Yon Motskin’s The Carman Family Deaths revisits the tragic story of the Carmans, exploring the mysteries surrounding John Chakalos’ murder in 2013, his daughter’s (Linda Carman) disappearance in 2016, and his autistic grandson’s (Nathan Carman) alleged role in the saga. For justifiable reasons, Nathan was suspected of killing John, with whom he shared a close bond. He denied any involvement in the crime, was investigated, but never charged. When his mother, Linda, disappeared nearly three years later, Nathan finds himself at the center of a public indictment, accusing him of killing his grandfather and mother to accelerate his inheritance.
Nathan and Linda embarked on a fishing trip the month she disappeared. When they didn’t return as expected, a search party ensued, but they were nowhere to be found. Eight days later, Nathan was rescued after he was found floating in a raft. He said their boat sank with Linda, whose body was never recovered. His relatives didn’t believe what happened was an accident, so six years after Linda’s death, Nathan was charged with her murder. He pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to go on trial before he committed suicide in jail. Here are facts the Netflix crime documentary omitted.
John Chakalo’s 25-Year-Old Mistress
Nearly three years before Linda Carman’s disappearance in September 2016, her father was found dead in his bed with a gunshot wound to the head. This was in December 2013, and the wealthy real estate developer was 87. John Chakalos’ death tore his family apart, and it was widely suspected that his favorite grandson, Nathan Carman, had a hand in it.
For starters, he was the last person to interact with John before his murder, and it was uncovered that he sent out emails to John’s estate lawyer, inquiring what had to happen for him to inherit money. These, and the fact that he lied about owning a rifle, made him a prime suspect, even though his alibi was solid. The Carman Family Deaths captured all of those, alluding to the financial motive that might have inspired John Chakalo’s murder. What the crime documentary ignored was John Carman’s mistress.
According to reports culled from court documents, Nathan Carman alleged that his grandfather’s mistress, identified as “Mistress Y,” could have been responsible for his death. He offered that the 25-year-old knew John kept money at home, and they talked on the phone shortly before he was shot. With that, he suggested that his grandfather might have been a victim of robbery orchestrated by the mistress.
“Mistress Y” Had A Drug-Dealing Boyfriend
Nathan Carman wasn’t a fan of his grandfather’s relationship with “Mistress Y.” He had become quite religious and believed the romance was inappropriate. This has been suggested as another possible motive for murdering John. While this theory doesn’t hold much water, Mistress Y’s drug-dealing boyfriend definitely does. While she was with John, the mistress had another romantic partner. This fact was also excluded from the documentary, and it raises questions about the extent of the investigations conducted after John’s murder.
Online sleuths have wondered why Mistress Y’s drug-dealing boyfriend wasn’t thoroughly investigated, a sentiment Casey Sherman expressed in his book, Blood in the Water: The Untold History of a Family Tragedy. Sherman believes the investigators didn’t dig deep into John Carman’s 25-year-old mistress and her other boyfriend. The author, who also investigated the case, thinks it’s suspicious that the sex toys John bought for his mistress were missing from the home after he was murdered.
Nathan’s Aunt Blocked Him From Inheriting Linda’s Share Of John’s Estate
Apart from Nathan Carman’s mother, Linda Carman, John Carman had three other daughters: Charlene Gallagher, Elaine Chakalos, and Valerie Santilli. Now, John and his daughters didn’t have a smooth-sailing relationship, but he cared for them in his own way. Upon his death in 2013, they were entitled to share his estate, estimated at over $42 million. As Linda’s heir, Nathan was entitled to inherit about $7 million, his mother’s share of John’s estate.
Nathan died without inheriting the money. His aunts kicked against him receiving the money in probate court. They filed a lawsuit invoking the slayer statute, which prevents killers from receiving from their victim’s death. The aunts claimed they would channel the funds towards investigating their father’s death and sister’s disappearance if they were successful. Nathan committed suicide before the court ruled on the matter. So he died without receiving the inheritance, but he did receive $550,000 from two bank accounts after his grandfather’s death. John had set up two bank accounts with Nathan named as the beneficiary upon his death. Check out David Sconce from HBO’s The Mortician— where is he now?
