BURLINGTON, Vt. — Nathan Carman has died awaiting trial for his mother's death in a 2016 fishing trip off New England, prosecutors said Thursday.
Carman, 29, of Vernon, Vermont, was scheduled to face trial in October in what prosecutors said was a scheme to inherit millions of dollars. He had pleaded not guilty last year to fraud and first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Linda Carman of Middletown, Connecticut.
Prosecutors said on Thursday that Carman died on or about June 15, 2023, and thus, the dismissal of the charges against him is appropriate. He was expected to go on trial in the fall.
“Mr. Carman was in the custody of the U.S. Marshal, as is the case for all pretrial defendants who are detained. The U.S. Marshal confirmed Mr. Carman’s death this morning. We have no further comment beyond our public filing,” said Fabienne Boisvert-DeFazio, public affairs officer for the Vermont U.S. attorney's office.
The cause of Nathan Carman's death was not immediately clear.
Carman allegedly left a note for his lawyers, but they did not know what it said, according to Carman’s other attorney David Sullivan. Federal prosecutors informed them of the note.
The Vermont U.S. attorney’s office said Carman died Thursday in U.S. Marshal's custody, which handles defendants who are detained before trial.
One of his lawyers, Martin Minnella, said he was told about Carman’s death Thursday by the U.S. Marshals Service.
“We had spoken to him yesterday. He was in good spirits,” Minnella told the Associated Press. “We were meeting with some experts today over Zoom at 12 o’clock. We were prepared to start picking a jury on Oct. 10 and we were confident we were going to win. It’s just a tragedy, a tragedy.”
Carman was the sole occupant of a cell when found dead at around 2:30 a.m. by guards at a federal prison in Keene, New Hampshire, said Doug Losue, the superintendent of the Cheshire Corrections Department. Losue said the death was being investigated by police in Keene, which is close to the Vermont state line.
"I’m numb. This is an individual I’ve been dealing with on a daily basis," said Martin Minnella, attorney for Nathan Carman. "It was an education because I had known nothing about this case until I got involved and he was a very bright, intelligent, young man."
The cause of Carman's death was not immediately clear.
The eight-count indictment released in federal court in Burlington last year also said Carman shot and killed his grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 as part of an effort to defraud insurance companies. He was not charged with that killing.
"The indictment alleges that both killings were part of a scheme to obtain money and property from the estate of John Chakalos and related family trusts. The indictment further alleges Carman attempted to defraud the company that insured his fishing boat," officials said in a release.
Carman faced mandatory life imprisonment if he had been found guilty. The fraud charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 30 years of imprisonment.
"While we process this shocking news and its impact on the tragic events surrounding the last several years, we ask for your understanding and respect relative to our privacy." (statement released by Attorney Bill Michaels who represents Carman's family)
Carman and his mother left on a fishing trip from Ram's Point Marina in Point Judith, Rhode Island on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. Nathan Carman was found alone in a life raft eight days later. His mother is presumed dead.
In 2019, a judge found Nathan Carman's insurance policy did not cover the sinking of his boat.
Chaklos was killed in his Windsor home in 2013. Officials said that Carman killed his grandfather, who owned real estate and nursing homes, with a rifle that has not been recovered. Chaklos left his $29 million estate to his daughters, including Linda. Carman stands to inherit his mother's share of the estate since she died. Carman's aunts were unsuccessful in court in having the court remove him as a beneficiary in New Hampshire, but the case is still ongoing.
"I think eventually the whole truth will come out," said Minnella.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.