The Daily Mail can exclusively reveal how New York City swimwear designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra died in the Hamptons last week.
Sources say 33-year-old Martha headed to the ritzy Montauk Yacht Club on the evening of August 4 to speak 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 their meeting ended in horror when he 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 to revive the blonde, blue-eyed fashionista.
But she was declared dead at the scene on August 5 with sources now telling the Daily Mail that Martha likely succumbed to a suspected drug overdose – of cocaine or other narcotics.
Photographs taken the next morning 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.
Martha’s boyfriend, who Daily Mail can identify as 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio, was out of town when the tragedy unfolded.
Reached by telephone, DiRubio, a handsome former college football player, broke down before recovering his composure and saying: ‘No comment, have a good day.’
Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department found no signs of violence to Martha’s body but are waiting for toxicology results before they release a formal cause of death.
Her family have been warned that could take up to three months, according to reports in the Irish media.
Durnan, who founded Durnan Group in 1981, specializing 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.
Daily Mail can reveal he suffered a devastating personal tragedy in 2018 when his wife Marie died unexpectedly at age 49.
Marie was described as a loving wife, dedicated mom and ‘adored aunt to 23 nieces and nephews’ in a glowing obituary notice.
The cause of her death was not disclosed.
Self-made entrepreneur Martha grew up in Carlow, a picture-postcard village in southeast Ireland, set in rolling, lush green countryside.
She obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration from storied University College Dublin and a master’s in digital marketing from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business.
Around a decade ago Martha moved to New York, where she soon took to her glam new life in the Big Apple, telling The Irish Independent in a 2024 interview that she ‘loved’ living on the Upper East Side.
Martha was seen sipping champagne, taking a private jet to Nashville for a concert and cozying up to DiRubio during a helicopter ride in TikTok posts.
She established several companies, including fashion accessories brand Duper and luxury swimwear label East x East.
The petite designer was also involved in a legal dispute when a former employer claimed in a 2022 lawsuit that she stole $34,000 from a company bank account.
Martha denied the accusations and the case ended in a confidential settlement.
More recently, she launched a pop-up store showing off her wares at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, one of the more exclusive spots in the Hamptons.
Martha finalized her uncontested divorce from ex-husband Sam Ryan in April, according to court documents filed in New York Supreme Court.
She was already planning to marry her new boyfriend, according to The Irish Independent.
The outlet said she sent him a text in the hours before her alleged overdose letting him know she planned to take an Uber home around 1am.
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 Irish Independent last week.
‘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.
‘An autopsy conducted on Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, the woman found dead on a boat in Montauk on August 5, did not show evidence of violence,’ the Sussex County PD said in a statement.
‘Her final cause of death is pending further examination.’
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.’
