Martha "Mattie" Garretson Place was born on September 18, 1849, in Readington Township, New Jersey. Her parents were Ellen Wyckoff and Isaac V. N. Garretson. In her early life, Martha faced a serious accident when she was 23 years old. She was struck on the head by a sleigh. This incident is believed to have affected her mental health. Her brother later stated that she never fully recovered from the accident.

Before moving to New York, Martha lived in New Jersey and worked as a dressmaker. She married Wesley Savacool and had a son named Ross. However, Wesley left the family when Ross was just three years old. Facing difficulties as a single mother, Martha made the tough decision to put Ross up for adoption. He was taken in by the Ashenbach family in Newark, who had recently lost a son. They renamed him William.

In 1893, Martha started working as a housekeeper for William W. Place in Brooklyn. That same year, they got married. William already had a daughter named Ida from a previous marriage. He married Martha to help care for Ida. Over time, there were rumors that Martha felt jealous of William's daughter Ida. William even called the police at least once because Martha had threatened to kill Ida.

On the evening of February 7, 1898, Martha Place attacked her husband, William Place, with an axe when he returned home to their Brooklyn residence. William managed to escape and sought help. When the police arrived, they found Martha in critical condition. She was lying on the floor with clothes over her head, and gas was leaking from the burners in the room.

While they tended to Martha, the police went upstairs. There, they discovered the body of 17-year-old Ida Place, Martha's stepdaughter. Ida was lying on a bed with blood coming from her mouth. Evidence later suggested that Ida died from asphyxiation, and it was reported that acid, used by William in his amateur photography, had been thrown in Ida's eyes.

Martha Place was taken to the hospital before being arrested. During her time in custody, she claimed she was innocent of the crimes. Her trial followed, and William served as a key witness against her. The jury found Martha guilty of murder, and she was sentenced to death.

Martha was executed on March 20, 1899, at Sing Sing prison. New York's Governor Theodore Roosevelt was asked to change her sentence, but he refused. For her execution, the method used was electric chair, which was new for a female. The executioner, Edwin F. Davis, carried out the sentence, and witnesses reported that she died instantly. After her execution, Martha Place was buried in a family plot in East Millstone, New Jersey, without any religious services. She became the first woman executed by electric chair in the United States.