Detectives are now looking into claims that the glamorous bikini designer who was found dead on a yacht in New York was battling brain cancer, in a shocking twist to the family. This comes after the body of Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, 33, was found on board a yacht in the Hamptons last week, after she met with an American insurance magnate on August 4.
After the initial autopsy failed to determine a cause of death, her devastated family traveled from Ireland to the U.S. to request a second-opinion autopsy. However, in a phone call days after Martha's death, detectives reportedly asked her mother about claims that her daughter had brain cancer.
Twist in the Tale
Martha's mother, Elma — who spoke with her daughter almost every day — was shocked by the claims and told investigators that her daughter was "perfectly healthy," according to the Irish Independent.
"She told them there was nothing of the sort [affecting her]," a source said.
It remains unclear who provided detectives with the information. The night before her death, the swimwear brand's founder reportedly went to the upscale Montauk Yacht Club to meet insurance magnate Christopher Durnan, 60.
The evening took a tragic turn when, around midnight, the American businessman was seen running naked down the dock, screaming for help and signaling that Martha had passed out.
Bystanders called 911 and rushed aboard the yacht, named Ripple, trying to give CPR to the self-made businesswoman, but first responders pronounced her dead at the scene. U.S. investigators said that the initial autopsy "showed no signs of violence," and her official cause of death remains under investigation.
Sources told the Daily Mail that Martha likely died from a suspected drug overdose involving cocaine or other narcotics.
This comes after photos taken the next morning on the luxury yacht showed a sprinkling of unidentified white powder on a seat of the 50-foot cabin cruiser.
Martha's heartbroken family has traveled from Ireland to the U.S., seeking a second-opinion autopsy to determine her cause of death.
Mystery Deepens
They have retained a high-profile American lawyer — whose clients have included Harvey Weinstein and former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon — to uncover the truth about what happened to the blonde, blue-eyed designer.
The final autopsy report, which will include toxicology, histology, and other tests, is expected to take at least three months to complete.
The family's attorney, criminal defense lawyer Arthur Aidala, said they have met with Suffolk County homicide detectives, who are conducting a thorough investigation, and that questioning of witnesses is still ongoing.
"There is still a very intense investigation focused on why a young woman is dead," he said, reported the Irish Independent.
"The autopsy report did show that there was no signs of a struggle, no defensive wounds on her hands, no obvious signs of trauma. The medical examiner is really focusing now on her blood and the other fluids that are being sent to toxicology to see what's going on.
"There were rumours that she possibly had some form of brain cancer and that is being investigated as well."
Martha's body is currently being held the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office.
After the second-opinion autopsy is completed, her body is expected to be embalmed and returned to Ireland.
