The Carman Family Deaths is on Netflix and tells the story of Nathan Carman, who was suspected of killing his millionaire grandfather John Chakalos
Katie Palmer Senior TV Reporter for Screen Time
10:20, 19 Nov 2025
The Carman Family Deaths, a true crime documentary on Netflix, delves into a chilling case that wider family members have described as a real “Greek tragedy”. Nathan Carman took his own life in prison in 2023 after being accused of murdering his mother Linda, whose body was never found following their disappearance during a fishing trip in 2016.
Three years before the fishing trip, in 2013, Nathan’s grandfather John Chakalos was discovered dead in his home from gunshot wounds. Nathan was suspected of killing both family members, as the Netflix documentary reveals, allegedly to inherit the $50 million family fortune.
Despite being the last person to see his grandfather alive, Nathan was never charged with his murder and the mystery surrounding his death remains unsolved. John Chakalos was a prominent real estate mogul renowned for developing nursing homes and extended care facilities throughout New England.
READ MORE: Squid Game The Challenge Season 2’s winner and their prize money plans unveiledREAD MORE: Jeremy Strong leads war thriller series based on ‘gripping’ novelNathan Carman and John Chakalos(Image: NETFLIX)
He had four daughters, and the Netflix documentary portrays him as a potentially “controlling” man – but he did share a close bond with Nathan.
The night before his death, Nathan joined his grandfather for dinner at a Greek restaurant 14 miles from Chakalos’ Windsor residence.
After helping his grandfather get home, they spent a few minutes chatting before parting ways, and it was the next morning when one of his daughters discovered him dead.
Detectives suggested that Chakalos’ killer had stood at the foot of the bed and shot him while he was asleep – in the stomach and in the head.
Investigators believe the murder weapon was likely a Sig Sauer rifle – the same type of firearm Nathan had purchased a few weeks prior but claimed he had misplaced.
No suspect has ever been found(Image: Getty)
However, they lacked sufficient evidence to formally charge Nathan with his grandfather’s murder. The case remains unsolved and no suspect has ever been identified.
In the years leading up to his death, Carman spent considerable time with his grandfather. During this period, Carman convinced his mother Linda to name him as one of the beneficiaries of her inheritance.
The US Attorney’s office in Vermont stated that both killings were “part of a scheme to obtain money and property from John Chakalos’ estate and related family trusts”, according to Finders International. Carman consistently denied any involvement in either death.
The Carman Family Deaths is available on Netflix.
