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.”