Family Files Lawsuit Against Man Rescued At Sea
BOSTON (CBS) -- The aunts of Nathan Carman have called him a murderer and filed a lawsuit to prevent him from inheriting the millions left behind by his late grandfather and presumed-dead mother.
John Chakalos, Carman's grandfather, was found murdered in 2013. Three years later, Carman's mother Linda Carman, went missing at sea while on a mother-son fishing trip.
The family has faced repeated tragedy because of the "heinous act out of malice and greed" by Carman, said the court documents of Valerie Santilli, Elaine Chakalos, and Charlene Gallagher.
A statement from the women's lawyer Dan Small said, the "surviving sisters cannot stand idle while their father's killer, and perhaps their sister's killer also, profits from his actions."
Last September, the 23-year-old was found at sea after floating alone on a life raft for days off the coast of Martha's Vineyard last September.
He and he mother were out fishing on their boat, Chicken Pox.
Carman stated his mother tragically never made it to the lifeboat when they realized the boat was taking on water.
The lawsuit accused Carman of leaving his mother behind on purpose.
"On information and belief, Nathan put on one of the boat's life jackets; he never gave one to his mother. He deployed and entered the Chicken Pox's sole life raft, with his bag of provisions. He left his mother behind."
The aunts also claim that Carman deliberately told neighbors that he was fishing in a different location that he intended and left holes in their boat, which made the vessel "more dangerous and easier to sink."
Court documents said Linda Carman was set to inherit several million once her father Chakalos' estate was settled and argued Carman left her at sea for the money.
Carman was Linda's only living descendant and would have the trust passed onto him when she died.
Officials have long been aware that Carman was most likely the last person to have seen his grandfather alive. Chakalos was found shot to death in his Windsor, Connecticut home on December 20, 2013.
No one was ever arrested in connection to his murder.
"According to investigators, Nathan purchased a Sig Sauer 716 Patrol .308 caliber semi-automatic rifle from a gun store in New Hampshire prior to John's murder. This is the same caliber weapon used to kill John," said court documents.
The lawsuit also claimed that Carman threw out the hard drive of his computer and the GPS in his car the same day his grandfather died.
If the lawsuit is successful, Small said they would use the funds to investigate the Chakalos' death and Linda's disappearance. Anything leftover would go to charity.
He also said, "this is not about money, it is about justice."
