Family of NYC Designer Found Dead on Montauk Boat to Sue

The family of a New York City fashion designer found dead last year on a boat in Montauk, New York, is preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the man she was with when she died, according to a summons filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, 33, was found dead on August 5, 2025, aboard a boat owned by Christopher Durnan, 61, docked at the Montauk Yacht Club in the Hamptons. Last week, her family filed a summons with notice against Durnan accusing him of assault, gross negligence, and reckless and wanton conduct in connection with her death. The family is seeking $50 million in damages. Durnan has not been charged with any crime.

Michael Bowe, a lawyer for Nolan-O'Slatarra's family at Brithem LLP, said the family conducted its own investigation and "does not believe Martha died from intoxicants." He said EMTs found "blood in her mouth, on her chest and head, on the floor, and possibly behind her head," and that "the body was cold despite her allegedly having just lost consciousness."

Durnan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His attorney, Robert Holdman, told New York magazine last year that his client was "absolutely destroyed" over the death, saying, "He watched his friend die in trauma."

The Suffolk County medical examiner has not publicly released a final cause and manner of death. The Suffolk County Police Department said days after the death that Nolan-O'Slatarra's autopsy "did not show evidence of violence" and that her cause of death was pending further examination. The department declined to comment on the discrepancy with the family's new allegations.

East Hampton Town police responded to a 911 call around midnight reporting a woman unconscious on the docked boat. She was pronounced dead by first responders after bystanders attempted CPR, police said.

Originally from Ireland, Nolan-O'Slatarra owned the swimwear company East x East. In a 2024 interview with the Irish Independent, she said, "I was the small-town girl who needed to get out to achieve her big dreams. I always knew I wanted to be successful, that I was money-driven, business-driven — and that fashion is a tough industry and it would be a slow road."