Who is Nathan Carman? Case explored as Vermont man is indicted for mother's 2016 death 

On May 10, Nathan Carman was indicted on charges of killing his mother to get his hands on the $7 million inheritance. As per reports, the 28-year-old is now facing eight counts in the 2016 murder of Linda Carman in Rhode Island.

The circumstantial evidence has linked Nathan Carman to the crime for nearly six years now. His arrest and indictment, however, were indeed a surprise.

However, law officials and experts think that the delay in indicting Nathan can be because his mother and his boat were never found. Carman was found floating in a raft alone eight days after he and his mother went on a fishing trip in 2016 off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

Carman also faces charges of fatally shooting his grandfather, John Chakalos, in 2013 in Connecticut but does not face murder charges. On the other hand, Carman has repeatedly denied his involvement in either of the deaths.

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Nathan Carman's murder charges from 2013 and 2016 explained

Nathan Carman faces eight counts for allegedly murdering his mother for inheritance in 2016. (Image via Getty)

Following Chakalos' death, the case went cold with no sufficient arrests or evidence. Neither state nor federal prosecutors in Connecticut nor Rhode Island ever brought any charges against Nathan Carman. But after a fishing trip that resulted in the death of Linda Carman, suspicions against Nathan arose again.

In 2017, investigators closely tracked the lawsuit filed in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island. In this case, both insurers and Carman were suing each other over his rejected $85,000 claim for the loss of his boat. The insurance case tied all the evidence together that went against Carman.

The insurers' lawyers built a case that accuses Carman of the deaths of both his mother and grandfather. Some of the evidence and investigation findings include the rifle purchased by Nathan Carman a month before Chakalos' shooting. He even invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a deposition when asked about the rifle, which was never found.

Then there was the evidence of Carman destroying his laptop's hard drive and a GPS device in his truck after his grandfather was killed. He again pleaded the Fifth when questioned on this matter.

In the 2016 case, Carman has also been accused of modifying the boat so that it would sink. Witnesses testifying said that Carman removed two stabilizing trim tabs from the stern near the vessel's waterline. This left holes in the boat that Carman tried to seal with an epoxy stick.

Experts on tidal patterns testified that the life raft couldn't float toward Martha's Vineyard from the spot Carman claimed the boat sank. Instead, it would drift in the other direction. Defending him, Carman's attorneys said that it was the first time he had used sea charts and was confused about the boat's location.

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Millions of dollars at stake

Image for representational purposes (Image via Getty)

After Chakalos' death, Carman is said to have inherited about $550,000. But in 2016, towards the end of the summer, prosecutors said Carman was low on funds and unemployed. He reportedly spent a lot of that money on his new home.

Around this time, he planned a fishing trip with his mother. The motive was to kill her, authorities said. As per reports, all was not well between the mother and son, but the fishing was one activity where they could connect.

Even Nathan Carman's relatives believe him to be responsible for killing his mother and grandfather for the inheritance.

Meanwhile, prosecutors stated that Carman was diagnosed with potential mood and psychotic disorders in 2011 and that he had a history of hostility and aggression.

His relatives also maintained that he has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism characterized by social awkwardness and repetitive behavior but is not associated with an increased likelihood of violence.

Carman remains detained while his case is pending. He pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and multiple fraud charges on May 11.