Man linked to relatives’ deaths seeking access to trust fund

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Vermont man accused by relatives of killing his millionaire grandfather and his mother to collect inheritance money asked a Connecticut probate judge Tuesday to allow him immediate access to $150,000 in a family trust so he can pay for legal expenses.

Nathan Carman also requested that his aunt, Valerie Santilli, be removed as trustee of the Nathan Carman Family Trust, a fund that was set up for him by his grandfather in 2011 and is worth about $270,000 today, according to court documents.

Judge Owen Eagan set a full hearing date of Sept. 6 and gave Carman, who is representing himself, and Santilli’s lawyers time to question witnesses and exchange documents.

Carman, 24, of Vernon, Vermont, filed the probate court action after his request last year for $150,000 from the trust for legal expenses was rejected, court documents filed by Santilli’s lawyers say. He cited Santilli’s “extreme hostility” toward him and other factors in his court filings.

He said he needed the money for legal representation to defend himself against a lawsuit in New Hampshire filed by Santilli and her two sisters. They accuse him of killing his grandfather, John Chakalos, and possibly his mother, Linda, and are asking the New Hampshire judge to block him from collecting any money from his grandfather’s estate.

“I need to hire an attorney to defend me in New Hampshire to ensure a just outcome,” Carman, dressed in a wrinkled gray suit, told Eagan.

Carman also repeated that he had no involvement in the deaths of his grandfather and mother. He declined to answer questions after the hearing.

Santilli’s attorney, Dan Small, said Carman already has enough money to hire a lawyer and refuses to provide any details of his finances.