A Vermont judge has blocked the request of a trust-fund grandson asking for his temporary freedom while his murder trial is ongoing. Nathan Carman, 28, has been charged with killing his rich grandfather and mother so he could gain access to his inheritance.
U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford said Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, that Carman would remain in jail without bail as he is a flight risk, has no job, and may pose a danger to the community. He also has an ongoing feud with his family and is known to use firearms, per Mass Live.
Prosecutors contested Carman's appeal for temporary release, citing he's an unstable person. His aunts, Elaine Chakalos and Charlene Gallagher, who are the sisters of his mother, Linda Chakalos Carman, also asked the courts to keep him in jail as he may only have retribution in his mind.
What did Nathan Carman do to his grandfather and mom?
In 2013, Nathan's grandfather, John Chakalos, who developed a number of nursing homes and care facilities in New England, learned that his grandson failed his college classes. John apparently threatened to cut Nathan off his will if he won't improve his grades, according to the Boston Globe.
Two days after the confrontation, John was found shot in his bedroom in his sprawling home in Connecticut. Investigators had their suspects but no arrests were made. It was later revealed, however, that the trust-fund grandson was supposed to get about $7 million of his grandfather's money.
In 2016, Nathan was rescued by a Chinese freighter off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. He was allegedly at sea for at least eight days and lost his mother in the water. He told the cops that their boat sank but investigations revealed evidence that he purposely caused the sinking because he planned to kill his mother.
Apparently, Nathan discovered a few days before planning the boating trip that Linda had cut him off her will. Police said that Nathan wanted to cash in on the insurance claim.
The insurance companies holding the claims to both Linda and John's deaths have seen the obvious parallels to the killing. Nathan was charged with the murders in May 2022.
DEVELOPING: Nathan Carman, federally charged with killing his Middletown mother at sea, is in Burlington, VT federal court today in an effort to be released from pre-trial detention. His aunts wrote the court and said they fear retribution if he is released. pic.twitter.com/zsd90MdWMT
— newsbell (@newsbell) August 2, 2022
The legal battle over insurance claims led to the murder trial
After the deaths, Nathan's aunts also contested his claim to the share of the family money, worth over $42 million, per the Harford Courant. They had long suspected that the trust-fund grandson was involved with the deaths.
However, their efforts failed to convince the civil court due to jurisdictional issues. The Chakalos sisters have appealed the case, which has dragged on for years.
Meanwhile, Nathan has also been the police's person of interest in both cases amid the insurance companies' filing a case against the grandson. The insurers have asked the court not to pay Nathan his claims because investigations into the cases have not yet concluded.
Federal agents allegedly found cause to arrest Nathan after a series of interviews and investigations that blew up his covers and lies. The judge has not yet set the start date of the murder trial.
