Family of NYC fashion designer found dead on Montauk boat to file wrongful death lawsuit

The family of a New York City fashion designer found dead on a boat in the Hamptons last year is preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the man she was with when she died. Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, was found dead on a boat owned by Christopher Durnan, 61, and docked at the Montauk Yacht Club in the ritzy region of New York’s Long Island on Aug. Her family filed a summons with notice against Durnan in Manhattan Supreme Court last week, accusing him of assault, gross negligence, and reckless and wanton conduct in connection with Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death. The family is seeking a sum of $50 million in damages. Durnan has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the death.

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Scoop News DeskNyc · Published Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM UTCUpdated Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 6:19 PM UTC

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A lawyer for Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family, Michael Bowe of Brithem LLP, said in a statement to NBC News that the family has conducted their own investigation of Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death and “does not believe Martha died from intoxicants.” He said that EMTs found “blood in her mouth, on her chest and head, on the floor, and possibly behind her head” and reported “the body was cold despite her allegedly having just lost consciousness.” Durnan did not immediately return a request for comment.

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