Judge Schedules 10-Day Trial In Mystery Deaths Case
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A judge has rejected a request from a Vermont man to dismiss a lawsuit filed by his family accusing him of killing his millionaire grandfather and possibly his mother in an attempt to collect inheritance money.
Judge David King scheduled a 10-day trial in probate court for Nathan Carman, starting in 2019.
Carman is acting as his own attorney. He's been named as a suspect in the 2013 Connecticut shooting death of real estate developer John Chakalos.
No one's been arrested.
Carman also was questioned about the time his boat sank with his mother, Linda Carman, aboard near Rhode Island in 2016. She's presumed dead. Nathan Carman has denied involvement in both cases.
Carman's three aunts sued him last year in New Hampshire, where Chakalos owned another home and filed his will. They've asked a judge to block him from collecting money from his grandfather's estate. Chakalos left more than $42 million to his four daughters, including Linda Carman.
Carman argued the case lacked standing in New Hampshire, saying his grandfather didn't spend that much time in the state. He said in an email Monday he didn't agree with the judge's decision but that he will respect it.
"I expect to prevail at trial this coming January," Carman said, adding "I am at peace within myself because I know that the truth is on my side."
Earlier this year, Carman invoked the Fifth Amendment in refusing to provide bank, tax and other records and answers to questions from his aunts' lawyer. King decided a retired superior court judge will attend Carman's deposition.
The judge will be paid by the New Hampshire Judicial Branch. He will act as a referee to rule on objections raised by Carman and determine whether he needs to answer the questions.
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