Claims that a glamorous bikini designer who was found dead on a New York yacht was suffering with brain cancer are being investigated by detectives in a shocking twist to the family.
It comes after the body of 33-year-old Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was found on board a ritzy Hamptons yacht last week after she had a meeting with an American insurance tycoon on the evening of August 4.
After the initial post-mortem failed to yield a cause of death, the grief-stricken family travelled from Ireland to the U.S. to demand a second-opinion autopsy.
But during a telephone call in the days following Martha’s death, it is understood that her mother was asked by detectives about claims that her daughter had brain cancer.
The fashionista’s mother, Elma, who kept close contact with her daughter on an almost daily basis, was astounded by the claims and told detectives her daughter was ‘perfectly healthy’, the Irish Independent reported.
‘She told them there was nothing of the sort [affecting her],’ a source said.
It is not known who disclosed the information to the detectives.
The night before she died, the swimwear brand founder is understood to have headed to the luxury Montauk Yacht Club to speak with 60-year-old insurance mogul, Christopher Durnan.
But the evening ended in horror when the American business man dashed down the dock naked around midnight screaming for help and indicating that Martha had passed out.
Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, the founder of swimwear brand East x East, was found unresponsive aboard a ritzy yacht in Montauk on August 5 before being declared dead at the scene
Martha’s Irish relatives have spoken of their devastation and disbelief that she failed to get home safely
Daily Mail can reveal Nolan-O’Slattara had met insurance mogul Christopher Durnan aboard his boat for a late night business meeting when she suddenly passed out
Bystanders dialed 911 and clambered on board the boat named Ripple to try and perform CPR on the self-made entrepreneur, but she was declared dead at the scene by first responders.
U.S. detectives have said an initial post-mortem examination ‘did not show evidence of violence and her final cause of death is pending further investigation’.
Sources have told the Daily Mail that Martha likely succumbed to a suspected drug overdose – of cocaine or other narcotics.
It comes after photographs taken the next morning on the plush yacht revealed a dusting of mysterious white powder across a seat on the 50ft cabin-cruiser.
The grief-stricken family of the fashion founder have travelled from Ireland to the U.S. to demand a second-opinion autopsy into her cause of death.
They have engaged a top lawyer in the U.S. – whose client list includes Harvey Weinstein and former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon – to discover what happened to the blonde, blue-eyed woman.
The final post-mortem report, which will include toxicological, histological and other testing, which will take at least three months to conclude.
The family’s lawyer, criminal defence attorney Arthur Aidala, said they had met with Suffolk County homicide detectives who were conducting a thorough investigation, and that people are still being questioned.
As of Monday this week, Ripple was no longer moored at its slip at the exclusive Montauk Yacht Club
One boater at the scene described Durnan’s vessel, Ripple, as a ‘party boat’ and told Daily Mail that she heard screams when the body was discovered
Self-made entrepreneur Martha grew up in Carlow, Ireland before moving to New York and creating a jet-setting life of luxury for herself that’s often associated with Manhattan’s elite
‘There is still a very intense investigation focused on why a young woman is dead,’ he said, reported the Irish Independent.
‘The autopsy report did show that there was no signs of a struggle, no defensive wounds on her hands, no obvious signs of trauma.
‘The medical examiner is really focusing now on her blood and the other fluids that are being sent to toxicology to see what’s going on.
‘There were rumours that she possibly had some form of brain cancer and that is being investigated as well.’
Martha’s body is currently being held by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Once the second-opinion autopsy has concluded, it is understood that her body will be embalmed and repatriated to Ireland.
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.
The tycoon, who founded Durnan Group in 1981, specialising in workers’ compensation insurance, did not respond to calls and texts from the Daily Mail asking for comment.
Photographs taken the next morning revealed a dusting of mysterious white powder across a seat inside the 50ft cabin-cruiser
The fashion designer had recently celebrated the opening of her East x East popup shop at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa
Bystanders dialed 911 and clambered on board the boat named Ripple to try and perform CPR on the self-made entrepreneur, but she was declared dead at the scene by first responders
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.
Martha had spoken to her boyfriend – who was out of town when the tragedy unfolded – just hours before she died, assuring him she was going to book an Uber and would be home at around 1 am.
Nolan-O’Slatarra was previously revealed to have been in the middle of uncontested divorce proceedings from her husband but she had been dating boyfriend 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio
Daily Mail can reveal Nolan-O’Slattara had met insurance mogul Christopher Durnan aboard his boat for a late night business meeting when she suddenly passed out
It is understood that the blonde, blue-eyed designer and 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio had been staying in the Montauk area for the summer.
Reached by telephone, DiRubio, a handsome former college football player, broke down before recovering his composure and saying: ‘No comment, have a good day.’
The fashion entrepreneur lived an enviable life in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, posting TikToks of herself sipping champagne, taking private jets and trips on helicopters with her boyfriend, who the Irish Independent said she planned to marry.
She had finalised her uncontested divorce from ex-husband Sam Ryan in April, according to court documents filed in New York Supreme Court.
Ambitious from a young age, she studied commerce at University College Dublin before completing a master’s in digital marketing from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business.
‘Carlow is a small town, I was the small-town girl who needed to get out to achieve her big dreams,’ Martha said in an interview with the Irish Independent last year.
‘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.’
She worked in Ireland until 2015 before moving to the U.S., where she founded several companies, including fashion accessories brand Duper and luxury swimwear label East x East.
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 outlet 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.
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.’