Nathan Carman to remain jailed for at least 60 days as judge stays bail hearing

In this image taken from video provided courtesy of WCVB-TV, Nathan Carman, front, is escorted in to federal court on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in Rutland, Vt. Carman, who was rescued from a raft off the coast of New England in 2016 after his boat sank, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he killed his mother at sea to inherit the family's estate. (Sera Congi/WCVB-TV via AP)Sera Congi/Associated Press

A Vermont federal judge granted a request by lawyers for Nathan Carman on Friday to postpone a bail hearing after he was arrested on charges that he murdered his mother during a deep sea fishing trip six years ago as part of a scheme to inherit millions of dollars.

Three lawyers appointed to represent Carman, 28, asked for an indefinite postponement of the hearing, initially slated for Monday. They said they need more time to conduct their own investigation and interview potential witness in the case, which involves allegations that span a decade and occurred in several states.

“This is a complex case, with factual allegations dating back to 2016, where many of the allegations occurred out of state,” the lawyers wrote in a motion that was unopposed by prosecutors.

Chief US District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford postponed the hearing for 60 days and told Carman’s lawyers they may seek a continuance if they need more time for their investigation. Carman will remain in custody during that time as he awaits trial.

Prosecutors contend that Carman is violent, mentally unstable, and “has little or no empathy for others.” They said he faces life in prison if convicted of his mother’s slaying, is a flight risk, and would pose a danger to the public if released on bail.

Carman, who lives in Vernon, Vt., pleaded not guilty Wednesday to an eight-count indictment that charges him with first-degree murder for allegedly killing his mother, Linda, after they set sail on a fishing trip from Point Judith, R.I., in September 2016. He said she went down with his boat when it sank suddenly. A passing ship found him adrift on a life raft a week later, about 115 miles off Martha’s Vineyard.

The indictment alleges that Carman also killed his grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Conn., in 2013 to collect a large inheritance, but does not charge him with that crime. He is charged with mail and wire fraud for documents he transmitted while allegedly trying to defraud his grandfather’s estate.

After Chakalos was shot to death, Carman received approximately $550,000, according to the indictment. He moved to Vermont in 2014 and spent much of his money over the next two years. Prosecutors said Carman killed his mother in an effort to collect her share of his grandfather’s estate, which was valued at $44 million and had been left to his four daughters. As an only child, Nathan Carman became the sole beneficiary of her inheritance after she disappeared at sea, according to probate court filings.