The Carman Family Deaths: How did Linda Carman die? Details explored

The Carman Family Deaths is a true crime documentary film from Netflix. It is by Yon Motskin and premiered on the streaming platform on November 19, 2025. The film's official synopsis on IMDb reads as:

"A fishing trip ends in tragedy when Linda Carman vanishes at sea leaving her son Nathan adrift for days. His rescue stirs up questions about his grandfather's murder and ignites a battle over inheritance that leads to shocking revelations."

The docu centres on Linda Carman's death and the big mystery around it. So let's get a closer look at the case and what exactly happened to her.

The Carman Family Deaths: How did Linda Carman die?

The Carman Family Deaths chronicles Linda Carman's case along with her son, Nathan. The duo had gone for a fishing trip off the coast of Rhode Island in 2016. They left on September 17 from Ram Port, Maine. They owned a private boat, which was called Chicken Pox and would often go for fishing trips. Before leaving, Linda had informed her friend Sharon Hartstein that they would be returning on the Spetember 18.

But the date came, and Linda didn't return. Sharon's gut feeling about this made her call the police, and the Coast Guard's officers started looking for them. The authorities kept looking for them in the area, but to no avail. Someone eventually spotted a life raft floating in the sea on September 25, and Nathan was inside it. He was quickly saved by the team but Linda couldn't be found.

Nathan revealed that their boat was damaged and, hence, Linda drowned. Everyone had to accept that she had accidentally drowned that day at sea. But soon loopholes started appearing in his account. One thing that is explored in The Carman Family Deaths is that he quickly swam and jumped into the rescue boat that day. It's an indication that physically in good shape, which isn't normal for someone stranded in the sea for many days.

Members of the medical team checked his body and stated that there was no trace of hypothermia or dehydration. Eric Gempp, who was one of the experts on The Carman Family Deaths, said that it suggested that Nathan might not have been stranded in the sea. Nathan was obviously questioned about it but he kept repeating that he was saving food and focusing on how to survive. But he didn't explain how he remained fit despite living in such hard conditions for so many days.

Linda's father, John Chakalos, was shot and killed in 2013. As per her relatives, this affected Linda, and she started hiding things from her family. Her sister, Charlene Gallagher, believes that Linda knew Nathan had killed her father. She believes that Nathan killed Linda to inherit her property. He made it look like an accidental drowning.

Nathan decided not to plead guilty in his mother's death case and was sent to detention. But he couldn't face trial as he took his life on June 15, 2023. This led to Linda being officially declared dead four months after the incident.