Private investigators serve yacht owner in $50 million wrongful death case
A $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against millionaire yacht owner Christopher Durnan has moved forward after private investigators tracked him down in Florida and served him with court papers. The case concerns the death of Irish-born swimwear designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, whose family alleges Durnan was responsible; he denies wrongdoing and has not been charged.
Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, was found unresponsive aboard Durnan’s yacht in Montauk on 5 August 2025, after reportedly meeting him to discuss investment in her business. Durnan was found naked on the dock and later said he had removed clothes covered in vomit; the family disputes that account. Trace amounts of cocaine were reportedly found in her system, but the medical examiner has not publicly given a cause of death. Court filings say Durnan accepted the summons on 1 October and remarked, “I’m surprised it took you so long.”
In short
- Durnan was served with a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit.
- Nolan-O’Slatarra died aboard his yacht in August 2025.
- He denies wrongdoing; the cause of death remains undisclosed.
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The case for
The family’s case merits a full hearing because Nolan-O’Slatarra died aboard Durnan’s yacht after reportedly meeting him there, and the circumstances described in filings leave questions about what happened. Serving him with court papers allows those questions to be examined through the civil process, while the absence of a public cause of death does not itself settle responsibility.
The case against
Durnan denies wrongdoing, has not been charged, and the reported facts do not establish that he caused Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death. The medical examiner has not publicly stated a cause, and the family disputes his account of why he removed his clothes; those unresolved points counsel against treating allegations or unusual circumstances as proof of liability.
Explained simply
Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was an Irish-born swimwear designer who lived and worked in the United States. She was found unresponsive aboard a yacht in Montauk, New York, in August 2025, after reportedly meeting its owner, Christopher Durnan, to discuss investment in her business.
Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family has brought a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Durnan, seeking $50 million and alleging he was responsible for her death. Durnan denies wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. The medical examiner has not publicly stated a cause of death.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Dramatic moment tycoon, 61, who ran naked from Hamptons yacht where glam bikini designer lay dead is tracked down by private investigators… and his chilling taunt”.