Linda Carman Murder Timeline: What Happened to Her Remains?

In September 2016, Linda Carman set out on a fishing trip and was expected to return within a day—but she never came back. When her boat failed to return as scheduled, the Coast Guard promptly launched a search operation, but their initial investigation turned up very little. It wasn’t until a week later that a key discovery provided some much-needed answers. ABC’s episode of ’20/20′ titled ‘Family Lies?’ delves into the investigation and reveals how authorities ultimately identified the person responsible for her disappearance.

Linda Carman’s Remains Haven’t Been Found Since She Disappeared During a Fishing Trip

Linda A. Chakalos was born on September 15, 1962, to Rita and John Chakalos. She was raised in Windsor, Connecticut, alongside her three sisters—Elaine, Charlene, and Valerie—in a well-to-do and close-knit family. Her father, a U.S. Army veteran, later built a successful career in real estate development, which provided a strong and stable foundation for his family. Linda eventually started a family of her own when she married Earle Clark Carman in the early 1990s. The couple welcomed their son, Nathan Carman, on July 6, 1994, completing their family unit. However, for undisclosed reasons, Linda and Earle divorced in 1998. The former then moved to Middletown, Connecticut, where she raised their son, Nathan.

Life wasn’t always easy, especially as Nathan had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Despite the challenges, she was deeply committed to his care—often seeking professional advice and doing everything she could to support his well-being. In November 2013, the family was brought together by the passing of Linda’s mother. But just a month later, in December 2013, an even more devastating event occurred: Her father was found shot to death in his Windsor home. The police pursued several leads in the case, including investigating Linda herself due to an alleged altercation between her and her father in 2011. However, no concrete evidence emerged, and the case ultimately remained unsolved. Nathan soon moved to Vernon, Vermont, but Linda always made an effort to bond with her son.

In 2013, she accompanied him on a camping trip to Cherrington Lake in Ontario, and in 2015, they visited Shearstone Lake in the same region. Hoping to create more meaningful memories, she planned another trip with Nathan on the evening of September 17, 2016. They departed from Ram Point Marina in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, aboard a boat named Chicken Pox, which Nathan had purchased. The boat was expected to return the next day around noon, but it never came back. The Coast Guard launched a search operation, and on September 25, 2016, Nathan was discovered alone in an inflatable raft. Linda was never found, and the search for her was abandoned because time had passed “beyond a survivability window.” She is now presumed dead. Her obituary lists her date of death as September 18, 2016. Interestingly, the police never confirmed the cause of her death.

The Police Found Inconsistencies in the Timeline Given by Linda Carman’s Accused Killer

Nathan Carman was questioned by authorities, during which he shared his version of the events. He explained that he was aware there would likely be some water in the bilge and claimed to have taken safety precautions in advance. He said that he believed he could address the issue himself if it arose. According to his account, he and Linda were initially in the wheelhouse before heading to the main cabin. At one point, he said he asked his mother to help bring in the fishing lines. That’s when, he claimed, the boat suddenly gave way beneath him. He stated that after the incident, he could no longer see Linda anywhere.

Nathan said he managed to gather some food and water, climbed into an inflatable raft, and put on a life vest. He insisted that he neither saw nor heard from his mother again after the boat began to sink. However, the police found a lot of inconsistencies in his accounts. The police continued building their case and found several aspects of Nathan’s account troubling. One of the biggest concerns was that he never used the boat’s radio to call for help, nor did he activate the emergency locator beacon when the boat supposedly sank. Nathan responded by saying he hadn’t realized the boat was sinking until it was too late.

Linda Carman’s Alleged Killer Was Also a Suspect in His Grandfather’s Death

Digging deeper into his background, investigators also revisited the 2013 death of John Charles Chakalos, Nathan Carman’s grandfather. The former had been considered a suspect in that case as well. He reportedly had no solid alibi for the night of the murder and was said to have purchased a Sig Sauer firearm just weeks before the killing. Investigators believed the same type of gun was used in his grandfather’s murder. He was also set to gain huge sums of inheritance from both his mother and grandfather’s passing. However, Nathan denied all the allegations, and no formal charges were filed against him at the time.

Authorities alleged that Nathan had experienced a troubled upbringing. In 2011, he reportedly disappeared from home for a period after the death of his horse. He had also been allegedly involved in a few concerning incidents during his school years. Investigators believed that financial motive was at the heart of the crime. They claimed he killed his mother to gain access to a multimillion-dollar inheritance, along with the payout from her life insurance policy. On May 10, 2022, Nathan was formally indicted on charges of first-degree murder and fraud and was taken into custody. However, before his case could go to trial, he killed himself in jail on June 15, 2023. Following his death, all charges against him were officially dropped.