grew suspicious. Linda’s sisters accused Nathan of orchestrating both the death of their father and the disappearance of their sister—all to secure a larger share of the inheritance.

Though Nathan was never criminally charged in either case, he was sued in civil court by his aunts, who sought to block him from receiving any further inheritance. In 2021, a federal judge allowed their wrongful death lawsuit to proceed, acknowledging that circumstantial evidence against Nathan was “compelling.”

Nathan Carman’s Defense—and His Final Days

Throughout the years of suspicion, Nathan Carman maintained his innocence. He insisted that his grandfather’s murder was unrelated to him and that his mother’s disappearance was a tragedy he would never get over.

“I would never hurt my mom,” he told reporters in one of his rare public statements. “She was my best friend.”

But in 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Nathan on multiple charges, including murder on the high seas and fraud. Prosecutors alleged that he had “planned and executed” his mother’s killing and lied repeatedly to investigators in an elaborate scheme to obtain family wealth.

Nathan pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial while held in federal custody. In a final, unexpected twist, Nathan Carman died in jail in December 2023, reportedly of an undisclosed medical condition. He was 29.

His death brought an end to a legal process—but not to the questions. Linda Carman’s body was never recovered, and her official cause of death remains unknown.

A Family Torn by Secrets and Wealth

The 20/20 special, “Family Lies?”, offers a rare look into the heartbreak and mystery that engulfed the Carman family. Featuring exclusive interviews with detectives, attorneys, maritime experts, and those closest to Linda, the program paints a portrait of a family undone not just by tragedy, but by suspicion and the corrosive power of money.

“Sometimes, the people we love the most are the ones we know the least,” one investigator says during the program.

“Family Lies?” airs Friday, April 4, at 9/8c on ABC. It will also be available for streaming on Hulu starting April 5.