Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra Found Dead On THE RIPPLE Yacht
Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra Found Dead On THE RIPPLE Yacht
Hamptons fashion entrepreneur Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra told her business partner she was being “harassed” and accused of fraud by financier Chris Durnan just days before she was found dead on his yacht (The Ripple). Her body was already purple and cold to the touch.
By SyndicatedNews True Crime | SNN.BZ
The 33-year-old Irish-born swimwear designer, co-founder of the East x East brand Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra had blocked Durnan on her phone by August 1, 2025. That day, Durnan sent a series of fiery messages to her partner Dylan Grace, accusing the pair of financial misconduct related to the company.
Durnan had purchased roughly 13 percent of East x East in 2022 for $250,000. Nolan-O’Slatarra, originally from County Carlow, Ireland, had built the sustainable swimwear and resort-wear line with Grace after moving to New York in 2015.
The brand featured pop-up shops at exclusive Hamptons locations, including Gurney’s Montauk Resort. Texts show Nolan-O’Slatarra agreeing to meet Durnan to address his claims. “Oh god … I’ll meet him Monday,” she told Grace. When Grace asked her to unblock Durnan for the weekend, she replied simply, “Did it.”
The following day, August 2, Nolan-O’Slatarra messaged Grace that the contact had resumed aggressively. “I’m getting harassed,” she wrote. “He won’t stop texting me like 10 times.” She described Durnan’s messages as containing “shite like you ghosting me” and characterized him as “looking for attention such a kid.” She had previously blocked him from calling months earlier. Despite the friction, the pair arranged a business discussion.
On the evening of August 4, 2025, Nolan-O’Slatarra met Durnan at the Montauk Yacht Club around 7:30 p.m. aboard his boat Hell in a Bucket. The two took a short cruise, drank champagne as the sun set at 8:08 p.m., and later returned to the club, transferring to Durnan’s other vessel, Ripple. What happened afterward remains under investigation by Suffolk County authorities.
Nolan-O’Slatarra was found unresponsive on the Ripple shortly after midnight on August 5. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene. An EMT report described her as cold to the touch, with dried blood in her mouth, on her chest, and at the back of her head, though no active bleeding or obvious trauma was noted. Durnan was found naked on the dock; he had summoned help and, according to his attorney, had attempted CPR after she suddenly went limp around 10:30 or 11 p.m. His lawyer stated he removed his clothes because they were soiled with vomit, though the EMT report did not mention vomit and the clothing was never recovered.
Suffolk County police stated that a preliminary autopsy showed no evidence of violence and that the final cause of death remained pending further examination, including toxicology results. Homicide detectives and the East End Drug Task Force examined the case. Durnan has not been charged with any crime in connection with the death and has denied wrongdoing through his attorney.
In August 2026, nearly one year later, Nolan-O’Slatarra’s estate filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court against Durnan. The filing alleges assault as well as gross negligence and reckless conduct aboard the vessel at the Star Island Yacht Club that caused her injury and death. Family attorney Michael Bowe noted that Nolan-O’Slatarra had kept Durnan blocked for months and only unblocked him at her partner’s request to resolve the business dispute. “She agreed to meet him. She died at that meeting,” Bowe said.
The estate has also launched a tip line seeking additional information about the night of August 4-5, 2025. Durnan and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment on the newly reported texts. The circumstances surrounding Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death continue to be examined as civil proceedings move forward.
