Charles J. Guiteau | |
|---|---|
 Guiteau in 1881 | |
| Born | Charles Julius Guiteau September 8, 1841 Freeport, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | June 30, 1882 (aged 40) D.C. Jail, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Known for | Assassination of James A. Garfield |
| Political party |
|
| Spouse |
Annie Bunn
(m. 1869; div. 1874) |
| Motive | Mental illness possibly related to neurosyphilis, schizophrenia and/or grandiose narcissism; retribution for perceived failure to reward campaign support |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | James Abram Garfield, aged 49 |
| Date | July 2, 1881 |
| Location(s) | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Signature | |
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Charles Julius Guiteau (/ɡɪˈtoʊ/ ghih-TOH; September 8, 1841 – June 30, 1882) was an American man who assassinated James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, in 1881. Guiteau believed he had played a major role in Garfield's election victory, for which he should have been rewarded with a consulship. He felt frustrated and offended by the Garfield administration's rejections of his applications to serve in Vienna or Paris to such a degree that he decided to kill Garfield and shot him at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. Garfield died two months later from infections related to the wounds. In January 1882, Guiteau was sentenced to death for the crime and was hanged five months later.