1 Year After Designer Found Dead On Montauk Yacht, Family Set To File $50M Wrongful Death Suit: Court Docs

MONTAUK, NY — One year after a young Irish fashion designer, Martha Nolan-O'Slattara, 33, was found lifeless on a boat in Montauk, her family is set to file a $50 million wrongful death suit accusing the boat's owner of causing her death.

According to filings with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York on Tuesday, Elma Geraldine Nolan, Nolan-O'Slattara's mother, and Marcello de Peralta, as temporary administrators of Nolan-O'Slattara's estate, filed a summons with notice.

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The court filing indicated that her family was set to file a "wrongful death" suit to recover $50 million damages, and named the reported owner of the boat on which Nolan-O'Slattara was found, Christopher Durnan.

Police and Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney have not previously reported that Durnan was arrested or charged with any crimes in relation to Nolan-O'Slattara's death.

"There have been no assault charges connected to her death," Suffolk police said Wednesday.

Suffolk County police said in 2025 that an autopsy conducted on Nolan-O'Slatarra did not show "evidence of violence" and her final cause of death was pending further examination

Robert Holdman, an attorney representing Christopher Durnan, told Patch Wednesday that he had no comment and had not yet seen the court filings.

Durnan could not immediately be reached for comment.

The summons of notice stated that the suit would aim to "recover damages for the personal injuries and conscious pain and suffering sustained by Martha Nolan O'Slatarra prior to her death," and said: "Both causes of action arise from the wrongful conduct of the defendant, Christopher Durnan, on or about August 4 and 5, 2025, aboard a vessel at the Star Island Yacht Club, located at 32 Star Island Road, Montauk, New York, including: a) assault, in that the defendant intentionally and wrongfully assaulted the decedent; and b) gross negigence and reckless and wanton conduct by the defendant toward the decedent; each of which acts described in (a) and (b) above, individually and/or in combination, caused the decedent's injury and death."

An article in the New York Post stated that an "independent autopsy found some form of assault led to Nolan-O'Slatarra's death, sources said."

According to the summons notice, the relief sought is money damages, "including: (a) damages for the pecuniary injuries sustained by the decedent's distributees as a result of her wrongful death; (b) damages for the decedent's conscious pain and suffering and personal injuries sustained prior to her death; and (c) punitive damages; together with interest, attorneys' fees, costs, and disbursements of this action."

Michael Bowe, an attorney for Brithem LLP, filed the notice of summons along with Lauren Tabaksblat and Jaime Freilich-Fried.

Bowe spoke exclusively with Patch Wednesday: The notice of summons, he said, is is the first step in the judicial process.

"We will serve the summons, then a complaint and then take discovery to secure all the relevant evidence before presenting it in court," he said.

The suit was commenced yesterday with the filing of the summons with notice, Bowe said. A complaint will be filed after the defendant is served," he added.

Durnan, Bowe said, "has not been criminally charged. The standard in a criminal case is beyond a reasonable doubt and the prosecutors apparently do not think they can currently meet that burden. The standard in our civil case is a preponderance of the evidence; that is, what most likely happened."

Speaking of Nolan-O'Slattara's family, Bowe reflected: "The family remains in the same painful place it was a year ago. Their expert medical examiner who conducted an independent autopsy does not agree Martha was killed by intoxicants, given her youth and health and the evidence we have uncovered includes that EMTs found blood in her mouth, on her chest and head and possibly behind her head," he said. "Law enforcement informed the family they believed the scene had been cleaned before responders arrived; Durnan was found naked on the dock and claimed he stripped because Martha vomited on him, but there is no evidence of that at the scene or in the autopsy."

Police and the DA have not confirmed that there was blood found at the scene and have said there was "no evidence of violence."

He added: "He also declined to talk to the police after that night and has claimed publicly to have been in contact with the family when he has not and, in fact, has failed to responded to repeated calls and text messages from them. We will present additional evidence as the case unfolds."

For a year, no answers have been given regarding Nolan-O'Slattara' s cause of death.

According to Suffolk County police in October, Martha Nolan-O'Slattara's cause of death had not been revealed and an investigation was ongoing.

When asked again last week, Suffolk County police said there were no updates.

An article in the Irish Independent said that Nolan-O'Slattara's family, including her mother and sister, are still left devastated and wondering what happened to their beautiful girl on that dark August night in the Hamptons, so far from home.

"We are in the same place where we were this time 12 months ago," the Irish Independent said a source close to the family told the outlet. "We knew, and were being told, very little then — and we know even less now."

A Freedom of Information Law request filed by Patch was denied in its entirety, with law enforcement citing it could interfere with the investigation.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office had no comment both in October or last week, and did not return a request for comment Wednesday.

Suffolk County County Executive Ed Romaine's Office, as well as the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office, have previously said that they could not comment on results of the autopsy or on any potential investigation.

Arthur Aidala, the lawyer previously said to be representingNolan-O'Slatarra's family, was reportedly traveling in October and could not comment; last week, when asked for comment, a representative his office said he was on vacation.

Nolan-O'Slattara, 33, was found unresponsive on August 5, 2025 on a boat off the Montauk Yacht Club, sending shock waves into the tony community during the height of the summer season.

But despite rumors and speculation, no cause of death was ever confirmed. Suffolk County police previously said that an autopsy conducted on Nolan-O'Slatarra did not show evidence of violence.

A New York Magazine article said that Christopher Durnan, the owner of two boats docked at the marina,had invested in Nolan-O'Slattara's business and that she had reportedly gone to meet with him that night.

Boaters whose vessels were docked nearby described the experience to Patch at the time. The boat, which had a Grateful Dead sticker affixed, was, according to eyewitness, named "The Ripple."

According to the group, who were sitting on the dock on the Wednesday morning after Nolan-O'Slattera's, said the boat's owner and Nolan-O'Slattara had been seen having a good time earlier on Monday, before she died.

They headed out on the water on another boat docked in the next slip, then returned and boarded "The Ripple" Monday night.

Around midnight, two men said, they heard screaming and banging on the doors of the boats in the area as the man reportedly tried to get help.

"He woke us up," one man said.

Another person said their boat was nicked after it was hit with something by the man, desperate to get help.

"It was definitely disturbing," said Juan Stamos, who works on a nearby boat. "When we got to our boat the next morning, a pole was missing, and we were told that the man had used that pole to make a ruckus, banging on doors, in need of help."

"He was trying to wake people up," another person confirmed.

27East reported that the man was naked but neighboring boaters on the dock did not confirm that information with Patch.

All who experienced the tragedy were left visibly shaken. "We were up since that midnight; we finally slept a few hours last night," one man said. "These things don't happen out here."

Another witness added: "I know these things happen, but not here."

After her body was found, the entire area was cordoned off with yellow police tape as officials conducted an investigation, boaters said.

"This is a family place," said one employee, who asked not to be identified. "This has never happened here before."

Another man, hosing off his deck, said he hadn't heard anything on the night Nolan-O'Slatarra died, but added, "It's crazy."

One boater said Nolan-O'Slatarra was known for her designs; a friend had recently bought one of her shirts a few days before.

For months, no information was provided by officials.

"The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office is committed to conducting a thorough, professional investigation into the death of Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra," a representative for Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney previously told Patch. "Out of respect for the victim, her family, and the integrity of our ongoing investigation, we will not be commenting on specific details, evidence, or investigative theories until our review is complete. Our office remains focused on ensuring all aspects of this matter are examined comprehensively and professionally. We will provide appropriate updates to the public when our investigation reaches its conclusion."

Meanwhile, the many who loved Nolan-O'Slattara gathered in her tiny hometown in Ireland to say a heartbreaking farewell during a funeral service.

The funeral was marked by grief, according to the Irish Mirror, with her partner and sister speaking about a young woman who touched many lives. Nicholas DiRubio, who was reportedly dating Nolan-O'Slattara and who she was seen with in many photos on social media, helped to carry her coffin, according to the Irish Mirror.

"Martha had a special way of lighting up every room she walked into, whether it was her signature 'Hi' or her famous hand gestures. One couldn't help feel her positive presence in every space she entered," the outlet reported DiRubio saying.

Also, according to the Irish Mirror, Nolan O'Slattara's sister Jacqui spoke from the heart. "The shining light that Martha brought into this world is a reflection of everybody in this room. For friends, family, loved ones, both past and present, we've all been lucky to have known Martha and we must live every day forward with her in our hearts. May she rest in peace."

Aidala, managing partner of Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, which has offices in New York City and Southampton, previously spoke with members of the media. Any reports prematurely listing the cause of death of Martha Nolan-O'Slattara "are irresponsible. They're just not accurate," said Aidala, who is now representing Nolan's family, according to Fox News.

At the press conference in 2025, posted on Fox News, Aidala said he had been in touch with Tierney's office, and that Nolan-O'Slattara's family has "had a sit down" with Suffolk County Police homicide detectives. He added that a "deep, deep" investigation was ongoing, with "technological analysis still being done."

Aidala also said at the time that her family "respectfully requests privacy. At this point, they have a lot of questions they want answered — and they want to honor Martha's legacy."

Aidala has not immediately responded to multiple calls and emails for additional comment by Patch.

In August, 2025, the New York Post reported that, in an interview, Tierney said officials were waiting on additional toxicology results from an autopsy.

The Irish Independent reported that Nolan-O'Slattara's family was told that the final autopsy findings, including "toxicological, histological and other testing," could take at least three months to complete.

Despite the murky details of the night she died out on the waters of Montauk, Nolan-O'Slattara was on the precipice of a bright new future.

A successful entrepreneur with a burgeoning fashion brand that had a pop-up at Gurney's this season, Nolan-O'Slattara was, according to Irish website Extra.ie, not with her boyfriend on the night she died. She called him moments before she was found unconscious, the outlet said.

Extra.ie reported that a source said that Nolan-O'Slattara and her boyfriend went to Ireland at Christmas, where he'd met her family and that "getting married would have been the next step."

According to multiple media reports, including Women's Wear Daily, Nolan was close to a divorce from her husband; an attorney familiar with the case told Patch that the divorce had not yet been finalized.

Also, according to Extra.ie, Nolan-O'Slattara and the boat owner were alone on the vessel, called Ripple, when she called her boyfriend she told him she'd been at a business meeting, had called an Uber and would be home soon.

Beyond the speculation over how Nolan O'Slattara died, there was a blanket of heavy grief, as those who loved her mourn the cold reality of her loss.

"We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of our former student Martha Nolan O'Slatarra. Our heartfelt condolences to her mother Elma, her sister Jacqui, her extended family and wide circle of school friends. Martha was a bright and talented student. May her gentle soul rest in eternal peace," St. Leo's College, located in Carlow, Ireland, wrote on Instagram.

And beyond the headlines and ongoing investigation, the stark grief remains: An anguished mother is mourning the unthinkable loss of her beautiful daughter.

Elma Nolan, mother of Nolan O'Slattara, told the Irish Independent that she "numb with shock," left reeling after the news that her precious girl was gone. "I don't know what happened to my daughter."

Her family, who lives in Ireland, was left searching for answers.

According to BreakingNews.ie, Nolan O'Slattara had planned to visit her mother in Ireland — but that joyful reunion never came to pass. Instead, her mother and aunt made the sad journey to New York, the outlet said.

Dylan Grace, reportedly Nolan-O'Slattara's business partner in the East X East fashion brand, posted a heartfelt good-bye on Instagram.

"We dreamed big together, laughed harder than anyone else could understand, and built so much from nothing. I'm truly blessed and grateful to have had you in my life."

Grace has not responded to multiple requests for comment by Patch.

"She was such a beautiful person inside and out. She will be so, so missed," another person wrote on Instagram.

According to Suffolk County police, East Hampton Town police responded to a 911 call from a man reporting a woman unconscious on a boat docked at the yacht club on Star Island Road at about 12 a.m. on August 5.

Good Samaritans attempted to perform CPR on the woman; Nolan-O'Slatarra was pronounced dead on the boat by first responders, police said.

Boaters whose vessels were docked nearby described the experience.

Nolan-O'Slatarra was originally from Ireland. According to her LinkedIn profile, she graduated from University College Dublin and had a master's in digital marketing from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

Breakingnews.ie said that as a young girl, she was "keen footballer."

Posts on her TikTok account featured photos of a vibrant young woman focused on launching her brand. One post featured Nolan flying over New York City, writing: "New York or Nowhere."

According to a TikTok post by Nolan-O'Slatarra, she was the founder and creative director of East X East, a fashion brand offering crocheted dresses, bikinis, sunglasses and other items. On July 1, of 2025, she posted on TikTok and showed the East X East brand featured at Gurney's in Montauk, saying: "POV: The brand you started 3 years ago has a pop-up in the Hamptons. . . Goals achieved."