Federal Authorities Join Investigation into Linda Carman’s Disappearance

MIDDLETOWN, CT — While the Coast Guard announced last week that it ended the search for Linda Carman, the investigation into her disappearance continues. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are in the midst of a joint investigation regarding Carman’s disappearance at sea.

The South Kingston Police Department in Rhode Island in “conjunction with State and Federal Law enforcement agencies in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut are currently jointly investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding Linda Carman’s disappearance,” South Kingston, R.I., Police Chief Vincent Vespia Jr. said in a statement.

He declined to elaborate and said in the statement that no further information or comments would be released at this time.

Related: Nathan Carman Denies Any Involvement with Grandfather’s Death, Blasts Media

After being lost at sea for a week, Middletown native Nathan Carman, 22, was found alive on a life raft Sunday about 100 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard by a freighter. His 54-year-old mother, Linda Carman of Middletown, was never found and is presumed dead, according to officials.

Until Nathan was found on Sunday, Linda and Nathan hadn’t been seen since they left Ram's Point Marina in Point Judith on Sept. 18 for a fishing trip on a 31-foot aluminum center console boat, the Chicken Pox.

Nathan, who currently lives in Vermont, was transported to Boston on Tuesday by the “Orient Lucky” freighter that spotted him and was reunited with his family.

Earlier this week, as part of the missing person case, police in Vermont executed a search warrant at Nathan’s home and seized a modem with cable, SIM card and a letter written by Carman, according to published reports.

The Hartford Courant reported that the search warrant revealed that Nathan Carman’s boat was in need of mechanical repair and he had been conducting a portion of the repairs himself and could have potentially made the boat unsafe for operation.

In the warrant, police believed they could find evidence in Carman's house that would support a charge of "operating so as to endanger, resulting in death," according to the Hartford Courant.

In audio released by the Coast Guard on Tuesday, Nathan Carman spoke with Search and Rescue Controller Richard Arsenault while he was aboard the freighter Orient Lucky and described what happened on his boat.

“Mom and I were fishing on Block Canyon and I heard a funny noise in the engine compartment. I looked and saw a lot of water. I was bringing the line and had my mom bring in the reel. I brought the safety stuff forward. And I was bringing one of the safety bags forward, the boat just dropped out from under my feet. When I saw the life raft, I did not see my mom. Have you found her?"

After being informed they haven’t found her yet, Nathan Carman said “so, I got to the life raft after I got my bearings and I was whistling and calling around and I didn’t see her.”

Listen to the full audio here.

Nathan, who family members have said has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, was the subject of a massive search in 2011 after he went missing upon the loss of a horse. He was eventually found in Virginia at a bus station.