Hours before her body was discovered at the Montauk Yacht Club, friends of Manhattan fashion designer Martha Nolan Osratala sent a chilling text, joking that “she might be dead.”
The 33-year-old designer had met with investor Christopher Durnan on August 4 at a fancy yacht club on Long Island’s South Fork, discussing a potential expansion of her swimwear brand, East x East.
“If you want more money, let’s sit down and talk,” Durnan texted to Nolan and her business partner Dylan Grace, according to reports.
Nolan, who was professionally known simply as Martha Nolan, was supposed to meet Durnan at 4 p.m., but their meeting got pushed back by three hours. Meanwhile, Durnan and Nolan enjoyed champagne on one of his boats after Grace missed the meeting due to a trip abroad.
As the hours passed, her friend and boyfriend, Nicholas DiRubio, grew worried because she wasn’t replying to his messages.
In a flurry of concern, friends reached out to locate Nolan somewhere in the Atlantic, speculating on why she seemed unresponsive. One text sent at 9:20 p.m. read: “LOL. I’m pretty sure her phone died. Or maybe she’s dead.”
Shortly after, Nolan reassured them, texting, “Lol, I’m at the yacht club now, my phone is on.” However, police believe she died about an hour after this message was sent. Residents nearby reported screams late at night, and she was discovered unconscious on the docked boat, Ripple.
In a strange turn of events, Durnan was later seen running around the yacht club naked, trying to get attention by tossing sunscreen at other boats.
Nolan was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities found no apparent signs of violence on her body, which has left many questions unanswered. An official cause of death hasn’t been confirmed yet, but a white powder was found near her, leading investigators to suspect a potential accidental overdose involving a “designer drug.”
Details remain murky—it’s unclear whether the substance was heroin, cocaine, or fentanyl—or maybe even a combination. Authorities are currently investigating local dealers who might have sold the drugs believed to have caused her death.
One source voiced concerns saying, “These dealers, maybe you knew, maybe you didn’t… They poisoned this girl.” There are expectations for increased arrests in cases similar to Nolan’s, with discussions around charging drug traffickers with “culpable homicide” or “murder” pending their convictions.
