The mystery has deepened over the death of glamorous bikini designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra who died on board a Hamptons yacht with an insurance tycoon last week.
The grief-stricken family of the 33-year-old, who have now travelled from Ireland to the U.S. to bring her body home, have demanded a second post-mortem amid claims she died of a suspected drug overdose.
Sources say the swimwear brand founder headed to the luxury Montauk Yacht Club on the evening of August 4 to have a meeting with insurance mogul Christopher Durnan, 60.
Durnan – a guitar-playing widower linked to several boats named after Grateful Dead songs – is believed to have invested more than $200,000 in the Irish beauty’s bikini boutique.
But the night ended in horror when the American business man dashed down the dock naked around midnight screaming for help and indicating that Martha had passed out.
Bystanders dialed 911 and clambered on board a boat named Ripple to try and perform CPR on the self-made entrepreneur.
But she was declared dead at the scene on August 5 by first responders, with sources now telling the Daily Mail that Martha likely succumbed to a suspected drug overdose – of cocaine or other narcotics.
U.S. detectives have said an initial post-mortem examination ‘did not show evidence of violence and her final cause of death is pending further investigation’.
Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, the founder of swimwear brand East x East, was found unresponsive aboard a ritzy yacht in Montauk on August 5 before being declared dead at the scene
Daily Mail can reveal Nolan-O’Slattara had met insurance mogul Christopher Durnan aboard his boat for a late night business meeting when she suddenly passed out
One boater at the scene described Durnan’s vessel, Ripple, as a ‘party boat’ and told Daily Mail that she heard screams when the body was discovered
After they arrived at the scene where the fashionista’s body was found, a ‘preliminary investigation and exam’ yielded no conclusions in informing a definitive cause of death, the Irish Independent reported.
Now, the family has engaged a top lawyer in the U.S. – whose client list includes Harvey Weinstein and former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon – to discover what happened to the blonde, blue-eyed woman.
They have demanded a second post-mortem report, including toxicological, histological and other testing, which will take at least three months to conclude.
Their lawyer, criminal defence attorney Arthur Aidala, said the family had met with Suffolk County homicide detectives who were conducting a thorough investigation.
‘People are still being questioned,’ Mr Aidala said.
Martha’s body is currently being held by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Once the second-opinion autopsy has concluded, it is understood that her body will be embalmed and repatriated to Ireland.
Photographs taken the next morning on the ritzy yacht revealed a dusting of mysterious white powder across a seat on the 50ft cabin-cruiser, which has the Grateful Dead’s ‘Steal Your Face’ emblem – a lightning bolt inside a skull – on its stern.
Photographs taken the next morning revealed a dusting of mysterious white powder across a seat inside the 50ft cabin-cruiser
Self-made entrepreneur Martha grew up in Carlow, Ireland before moving to New York and creating a jet-setting life of luxury for herself that’s often associated with Manhattan’s elite
The fashion entrepreneur had spoken to her boyfriend – who was out of town when the tragedy unfolded – just hours before she died, assuring him she was going to book an Uber and would be home at around 1 am.
It is understood that the blonde, blue-eyed designer and 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio had been staying in the Montauk area for the summer.
Reached by telephone, DiRubio, a handsome former college football player, broke down before recovering his composure and saying: ‘No comment, have a good day.’
Durnan, who founded Durnan Group in 1981, specialising in workers’ compensation insurance, did not respond to calls and texts from the Daily Mail asking for comment.
As of Monday this week, Ripple was no longer moored at Montauk Yacht Club, a 16-acre Star Island resort that boasts slips for 200 boats and hotel-style amenities including a tennis court and two pools.
According to local sources, a crew arrived at dawn last Friday to sail it away.
A second vessel said to belong to Durnan – a five-engine powerboat named Hell In a Bucket, another nod to the Grateful Dead – departed the club the previous night, the source added.
The dad-of-two is believed to split his time between a five-bed, $6million mansion in Long Beach, New York, and an equally plush residence in Lantana, near Palm Beach, Florida.
As of Monday this week, Ripple was no longer moored at its slip at the exclusive Montauk Yacht Club
Durnan, who founded Durnan Group in 1981, specialising in workers’ compensation insurance, is the owner of Ripple, where the Martha was found, and a five-engine powerboat named Hell In a Bucket, both named after songs by the Grateful Dead
The New York City designer and brand-growth consultant grew up in Carlow, a picture-postcard village in southeast Ireland, set in rolling, lush green countryside.
Ambitious from a young age, she studied commerce at University College Dublin before completing a master’s in digital marketing from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business.
‘Carlow is a small town, I was the small-town girl who needed to get out to achieve her big dreams,’ Martha said in an interview with the Irish Independent last year.
‘I always knew I wanted to be successful, that I was money-driven, business-driven – and that fashion is a tough industry and it would be a slow road.’
She worked in Ireland until 2015 before moving to the U.S., where she founded several companies, including fashion accessories brand Duper and luxury swimwear label East x East.
Martha lived an enviable life in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, posting TikToks of herself sipping champagne, taking private jets and trips on helicopters with her boyfriend, who the Irish Independent said she planned to marry.
She had finalised her uncontested divorce from ex-husband Sam Ryan in April, according to court documents filed in New York Supreme Court.
Martha’s Irish relatives have spoken of their devastation and disbelief that she failed to get home safely. ‘I feel numb and in shock,’ her shattered mom Elma Nolan told the outlet last week.
Nolan-O’Slatarra was previously revealed to have been in the middle of uncontested divorce proceedings from her husband but she had been dating boyfriend 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio
The fashion designer had recently celebrated the opening of her East x East popup shop at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa
Martha’s Irish relatives have spoken of their devastation and disbelief that she failed to get home safely
Ambitious from a young age, she studied commerce at University College Dublin before completing a master’s in digital marketing from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business
‘My younger daughter, Jacqui, arrived on Tuesday night and she was crying and shaking.
‘She said: ‘I have terrible news, Martha’s dead.”
Violent crimes are unusual in Montauk, known for its monstrous mansions, high-end dining and historic lighthouse.
Influencers and celebrities flock there, particularly in the summer months, for its opulent social scene.
A spokesperson for the Montauk Yacht Club – founded 1928 – added: ‘We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident that took place.
‘Our team is cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation and remains committed to the safety and well-being of our guests and staff.’
