Martin Dumollard was born on June 22, 1810, in Tramoyes, Ain, France. His father, Pierre Dumollard, was reportedly executed in Padua, Italy, when Martin was just four years old. Following his father's death, Martin and his mother, Marie-Josephte Rey, returned to France, where they lived in poverty.

As a child, Martin began working as a shepherd and later took on various labor-intensive jobs. He eventually became a domestic servant at the Château de Sure in Saint-André-de-Corcy, where he met Marie-Anne Martinet. The two married on August 1, 1850, and settled in the village of Montellier before moving to Dagneux.

Between 1855 and 1861, Martin Dumollard, often with the assistance of his wife, Marie-Anne Martinet, targeted young women seeking employment as domestic servants. Posing as an employer, Dumollard lured these women with promises of well-paying jobs in the rural region of Côtière de l'Ain. Once isolated, he would assault, rob, and in some cases, murder them.

The known victims include:
Marie Baday – Murdered in February 1855.
Olympe Alubert – Assaulted on March 4, 1855.
Josephte Charletty – Assaulted on September 22, 1855.
Jeanne-Marie Bourgeois – Assaulted on October 31, 1855.
Victorine Perrin – Assaulted in November 1855.
Unidentified woman – Murdered in the woods of Montmain, late 1855.
Julie Fargeat – Assaulted on January 18, 1859.
Unidentified woman – Assaulted at the Sainte-Croix mill on December 11, 1859.
Laborde's daughter – Assaulted in February 1860.
Louise Michel – Assaulted on April 30, 1860.
Marie-Eulalie Bussod – Murdered on February 25 or 26, 1861.
Marie Pichon – Survived an attempted murder on May 26, 1861.

The case of Marie Pichon was pivotal. After escaping an attempted strangulation by Dumollard, she reported the incident to authorities, leading to his arrest on June 2, 1861. A subsequent search of his home uncovered over 1,250 items of women's clothing and personal belongings, indicating the extent of his crimes.

The trial of Martin Dumollard and his wife took place from January 29 to February 1, 1862, in Bourg-en-Bresse. Dumollard was found guilty and sentenced to death, while Marie-Anne Martinet received a 20-year sentence of penal labor. Dumollard was executed by guillotine on March 8, 1862, in Montluel.