Mogul Serves Brash Response After Months Evading Lawsuit Over Designer's Yacht Death

Insurance mogul Christopher Durnan, accused in a $50 million lawsuit over the death of NYC fashion entrepreneur Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, made a notably brash statement upon finally being served legal papers in Florida after evading process servers for approximately two months. "Was surprised it took you so long," Durnan remarked when served on October 1, according to court documents. The legal action stems from the mysterious death of Nolan-O'Slatarra aboard Durnan's yacht in Montauk in August 2025.

Durnan, believed to be the last person to see Nolan-O'Slatarra alive, is facing the civil lawsuit brought by her estate for damages related to her death. The 33-year-old fashion designer was found unresponsive and bloodied on Durnan's vessel docked at the Montauk Yacht Club on August 5, 2025. Initial reports suggested an accidental drug overdose, but an independent autopsy revealed only trace amounts of cocaine in her system.

The lawsuit, filed in New York County Court, accuses Durnan of assault, negligence, and gross negligence that allegedly led to Nolan-O'Slatarra's death. Attorneys for her estate began attempts to serve Durnan on August 5, initiating a search that spanned multiple states and involved tracking him across addresses in Long Island, the Catskills, and ultimately South Florida.

Attempts to serve Durnan at his New York properties proved unsuccessful. In one instance, a process server at a Garden City address was reportedly told by an individual who refused to accept the summons that it would be lost if left. Durnan was eventually located at a residence in Lantana, Florida, with two vehicles registered to him present. Between September 2 and September 30, multiple process servers and a hired investigator made at least ten attempts to contact Durnan at the Florida address without success.

He was finally served the Summons of Notice at a home in Jupiter, Florida, on October 1. The estate's legal team is represented by Michael Bowe of Brithem LLP. Nolan-O'Slatarra's family has also launched a tip line, MarthaTipline.com, to solicit information that may aid their private investigation into her death, which remains an open case.