Nearly a year after Irish fashion designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was found dead aboard a yacht in Montauk, New York, her family has filed a $50 million wrongful-death lawsuit, bringing renewed attention to the unanswered questions surrounding her death.

Martha, 33, was found unresponsive aboard the yacht Ripple at the Montauk Yacht Club in the early hours of August 5, 2025. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

What makes the case particularly puzzling is that the final cause of her death has not been publicly released.

Her final night aboard the yacht
On the evening of August 4, 2025, Martha reportedly went aboard the Ripple to meet Christopher Durnan, a businessman who had connections to her work.

According to reports, the meeting was initially related to business involving Martha’s fashion brand, East x East.

Several hours later, the situation turned tragic.

Around midnight, Durnan was reportedly seen running along the dock while calling for help. People nearby went aboard the yacht and attempted to revive Martha before emergency crews arrived.

Suffolk County police said an investigation was underway. An initial autopsy reportedly found no obvious signs of trauma, while the final cause of death remained pending further examination.

Why the case remains controversial
For months, little information emerged publicly about what happened aboard the yacht.

In 2026, Martha’s family commissioned an independent medical examination. According to their attorney, the examination detected only a small amount of cocaine and did not support the theory that she died from a drug overdose.

The family’s legal team has also raised questions about the condition Martha was reportedly found in, including alleged blood around her mouth, head and chest.

Those claims are part of the family’s legal case and have not been established as findings of a criminal investigation.

A $50 million lawsuit
In August 2026, Martha’s family filed a $50 million wrongful-death lawsuit against Christopher Durnan, the owner of the yacht where she was found.

The lawsuit alleges negligence and intentional misconduct, claiming Durnan’s actions contributed to Martha’s death.

Durnan has not been criminally charged in connection with her death, and his side has denied the allegations. His attorney has said that Durnan was devastated by Martha’s death.

A civil lawsuit, of course, does not mean the allegations have been proven in court.

A young designer chasing her dream
Before her death became the center of a mystery, Martha was known as a young entrepreneur pursuing a career in New York fashion.

Originally from Ireland, she founded East x East, a fashion label focused on resort wear and swimwear. She had been building the brand in the Hamptons and had participated in local pop-up events.

Friends and family remembered Martha as energetic, warm and ambitious.

Her sudden death at just 33 shocked those who knew her.

A year later, the questions remain
The mystery surrounding Martha’s death is not simply about what happened on a luxury yacht.

It is about what remains unknown.

Martha boarded the Ripple for what was reportedly a meeting. Hours later, she was dead.

The circumstances surrounding those final hours remain the subject of investigation and litigation.

What happened aboard the Ripple that night?

What caused Martha’s death?

And most importantly, is there more to the story than what investigators initially found?

For now, there is no criminal finding establishing that Martha was murdered.

But with her family now pursuing a $50 million lawsuit, the questions surrounding the 33-year-old designer’s final night have once again been brought into the spotlight.