There has been a fresh update surrounding the death of Irish fashion designer Martha Nolan, who was mysteriously found deceased on a luxury yacht in the Hamptons during the summer. Pic: Instagram
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The autopsy of a fashion designer who was found dead on a boat at a Long Island yacht club this summer revealed she had a trace amount of cocaine in her system, according to multiple reports.
Autopsy Shows Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra Had Cocaine In System: Report
Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family is desperate for answers in their daughter’s death, and they recently hired a lawyer to represent them as police continue to investigate the mystery.
However, Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family had a separate autopsy done. The findings showed “there was no indication of drugs in her system that would have killed her,” a Nolan-O’Slatarra family source told the Daily Mail. “There were only trace amounts of cocaine. And it could have been in her system for days,” the source added.
“There are definitely more questions than answers,” said Arthur Aidala, Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family attorney.
“The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office are doing a lot of digital forensics. So her phone, her laptop, they were able to break into all of those things and recreate her life those last couple of days.”
Martha Nolan-O’Slattara Was On Yacht For Possible Business: Family Source
Nolan-O’Slattara’s family says on the night she died, she arranged to meet investor Christopher Durnan to discuss his possible investment in East x East. The family source acknowledged the pair had originally planned to meet in the afternoon in a public setting, but Durnan allegedly texted Nolan-O’Slattara later, asking her to come instead to his yacht around 7.30 p.m.
When the pair was meeting, Durnan was driving the yacht before they set out to watch the Montauk sunset. A second family source believes the two were drinking a lot of champagne. Hours later, Nolan-O’Slattara was found dead on the yacht.
Nolan was found unconscious on a boat named the Ripple that was docked at the luxurious Montauk Yacht Club on August 5, police said.
The boat belonged to insurance mogul Christopher Durnan, 60, who reportedly ran down the dock screaming for help that night.
Speculation began to grow that Nolan could have died of a drug overdose after cops said there was no evidence of violence, and a drug task force joined the investigation.
Now, the family’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, shot down the rumors at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Irish-born entrepreneur’s family “did not know her to be someone who used drugs,” Aidala said.
He said the family is worried that if there were drugs involved, then Nolan might have been unknowingly slipped something.
“If there was any kind of drug and drug use, they want to know. Who’s doing the drugs?” Aidala said.
‘FAR FROM TYPICAL’
The family is asking for anyone with information about Nolan’s final hours to come forward as cops continue their “deep dive” into the case.
“No one is positive right now about the hour gap,” added Aidala. “I believe he would be disputing that, Mr. Durnan. As far as we know, he was the only one there.”
Investor on yacht with Nolan-O’Slattara tried to perform CPR: Attorney
Durnan’s attorney, Robert Holman, said his client was seen running down the dock naked, throwing sunscreen at a neighboring boat and screaming for help.
“They want more details. The circumstances surrounding this are far from typical,” Aidala said.
He said the family wants to know who was with Nolan that night.
“Earlier that evening, at the time of the actual incident, we know one person who was there. Was anyone else around?” Aidala said.
He said police are still working to interview people who might know anything about Nolan’s death.
“The family has had a sit-down with the Suffolk County homicide detectives,” Aidala told reporters.
“They are doing a deep, deep dive, a deep investigation.”
He added, “People are still being questioned, there are technological analyses still being done.”
No one has been charged with any crime in connection with the case. Police ruled out any foul play.
Toxicology results are still pending from the medical examiner’s office.
Nolan’s mother, Elma, and sister, Jacqui, travelled with multiple other family members from the small Irish town of Carlow to start the repatriation process for the designer, according to the Irish Times.
Credit: Social Media Collect
The family is seeking a second postmortem examination so they can determine the cause of her death.
Nolan, who lived in the Upper East Side, spent the summers in the Hamptons to host pop-ups for her swimwear brand, East x East.
She often showcased luxury vacations and trips on private jets on her social media accounts.
On the night of her death, Nolan told her boyfriend, a sales exec who was out of town, that she was having a business meeting and would take an Uber home by 1 am.
Holman claimed Durnan had stripped because his clothes were soaked in Nolan-O’Slattara’s vomit. He added the pair had been sitting on the yacht when Nolan suddenly went limp. Holman added Durnan attempted CPR on Nolan-O’Slattara, but she was already unresponsive.
Another source close to Nolan-O’Slattara’s family stated Martha Nolan-O’Slattara never spoke of any relationship with Durnan and that the family had never met him.
She was with Durnan, who reportedly invested over $200,000 in her high-end swimwear line East x East and who has a house in the Montauk area.
He owns an insurance company called the Durnan Group, which focuses on workers’ compensation insurance.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Note: George V Magazine staff offers the family condolences
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