Nathan Carman, man charged with killing mom at sea, dies alone in jail while awaiting trial

VERNON, Vermont — The man charged with killing his mother at sea during a fishing trip off New England died alone in his jail cell Thursday while awaiting his murder trial, authorities said.

Nathan Carman, 29, of Vernon, Vermont, was found unresponsive in his cell during routine rounds by the Cheshire County Jail’s correctional staff. Carman’s manner of death is still undetermined pending an autopsy by the Office of the Medical Examiner in Concord, the Cheshire County Department of Corrections said.

Carman was the sole occupant of the cell, according to the Cheshire County Department of Corrections.

“The United States received information from the U.S. Marshal that Carman died on or about June 15, 2023. Dismissal of the charges against Carman is thus appropriate,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Vermont stated in a notice informing the dismissal of an indictment charging him in the death of his mother, Linda Carman.

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Carman’s case, which attracted worldwide attention, was slated to go to trial in October.

In a statement, the Carman family attorney said, “We were deeply saddened to hear of Nathan’s death this morning. 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.”

Carman allegedly arranged a fishing trip with his mother in September 2016, during which prosecutors say he planned to kill her and report that his boat sank and his mother disappeared in the accident.

He was found floating in an inflatable raft eight days after leaving a Rhode Island marina with his mother, who was never found.

Prosecutors alleged that the killing was an elaborate scheme set up by Carman to inherit millions of dollars.

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The Nathan Carman case

The indictment also alleged that Carman fatally shot his wealthy grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013. He was never charged in his death.

A federal judge ruled last summer that Carman was to remain locked up while he awaited the trial.

He pleaded not guilty last year to fraud and first-degree murder in his mother’s death.

The Keene Police Department is leading an investigation into Carman’s death.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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