The family of Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, the Manhattan fashion designer who was found dead on a yacht in Montauk, has shared a heartbreaking update.

As previously reported, the 33-year-old founder of swimwear brand East x East was discovered unresponsive aboard a boat named The Ripple in the early hours of August 5.

While Suffolk County police previously indicated they believed she died of an overdose, citing the presence of a white powdery substance nearby, no final autopsy or toxicology report has been released, and her family says the speculation doesn’t add up.

An investigation is underway following the death of Martha Nolan-O'Slattara. Credit: TikTok/Martha Nolan O'Slattara

Family rejects overdose claim as details remain sealed

Attorney Arthur L. Aidala, representing Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family, said law enforcement has denied access to official records, including autopsy documents, and described the situation as “frustrating.”

“We know the effort is being made by the DA’s office to do what needs to be done to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i' to get to the bottom of this,” Aidala told The New York Post.

But he pushed back hard on the overdose theory. “Something doesn’t make sense here,” he said. “But we’re hanging back and letting law enforcement do their job.”

Police noted there were “no signs of violence,” but witnesses heard screams coming from the docks late that night, raising further questions about what happened in Nolan-O’Slatarra’s final hours.

The boat she was found on reportedly had a reputation as a “party boat,” according to one Montauk regular.

Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was found dead on a boat at the Montauk Yacht Club on Aug. 5, 2025. Credit: Martha Nolan / Facebook

Final meeting ends in chaos

Nolan-O’Slatarra had been at the yacht club that night for a meeting with Chris Durnan, 60, who owns The Ripple and holds a 13% stake in East x East.

Per text messages published by New York Magazine, Durnan offered to discuss more funding for the business, texting: “If you guys are looking for more money, let’s sit down and talk about it.”

After her body was found, her boyfriend, Nicholas DiRubio, was reportedly seen running around the club naked, yelling and throwing sunscreen at boats while screaming: “That’s my girlfriend,” as he tried to get help.

A Yacht Club member described him as “running outside naked” in a desperate attempt to draw attention.

Durnan, who owns an insurance company based in Rockville Centre, also owns another boat at the same dock named Hell In A Bucket. He has not publicly commented on the incident.

The Irish native moved to the US at 26, spent summers in the Hamptons, and had recently launched pop-ups for her brand throughout the East End.

She was also a marketing consultant and was well known in the Montauk community. One club member said: "She was well known in the community. She was very friendly. Always smiling. There’s going to be a lot of conversation out of this."

The investigation is ongoing, with Suffolk County’s Homicide Squad and Medical Examiner’s Office still working the case.

Featured image credit: Martha Nolan-O'Slattara/TikTok

The family of Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra is urging anyone who may have seen or interacted with the 33-year-old fashion designer on the night she died in Montauk to come forward, as police continue what they describe as an intensive, ongoing investigation into the tragedy.

Their attorney, Arthur Aidala, stated on Wednesday that speculation about Nolan-O’Slatarra dying from a drug overdose is not consistent with what her loved ones knew of her, per The New York Post. “They did not know her to be someone who used drugs,” Aidala said, emphasizing that the family remains deeply unsettled by the unusual circumstances surrounding her death.

“They want more details,” he continued. “The circumstances surrounding this are far from typical. They would like to know anyone who was with Martha that evening. At the time of the incident, we know of one person who was there. Was anyone else around?”

Nolan-O’Slatarra, originally from Ireland and known for her style and creative flair, was found unresponsive on August 5 aboard a boat named The Ripple, docked at the Montauk Yacht Club. Suffolk County police confirmed she was pronounced dead at the scene, Fox News reports.

According to Aidala, the family has already met with Suffolk County homicide detectives, who are conducting what he called a “deep, deep dive” into the case. “People are still being questioned,” he said, noting that law enforcement continues to interview potential witnesses and piece together Nolan-O’Slatarra’s final hours.

The attorney also revealed that the family fears the possibility that she may have been unknowingly given drugs before her death. “If there was any kind of drug and drug use, they want to know, who’s doing the drugs?” Aidala said. The family is determined to find answers and is working not only with active law enforcement but also with retired officers to ensure the investigation is thorough and impartial.

The boat where Nolan-O’Slatarra was found belonged to Chris Durnan, 60, a well-known local figure who owns another vessel, Hell In A Bucket, moored at the same dock. Durnan operates the Durnan Group, an insurance company based in Rockville Centre. Authorities have not confirmed whether Durnan was present at the time of Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death, and no charges have been filed in connection with the case.

The mystery surrounding her final hours has unsettled the tight-knit Montauk community and prompted concern from friends and family both in the United States and abroad. Aidala stressed that the family’s primary focus is on uncovering the truth, however painful it may be.

As the investigation continues, they are appealing for anyone who might have seen Nolan-O’Slatarra on August 5 (whether at the yacht club, nearby establishments, or earlier that day) to speak with police. “Any detail, no matter how small it may seem, could be important,” Aidala said.

Featured image credit: Matthew Horwood / Getty Images.

The identity of a 33-year-old woman who was tragically found dead aboard a boat in Montauk has been confirmed.

Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra was identified by authorities as a local designer from Manhattan who spent her summers working on the East End.

Nolan-O'Slatarra was found unconscious on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club at approximately 12AM on Tuesday, according to Suffolk County police. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nolan-O'Slatarra's cause of death has yet to be confirmed, pending an investigation and post-mortem by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.

According to the New York Post, screams were heard coming from the docks late on Monday night by members of the Montauk Yacht Club, including some captains.

Another member of the club, who wished to remain anonymous, told the outlet: "She was well known in the community. She was very friendly. Always smiling. There’s going to be a lot of conversation out of this."

Nolan-O'Slattara was the founder of the fashion brand East x East as well as being a marketong consultant.

The Irish native moved to the US when she was 26 and began launching pop-ups with her brand around the Hamptons in 2023, she told the Irish Independent last year.

Her death is being investigated by the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad and investigators were seen at the Montauk Yacht Club late into the night on Tuesday.

One local told the Daily Mail that the boat Nolan-O'Slattara was found on - named Ripple - was known as a "party boat".

Another Yacht Club regular told the outlet that the boat, which is registered in Long Beach, New York, was allegedly owned by Nolan-O'Slattara's boyfriend.

They also claimed that when the 33-year-old was found unconscious on Monday night, the boat owner was allegedly seen running outside naked as he screamed: "That's my girlfriend," while trying to get help from other boaters.

One boater told the outlet: "We come here (to Montauk) every summer and nothing like this ever happens. The police have been here all day since four in the morning."

The investigation into Nolan-O'Slattara's death is ongoing.

Featured image credit: Tiktok/Martha Nolan-O'Slattara

Hours before her lifeless body was discovered aboard a yacht in Montauk, fashion designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra exchanged eerie text messages with friends that now read like a grim premonition.

The 33-year-old Manhattan designer, professionally known as Martha Nolan, was in the Hamptons on August 4 to meet with investor Christopher Durnan to discuss expanding her swimwear brand, East x East.

What was meant to be a business meeting ended in tragedy, and a mystery that continues to rattle those closest to her.

An investigation is underway following the death of Martha Nolan-O'Slattara. Credit: TikTok/Martha Nolan O'Slattara

Messages and confusion before the tragedy

Nolan had arranged to meet Durnan, who owns a 13% stake in her brand, at the Montauk Yacht Club that afternoon, the New York Post reported.

The meeting was delayed until 7PM, and Nolan ended up joining Durnan on one of his boats for champagne and a sunset cruise. Her business partner, Dylan Grace, was overseas and didn’t attend.

As the designer remained out of touch during the evening, her friends and boyfriend, Nicholas DiRubio, grew worried.

They tracked her phone’s location to somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, and at 9:20PM, one of her friends texted the group: “lmao. I’m sure her phone died. Or maybe she’s dead.”

Ten minutes later, Nolan responded: “Lol I’m at the yacht club now, my phone is on.” Investigators believe she died about an hour after sending that message.

She was later found unconscious aboard the docked vessel Ripple after neighbors reported hearing late-night screams.

Durnan, 60, who owns the Ripple and another vessel named Hell In A Bucket, was spotted running around the yacht club naked, tossing sunscreen at boats and screaming in a desperate attempt to get help.

“There’s going to be a lot of conversation out of this,” one yacht club member said. “She was well known in the community. She was very friendly. Always smiling.”

Nolan was pronounced dead at the scene. Police reported no visible signs of trauma, and investigators suspect she may have died from an accidental overdose due to a white powdery substance found nearby.

But nearly four months later, there is still no official cause of death or toxicology report released.

Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was found dead on a boat at the Montauk Yacht Club on Aug. 5, 2025. Credit: Martha Nolan / Facebook

Family rejects claims as mystery deepens

Nolan’s family is pushing back against any suggestion that she was a drug user.

Their attorney, Arthur L. Aidala, said the overdose speculation doesn’t match who she was. “Something doesn’t make sense here,” Aidala said. “But we’re hanging back and letting law enforcement do their job.”

He confirmed that Suffolk County authorities have not provided the family with the full toxicology or autopsy results, calling the delay “frustrating.”

Investigators are reportedly exploring the possibility that Nolan unknowingly ingested a deadly cocktail of substances such as heroin, cocaine, or fentanyl.

Law enforcement sources have told outlets that drug dealers in the area could face serious charges, including manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, depending on what’s found.

“These dealers may or may not have known they were selling poison to this girl, but that doesn’t matter,” one source said. “With higher-profile cases like this poor girl in Montauk, you’re going to see more and more of these dealers getting locked up.”

Featured image credit: TikTok/Martha Nolan O'Slattara

Following the tragedy in Italy where a superyacht sank, claiming seven lives, the cause of death of two victims has been revealed.

On August 19, the 160-foot luxury yacht, the Bayesian, was caught in a violent storm during the early morning hours.

The vessel, carrying 22 people, was struck by a sudden and powerful waterspout tornado, which caused it to capsize.

Despite a swift rescue operation by the Italian Coast Guard and local authorities, only 15 people were saved.

Seven passengers tragically lost their lives in the disaster, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah.

Also sadly losing their lives were Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda, and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas.

The initial autopsies focused on Chris and Neda Morvillo, with further examinations scheduled for Wednesday.

These later autopsies will focus on Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy, according to the Associated Press.

It has been found that the Morvillo couple died as a result of drowning.

Franco Romani, a nautical architect involved in the design of the Bayesian, shared his insights in an interview with La Stampa.

"The Bayesian was built to go to sea in any weather," Romani stated, suggesting that the yacht might have taken on water through a side hatch that was possibly left open.

During a press conference, prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio described the event as a "very serious tragedy." 

Cartosio also detailed the harrowing final moments of the passengers, suggesting they likely sought refuge in the cabins as the yacht went down.

"It was quite clear that people were trying to hide in the cabins. We found the first five bodies in the left-hand side cabins and the final body on the right-hand side. They were in the highest part of the ship, closer to the surface," he explained.

He added that the five who sought shelter on the left side of the yacht appeared to be "searching for air pockets."

The incident has sparked a judicial investigation, with three crew members of the yacht now under scrutiny for suspected negligent manslaughter and causing the shipwreck.

They have defended their actions, asserting that they did everything possible to save those aboard.

As of now, the wreckage of the Bayesian has not been salvaged.

Featured image credit: Alberto Lo Bianco/Anadolu/Getty