Bombshell update in cause of death of designer, 33, mysteriously found dead on tycoon's boat as legal troubles exposed
TRAGIC LAST MEETING Bombshell update in cause of death of designer, 33, mysteriously found dead on tycoon's boat as legal troubles exposed
NEW details have emerged about the shocking death of the fashion designer who was found unconscious on a yacht in the Hamptons.
Martha Nolan O'Slattara, 33, is said to have been meeting with an insurance tycoon on his luxurious boat when she died on August 5.
Advertisement
10
Martha Nolan, 33, who was found dead on a yacht in the early hours of August 5
Credit: Social Media Collect
10
The boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club where Nolan was found
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
10
Martha Nolan and her boyfriend, Nicholas DiRubio
Credit: Social Media Collect
The New York City entrepreneur was unconscious on a boat docked at the ritzy Montauk Yacht Club in East Hampton on Long Island at around midnight after a man called 911, police said.
Nolan's cause of death is believed to be a suspected drug overdose, though it hasn't been officially determined, the New York Post reported.
Witnesses recounted seeing a naked man who had been on the yacht screaming at people to help an unconscious Nolan, according to the New York Post.
But the panicked man wasn't her former husband, Sam Ryan, according to the Irish Independent.
Advertisement
Nolan, who was born in Ireland and moved to New York 10 years ago, filed for an uncontested divorce from Ryan earlier this year.
The divorce proceedings were continuing as recently as April 8, filings by the New York County Supreme Court said.
She was dating another man, 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio, at the time of her death and staying with him in the Montauk area for the summer, according to the Daily Mail.
However, DiRubio wasn't on the boat that night.
Advertisement
INSURANCE TYCOON'S BOAT
Nolan was reportedly with insurance mogul Christopher Durnan, 60, when she died, the New York Post reported.
Durnan, a well-known figure at the yacht club, reportedly screamed, "That's my girlfriend" as he tried to get some help, the Post said.
Mystery Surrounds the Sudden Death of Fashion Designer Martha Nolan-O'Slattara in the Hamptons
The boat owner founded a large insurance firm that specializes in workers' compensation and reportedly invested over $200,000 in the designer's swimwear line, according to the Daily Mail.
He owns Ripple, the boat that cops were called to on Monday night, and another boat called Hell in a Bucket. Both names are nods to the Grateful Dead.
Advertisement
The day after the horrific discovery of Nolan's body, pictures of the boat revealed a white powdery substance on the seats of Ripple.
At the time of writing, both of the boats have left the spots where they were previously docked at the club, the Daily Mail said.
10
Christopher Durnan, 60, who owns the boat where Nolan died
Credit: Instagram
10
A white powdery substance seen on the Ripple docked at the Montauk Yacht Club on August 6, the day after Nolan was found dead
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Advertisement
'SHORT TIMELINE'
Nolan had told DiRubio she was at a business meeting on the night she died, the Independent said.
In the hours before her death, she reportedly called her boyfriend and told him she was going to book an Uber and get home around 1 am.
"It was just her and the boat owner on the boat," a source close to Nolan's family told Irish outlet Extra.ie.
"She phoned her boyfriend and she told him she was just about to be picked up by an Uber."
Advertisement
The source noted, "There is such a short timeline between when she made the call and when the 911 call was made."
10
Nolan showed off a life of private jets and vacations on her social media accounts
Credit: TikTok/martha_nolan
10
Nolan on a trip to Saint Barthélemy in a picture posted in February 2024
Credit: Social Media Collect
10
Nolan worked as a Manhattan-based fashion designer
Credit: Social Media Collect
Advertisement
Nolan reportedly had plans to marry DiRubio before her death.
"Martha and her boyfriend went to Ireland at Christmas. He met her family and getting married would have been the next step," the source told Extra.ie.
Nolan, who founded East x East in 2021, often showcased a life of private jets and glamorous vacations on her social media accounts before her death.
But she faced legal battles throughout her rise in the fashion world.
Advertisement
2022 LAWSUIT
Nolan and East x East swimwear co-owner Dylan Grace were slapped with a lawsuit in April 2022, according to a court filing by Manhattan luxury sunglasses brand Out East Accessories.
The company accused the pair, two former Out East employees, of stealing $34,000 from the company's bank account, along with the entire eyewear inventory, the complaint said.
Grace and Nolan allegedly changed the passwords belonging to the company owners and locked them out of their bank account, emails, and social media accounts, court records claimed.
Nolan denied all allegations that she "ransacked Out East," officials said.
Advertisement
The case was settled in June 2022 and was dismissed the next month. The duo went on to launch East x East swimwear in 2023.
WAITING FOR ANSWERS
Police said there was no evidence of violence on Nolan's body.
Cops haven't filed any charges or identified any suspects in the case.
They haven't ruled out foul play as the investigation continues into her cause of death.
Advertisement
Her toxicology report has yet to be released.
10
Nolan was sued by Out East Accessories in April 2022
Credit: Instagram/@martha_nolan
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
19 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Family of glam Irish designer found dead on US yacht ‘stunned' over new brain cancer claims as they hire top lawyer
US DETECTIVES investigating the death of an Irish designer found dead on a yacht in New York are probing claims that she had been battling brain cancer. Martha Nolan-O'Slattara, 33, was found dead on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club in the Hamptons on Long Island last Tuesday after a business meeting with insurance tycoon Christopher Durnan at the Club. 4 Martha Nolan-O'Slattara, 33, was found dead on a boat last week Credit: SOCIAL MEDIA 4 Martha moved to New York from Carlow ten years ago Credit: SOCIAL MEDIA Durnan, 60, reportedly ran screaming down the dock for help at the ritzy club, where he was well-known, after a 911 call reported Nolan was unconscious on board. A preliminary investigation and exam of the scene last week was inconclusive and detectives said a post-mortem exam didn't show evidence of any violence. Carlow woman Martha's cause of death has still not been determined and her family has been told a final post-mortem report will take at least three months to complete. Now, it has been claimed that the up-and-coming fashion designer could have been battling brain cancer before her death. According to The Irish Independent, Martha's mum Elma - who is currently in the US to repatriate her daughter - was asked by detectives about claims that her daughter had brain cancer. The grief-stricken mum was left "stunned" by the claims and told cops that her daughter was "perfectly healthy". Martha's family have engaged with a top lawyer in the US and are seeking a "second-opinion autopsy" before the body is embalmed and prepared for repatriation to Ireland. Criminal defence attorney Arthur Aidala said he is touch with the district attorney's office and confirmed the family has had a sit-down with Suffolk County homicide detectives. Aidala said cops are doing a "deep investigation" into the cause of death of the successful young swimsuit designer and confirmed "people are still being questioned" over the case. Secret legal battles of designer, 33, mysteriously found dead on luxury yacht as new timeline of last hours emerges He said: "There is still a very intense investigation focused on why a young woman is dead. "The autopsy report did show that there was no signs of a struggle, no defensive wounds on her hands, no obvious signs of trauma. "The medical examiner is really focusing now on her blood and the other fluids that are being sent to toxicology to see what's going on. "There were rumours that she possibly had some form of brain cancer and that is being investigated as well." DRUG PROBE Suffolk County's East End Drug Task Force has joined the investigation to examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The task force is now analysing whether drugs might have played a role in the death. Police are still waiting for toxicology results from the medical examiner, which could take several months to complete. The tests will determine whether there was any substance in her system that contributed to her death. Nolan, who moved to New York when she was 26, had been staying with her boyfriend in the Montauk area at the time of her death. It is understood that the pair had visited Ireland at Christmas. She reportedly called him in the hours before her death and told him she was going to book an Uber and get home around 1am. The tragic young woman was found dead at around 12am local time. 4 A task force is now analysing whether drugs might have played a role in Martha's death Credit: Social Media
Sunday World
20 hours ago
- Sunday World
Family of Irish woman found dead on yacht ‘stunned' by claims she was battling brain cancer
Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra's mother Elma told detectives her daughter was 'perfectly healthy' Martha Nolan-O'Slattara was found dead on a boat in East Hampton last week Claims that an Irish woman found dead on a yacht in the US had been battling brain cancer are being investigated by detectives probing her death. The body of Carlow businesswoman Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra (33) was found at Montauk Yacht Club in East Hampton on Long Island, New York, at 12am local time on Tuesday of last week. During a telephone call in the days that followed, it is understood that Ms Nolan's mother Elma was asked by detectives about claims that her daughter had brain cancer. It is not known who provided that information to the authorities. Ms Nolan-O'Slatarra's mother, who was in contact with her daughter on an almost daily basis, was stunned by the claims and told detectives her daughter was 'perfectly healthy'. 'She told them there was nothing of the sort [affecting her],' a source said. The Montauk Yacht Club in The Hamptons Detectives in the US have said a post-mortem examination 'did not show evidence of violence, and her final cause of death is pending further examination'. A 'preliminary investigation and exam', after they arrived at the scene, were inconclusive in informing a cause of death. Ms Nolan-O'Slatarra's family have been told that a final post-mortem report, including toxicological, histological and other testing, will take at least three months to complete. Her mother, sister Jacqui and several other relatives have travelled to the US to bring her body home. Martha Nolan-O'Slattara was found dead on a boat in East Hampton last week News in 90 Seconds - August 15th The family have engaged a top lawyer in the US and are seeking a 'second-opinion autopsy' as the mystery over the circumstances surrounding her death deepens. Criminal defence attorney Arthur Aidala's client list includes Harvey Weinstein and former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Mr Aidala has said he is in contact with the district attorney's office, and the family had met with Suffolk County homicide detectives. 'There is still a very intense investigation focused on why a young woman is dead,' he said. 'The autopsy report did show that there was no signs of a struggle, no defensive wounds on her hands, no obvious signs of trauma. 'The medical examiner is really focusing now on her blood and the other fluids that are being sent to toxicology to see what's going on. 'There were rumours that she possibly had some form of brain cancer and that is being investigated as well.' Ms Nolan-O'Slatarra was found unconscious at the Montauk Yacht Club after a man called 911 at around midnight, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. Ms Nolan-O'Slatarra had spoken to her boyfriend in the hours before she died, telling him she was going to book an Uber and would be home at around 1am. Public records indicate that the boat, named Ripple, is owned by Christopher P Durnan, an American business man who owns a successful insurance company. Efforts by the Irish Independent to contact Mr Durnan have been unsuccessful.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Devoted mum killed by falling tree branch after ‘pushing daughter, 5, out of way' on walk with husband & son is pictured
Her husband was said to be just a few feet away HERO MUM Devoted mum killed by falling tree branch after 'pushing daughter, 5, out of way' on walk with husband & son is pictured A HERO mum who was killed in front of her two young children when a tree branch fell on her has been pictured for the first time. Madia Kauser, who was named locally today, is said to have pushed her five-year-old daughter out of the way of the falling branch. Advertisement 5 Madia Kauser, 32, has been pictured for the first time Credit: facebook/@ 5 The mum was hailed as a 'hero' after pushing her daughter out of the way of a falling branch Credit: facebook/@ 5 Nearby trees have had their branches trimmed back Madia was sadly killed while taking her daughter and son for an evening stroll near Witton Country Park in Blackburn, Lancashire on Monday. The little girl was reportedly in a push chair that the brave mother managed to shove out of the way before being crushed by the falling branch. Madia's young daughter thankfully survived unharmed because of her mum's noble actions. Former mayor and local councillor Zamir Khan MBE, an uncle in the family, told the Daily Mail that her body was still with the coroner. Advertisement He added: "Her little girl told me her mother pushed her out of the way as the branch fell. "The older boy was walking with his father in front and could not believe what happened. "It is very hard for the children. I do not think they will ever walk in that park again." Madia's husband was said to be just a few feet away with the couple's son when the tragedy unfolded. Advertisement He rushed to offer aid to his wife but nothing could be done to save the woman. She was sadly pronounced dead at the scene after paramedics battled to save her. The remainder of the tree has since been removed by Blackburn with Darwen council, the local authority has also trimmed back nearby tree branches. Tributes have begun to pour in for the hero mother who "would do anything for her children." Advertisement Social media tributes have described the heroic mum as a "lovely person" with the local Muslim community coming together to remember her. A gathering was held at Blackburn's Madina mosque on Wednesday where condolences were offered for the tragic mum and her family. Family members from across the country travelled to attend the gathering. A local social media group hosted a message for the mum, reading: "Please keep this mother and her young children in your prayers. Advertisement "May Allah give them Sabrun Jameel. Condolences can be paid to the family at Madina Masjid on Oak St from 11am." The local authority said: "Blackburn with Darwen borough council is deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has tragically died following an incident in Witton Park, when a large tree branch fell.' A Lancashire Police spokesman said the woman's death was not being treated as suspicious and a file would be prepared for the coroner. 5 Her young daughter thankfully survived unharmed Advertisement
