Charles J. Guiteau

Charles J. Guiteau
Guiteau in 1881
Born	Charles Julius Guiteau (1841-09-08)September 8, 1841 Freeport, Illinois, U.S.
Died	June 30, 1882(1882-06-30) (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	Democratic (1872) Republican (Stalwart faction, 1880–1882)
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

Charles Julius Guiteau (⫽ɡɪˈtoʊ⫽ ghih-TOH; September 8, 1841 – June 30, 1882) was an American who assassinated James A. Garfield, president of the United States, in 1881. Guiteau falsely 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.