Martha Beck died at the age of 31, executed in the Electric Chair at Sing-Sing Prison, the same day as her live-in lover, Raymond Fernandez, who was executed before her, and following two other executions that day. They were known as the Serial Killer Couple, the Honeymoon Killers, and the Lonely Hearts Killers, meeting their unsuspecting victims through lonely hearts ads. The same way Martha and Raymond met, him being a Business man from New York, she was an unemployed nurse and divorced mother of two at the time. She had a daughter from a one-night stand with a soldier in California, where she had briefly moved. She worked there in an Army Hospital and spent many nights frequenting the bars, picking up soldiers, looking for love, expecting a serious committment. When her soldier boyfriend found out she was pregnant, he tried jumping in the California Bay and committing suicide, which he failed at. She never seen him again. Her daughter was born in 1944, named Willa Dean. Martha herself had a tragic, difficult childhood. She had an over-bearing, domineering mother, who ridiculed her because of her looks and weight, also teased and tormented by classmates, plus sexually molested by her brother at age 10.

She moved back to Florida, worked at a Funeral Home and a Pensacola Hospital. There she met and married Alfred Beck, he married her because she became pregnant, they had one child together, a son, Anthony Beck. They were married 6 months, he divorced her. She soon would meet a man named Raymond Fernandez, in 1947, which led to her downfall and fate, through a newspaper ad, he was born in Hawaii of Spanish parents, plus married, his wife and four kids lived in Spain. Desperate for love and admiration, she was conned by the cunning Ray Fernandez, a dashing, older man. Taken in by his charm, allowing herself to be controlled and minupulated. He found her as an easy target, for his perverse pleasures and control tactics. She believed his every word and decision, and would of done anything he said, to hold onto him, believing his love was genuine till her dying day. Before going to New York with Fernandez, he insisted she leave her kids behind, so she abandoned both kids on January 25th, 1948, at a Salvation Army. Willa Dean was eventually adopted, her name changed to Carmen.

Their killing spree began in New York and ended in Michigan, where they were caught and arrested after a double murder of a young mother and her two year old child. Michigan had no death penalty, so extradited them back to New York to stand trial for a murder there.

Both were found guilty in a sensational trial with a circus-like atmosphere, of first degree murder, and sentenced to death. Martha's last Breakfast consisted of: Ham, Eggs, and Coffee. Her last requested meal was: Fried Chicken (no wings), French Fries, and Lettuce and Tomato Salad. Her last or final statement was: "What does it matter who is to blame? My story is a Love Story...but only those tortured with love, can understand what I mean. I was pictured as a fat, unfeeling woman. I am not unfeeling, stupid, or moronic. In the History of the World, how many crimes have been attributed to Love?" Her remains was transported back to her hometown, where she rests in an unmarked grave. At the time of her death she was survived by her mother, her ex-husband, Alfred Beck, her two children, Carmen-7, Anthony-6, one brother, and three sisters.