If they had been willing to recant their Christian faith, their lives would have been spared. Given their commitment to Christ, such a choice was unthinkable. They placed not only their lives but the life of their baby, Helen Priscilla, in the hands of God, confident that God could protect them if He chose, and, if He chose not to, it was safer to be in those hands than anywhere else in the universe.
A great influence to Christian missionary, Elizabeth Elliot was Betty Stam. Here is a devotional from Back to the Bible describing her life.
I researched further and found a website of a relative to the Stams. That gives more details to their story. The info is at CarlStam.org. Notice their gravestones.