Narcotics police take over inquiry into death of Martha Nolan O’Slattara

The focus has now shifted to finding who supplied the drugs that allegedly killed Martha Nolan O’Slatarra. The 33-year-old was found dead on a private yacht in the upmarket area of Montauk in the Hamptons, New York, earlier this month.

An initial examination ruled out a violent death. New York police have now put narcotics officers on the case as it appears more and more likely that Ms Nolan O’Slatarra died of a drug overdose.

The investigation is being led by Suffolk County’s East End Drug Task Force, which comprises several different law enforcement organizations, including the Suffolk County sheriff’s department, the district attorney’s office and several police departments in the region.

Toxicology results will not be available for several months, but police are "very confident" she died from an overdose. Speaking to Extra.ie yesterday, a police spokesman said that investigations into Ms Nolan O’Slatarra’s death are "very much open and progressing." They would not confirm if drugs or drug paraphernalia were discovered on board the yacht.

Details of the funeral for Ms Nolan O’Slatarra will be announced this week. Her death notice reads: "Martha Nolan of 36 Monacurragh, Carlow and The Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York, passed away unexpectedly, on August 5, 2025. Beloved daughter of Elma, much-loved sister of Jacqui, treasured granddaughter of Betty and Liam, cherished niece of John, Michelle, Barry and Mona and adored partner of Nick.

Martha Nolan O’Slattara.

"She will be sadly missed by her loving mother and her mother’s partner Patrick, sister, aunts, uncles, partner, her father Seamus and her siblings, her grandfather Jimmy Slattery, extended family, relatives and her large circle of friends in Ireland and the US."

 Many Irish people left comments after the death notice was posted online, with one person writing: "We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of Martha. To lose someone so young, so full of promise, is a pain beyond words. She had not yet been given the time to see her dreams unfold or to share all the light she carried within her. We pray that her memory will be a blessing to all who knew her.

"May God grant her family and friends strength during this difficult time, and may the love, kindness, and light she shared in her lifetime endure. May her soul find rest and peace in the arms of the angels."

Ms Nolan O’Slatarra was in the process of having her divorce from businessman Sam Ryan finalised at the time of her sudden death.

Montauk is at the farthest end of Long Island, New York. Located in the upmarket Hamptons, the town has become the summer playground of the rich and famous. Many millionaire Wall Street brokers relocate there with their families to escape the blazing heat and humidity of New York’s summer.

According to locals, the owner of the boat on which Ms Nolan O’Slatarra died has two vessels moored side by side at Montauk Yacht Club. Extra.ie also revealed earlier this month how the deceased had been accused of stealing from a business with which she had been working.

In 2022, she was sued by the founder of Out East Accessories Inc., owned by Jeremy Valeda. The court filing states: "Defendant Martha Nolan was a former employee of Out East, a company that specializes in the sale of its own branded sunglasses.

"[Ms Nolan O’Slatarra] was terminated by Out East for cause in November 2021. In the weeks leading up to her termination and for months thereafter, Nolan ransacked Out East, stole all of its assets, and essentially destroyed the company."

In the filing, Ms Nolan O’Slatarra, along with another person, were accused of stealing the $34,000 remaining in Out East’s bank account, stealing all of Out East’s eyewear inventory and selling or gifting the eyewear "without authorization, to enrich themselves at a total loss to the company", according to Mr Valeda’s lawsuit.

It added: "The two were also accused of deleting all of Out East’s books and records, digital assets, and proprietary business and financial information from the company’s cloud server; locked out company management from their Out East email accounts, preventing them from running the company and responding to messages from partners, customers, and others; locked out company management from Out East social media platforms, ultimately destroying Out East’s social media presence; and changed the bank accounts linked to brick-and-mortar stores, online platforms, and vendor accounts from company bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by [the other party] and/or Nolan."

The case was settled a few months after it was filed. Just weeks ago, Ms Nolan O’Slatarra celebrated the grand opening of her brand’s pop-up shop in Montauk. "Goals achieved," she wrote on a video shared of the shack housing her bikinis and beachwear shared on TikTok on July 1.

Ms Nolan O’Slatarra was also appointed director of operations at K4 Capital Management, an investment management firm, in June last year.

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.