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In the usually peaceful New York seascape of the Hamptons and Montauk, a series of violent crimes has occasionally disrupted the tranquility.
From the murder of financier Ted Ammon in 2001 to recent incidents of violence in Montauk parks in 2019, and now a mysterious death aboard a boat at the renowned Montauk Yacht Club, the region has experienced a number of unsettling crimes in recent years.
Although Martha Nolan’s mysterious death is the most recent incident to unsettle the region’s serene atmosphere, it is not the only disturbing event to have occurred in the Hamptons in recent decades.
Martha Nolan, 33, owned a swimwear company based in Manhattan, New York. Her brand featured high-end bikinis. (Facebook/ Martha Nolan)
Bikini brand founder – August 2025
On Tuesday, the picturesque peninsula’s guests were shocked by the discovery of 33-year-old Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra. Suffolk County police reported that East Hampton Town officers responded to a 911 call just after midnight from a man who found a woman unconscious on a vessel docked at the luxury marina on Star Island Road.
Despite attempts at CPR by nearby individuals, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Authorities identified the deceased as Nolan on Wednesday and stated that her death did not show evidence of violence. The cause of death remains inconclusive pending further investigation and a medical examination.
An official ruling will be made following an autopsy by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Generic view of Montauk Lighthouse and beach in Long Island, New York. (iStock)
Love triangle murder – June 2019
In the early hours of June 6, 2019, Montauk’s calm was shattered by the death of 38-year-old Robert Casado. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Casado was ambushed and fatally bludgeoned by Joseph Grippo, a 47-year-old Montauk resident, on Kirk Park Trail in Montauk.
Joseph Grippo, 50, was charged in 2022 with manslaughter in the first degree after he bludgeoned an ex-girlfriend’s love interest to death. Grippo now faces 20 years in prison plus five years post-release supervision on the manslaughter charge. (Suffolk County Police Department)
Prosecutors discovered that Grippo had planned the attack for months, purchasing the murder weapon beforehand. Grippo pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in July 2022 and received a 20-year prison sentence with an additional five years of post-release supervision.
Bodies in the dunes: The Gilgo Beach murders – 2010
What started as a missing person case in 2010 evolved into a chilling serial murder investigation. The bodies of four women were found wrapped in burlap along Ocean Parkway, later identified as Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Rex Heuermann appears in Judge Tim Mazze’s courtroom with his attorney, Michael Brown, at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, New York, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (James Carbone/Newsday via Pool)
The investigation led to the arrest of Rex Heuermann in July 2023. Heuermann, an architect, was charged with multiple murders and identified as the prime suspect in the killings of several victims. Prosecutors used various evidence to link him to the crimes, and he has pleaded not guilty while awaiting trial.
Aerial view of the home of financier Ted Ammon at 59 Middle Lane in East Hampton, Long Island, New York. Ammon was found murdered there in 2001; Daniel Pelosi is now being charged with the murder. (Mark Bonifacio/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
Wall Street financier murder – Oct. 2001
In October 2021, the community was shocked by the murder of Ted Ammon, a Wall Street financier. Ammon was found dead in his estate in East Hampton, with suspicion falling on his ex-wife Generosa Ammon and her contractor Daniel Pelosi.
Daniel Pelosi in and around his home, spending quiet time reflecting on his legal problems. (John Roca/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Daniel Pelosi was convicted of second-degree murder in 2004 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, where he remains. (John Roca/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Pelosi was eventually convicted of second-degree murder in 2004, while Generosa passed away in 2003. The case raised questions about Pelosi’s role in the murder, with him maintaining his innocence.
“I did not do it,” Pelosi claimed in an interview. “I did not do this murder. I did not kill Ted Ammon.”
