Grace Hubbard Bell was born on November 3, 1883, in Washington, D.C., into a prominent family. Her father, Charles John Bell, was a first cousin of the inventor Alexander Graham Bell, and her maternal grandfather, Gardiner Greene Hubbard, was the first president of the National Geographic Society. Grace grew up at Twin Oaks, the family estate in Washington, D.C. In 1910, she married Major Granville "Rolly" Fortescue, a U.S. Army officer and cousin to President Theodore Roosevelt. The couple had three daughters, including Thalia Fortescue Massie. ​

In September 1931, Grace's daughter, Thalia Massie, alleged that she had been assaulted in Honolulu, Hawaii. Five local men were accused, including Joseph Kahahawai, a well-known local prizefighter. The trial ended in a hung jury, leading to public outrage and racial tensions in the community. ​

Determined to extract a confession and avenge her daughter, Grace Fortescue, along with her son-in-law, Lieutenant Thomas Massie, and two Navy enlisted men, Edward J. Lord and Deacon Jones, kidnapped Kahahawai on January 8, 1932. They took him to Fortescue's residence, where Kahahawai was shot and killed. The group was apprehended shortly after, with Kahahawai's body found in their vehicle. ​

The subsequent trial garnered national attention, highlighting issues of race, class, and justice in Hawaii. Grace Fortescue and her accomplices were convicted of manslaughter on April 29, 1932, and sentenced to ten years of hard labor. However, under pressure from the public and political figures, Territorial Governor Lawrence Judd commuted their sentences to one hour, served in his office. ​

Grace Fortescue returned to the mainland United States after the trial and lived a relatively private life until her death on June 24, 1979, in Palm Beach, Florida. ​