The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Decision delayed in Carman case
Judge wants details in suit charging man with deaths of grandfather, mother
CONCORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire judge on Friday postponed a decision on whether to dismiss a lawsuit accusing a Vermont man of killing his millionaire grandfather, and possibly his Middletown mother, for the inheritance money.
Nathan Carman has been called a suspect in the 2013 shooting death of 87-year-old real estate developer John Chakalos in Connecticut, however no one has been arrested in the case. He also has been questioned about the day his boat sank last year near Rhode Island with his mother Linda Carman on board. She is presumed dead. Carman, who was not in court Friday, has denied involvement in either incident.
“John Chakalos was a long time resident of Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and a well-known, active member of the community. He loved the home that he and his wife Rita had built and which they shared with the surrounding community every Christmas,” Boston Attorney Dan Small of Holland & Knight, who represents the Chakalos family, said in a prepared statement Dec. 6.
“The groundless claims and denials contained in Nathan Carman’s response filing do not reflect reality, and we are confident the legal process will recognize this,” he said.
His mother’s three sisters filed suit in New Hampshire in July, noting Chakalos had New Hampshire driving and boating licenses and that he voted in the state. Filing a motion known as a slayer lawsuit, the family’s attorney said the sisters are trying “to prevent Nathan Carman from profiting from the murder of his grandfather.”
Carman wants the lawsuit dismissed, saying his grandfather wasn’t a resident of New Hampshire at the time of his death. Attorneys for the sisters also are calling for additional documents related to the case to remain sealed. They argued in court that the documents could impede the investigation and bring unwanted media attention to anyone named in them.
Judge David King said he would take the request under advisement. He didn’t rule on the request to dismiss the lawsuit, saying he would give the two sides several more months to collect information before returning to update him.
“The family is very happy that we are moving forward with discovery in this matter,” Small told reporters. “There are a lot of questions without answers and a lot of answers without justice.”
“John Chakalos gave generously and consistently for many decades to the local library and police and fire departments, as well as charities that cared for New Hampshire families in need,” Small’s statement continued. Throughout his life, John remained an active contributor to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church where he was raised,” Small said.
In July, the sisters filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire accusing Carman of killing Chakalos and Carman’s mother. They’ve asked a judge to block Carman from collecting money from his grandfather’s estate. Chakalos left more than $29 million to his four daughters, including Carman’s mother, and $7 million of that money could go to Carman.
Small has said all the evidence points to Carman as the killer. If the family wins the lawsuit, any money that would have gone to Carman would go to investigate the deaths, Smith said.