Nathan Carman says insurance trial 'isn't about money'

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Nathan Carman broke his long silence Wednesday after closing the civil trial involving his insurance claim for the boat he and his mother were aboard when it sank in 2016.

Carman had kept his silence throughout the federal trial, in which he is fighting for an $85,000 insurance claim that his insurance company says he should not get.

When he left the courthouse on Wednesday, Carman finally stopped next to a group of reporters and said he needed to say one thing.

"We don't know what caused the boat to sink," Carman said. "I almost feel like I have a responsibility to my mom to make sure the truth comes out."

Carman telling us he will only get a fraction of the $85,000 if the judge rules in his favor. The boat that sank three years ago was covered by National Fire Insurance, based in Hartford. The company filed the civil case to block the money from going to Carman because they say he lied about what happened at sea.

"[They] have made claims against me that are so tremendous, I don't feel I could walk away from them," Carman said. "That's why I am here. I'm not here about the money. I just wanted to clarify that."

Carman's attorney, in closing arguments, told the judge something catastrophic happened to the boat causing it to sink but he says he doesn't know what. The insurance company argued carman made alterations to the boat to sink it on purpose.

Carman has been at the center of probes into his mother's disappearance at sea and for the murder of his grandfather three years earlier. Carman's aunts believe he is after millions in inheritance money. Carman is not charged with any crimes.

"This isn't about money," he said. "It's an $85,000 claim. It's a contingency fee. I get a fraction of that if I win. I put lots of time and effort and, frankly, a lot of misery into this."

The judge is expected to release a finding of the facts in the next few weeks.

Throughout the trial, Carman's attorney has been trying to make the case that the boat was a lemon from the start and that the former owner did shoddy work covering up the boat's issues before selling it to Carman.

Cox Media Group