10 Biggest True Story Details Netflix’s Death By Lightning Leaves Out

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Netflix’s historical thriller, Death by Lightning, largely follows the true story of President James A. Garfield’s assassination, though it omits ten key details. The series explores the lives of both Garfield and his assassin, Charles Guiteau, and how their stories were connected.

With such a strong cast, it’s no wonder Death by Lightning is one of the year’s best shows on Netflix. Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen both deliver believable performances as Garfield and Guiteau.

The writing prioritizes historical accuracy over fictional embellishment, recognizing that the true story itself is remarkable enough. As with any historical adaptation, Death by Lightning does condense certain details and leave some out for the sake of narrative flow.

9. James A. Garfield’s Cause Of Death Is The Source Of Debate

James A. Garfield is officially considered to have died as a result of an assassination, as his death stemmed from the gunshot wound he received. However, modern historians still debate the precise cause of death. The most widely accepted theory is that he died from an infection (sepsis) caused by unsanitary medical practices, which then led to a burst aneurysm in his spleen.

Assassination & Aftermath Timeline
Event Date
Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield twice July 2, 1881
James A. Garfield dies September 19, 1881
Charles Guiteau is convicted of murder January 25, 1882
Charles Guiteau is put to death June 30, 1882

In 2013, Doctors Theodore Pappas and Shahrzad Joharifard proposed a different possibility in The American Journal of Surgery: President Garfield may have died from a weakened splenic artery caused by an infection from a burst gallbladder. However, it’s impossible to definitively determine the actual cause of his death.

8. Guiteau Went Back To The Free Love Cult

Courtesy of Netflix

The book, Death by Lightning, shows that Charles Guiteau once belonged to the Oneida community, a group known for its unconventional views on relationships, but he never quite fit in. What’s less known is that he actually left the community and later rejoined.

As detailed in Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield, Guiteau went back to Oneida after his newspaper, The Daily Theocrat, failed. Unfortunately, things didn’t improve for him there either.

He was unable to find a sexual partner among the women in the community, so he left for a second time. He then sued the community’s leader, John Humphrey Noyes, claiming he was owed money for his labor during his time there, but the lawsuit was unsuccessful.

7. Joe Brown Relegated All Of Charles Guiteau’s Letters To The President To The “Eccentric File”

Courtesy of Netflix

Charles Guiteau firmly believed he had a close connection with President James A. Garfield, despite only briefly meeting him. He repeatedly sent letters to the president, but as detailed in the book Destiny of the Republic, Joe Brown intervened to prevent Garfield from having to read them.

Long before President Garfield was assassinated, his private secretary had already flagged Guiteau’s letters as coming from someone unusual and barred him from attending public receptions. Despite this, Guiteau continued to develop a one-sided, obsessive connection with the President, which ultimately became dangerous and unsettling.

6. Charles Guiteau Considered Killing The President With Dynamite

In the book Death by Lightning, Charles Guiteau quickly buys a gun after deciding to kill President James A. Garfield. However, Smithsonian Magazine reports that Guiteau initially considered other methods, first planning to use dynamite. He ultimately changed his plan for two key reasons.

He was nervous because he’d never worked with dynamite before and feared it might accidentally explode. He also felt the planned method was overly harsh and crude, dismissing it as ‘too Russian.’ He believed the assassination should be carried out in a distinctly American fashion – with a gun.

5. Charles Guiteau Laid In Wait At The Train Station Before The Assassination

Courtesy of Netflix

While Death by Lightning correctly points out that Charles Guiteau attempted to harm Garfield before the actual assassination, it doesn’t fully explain the events leading up to it. The book rushes through the timeline and omits the detail that Guiteau had been following and obsessing over the president for a considerable period.

As reported by Smithsonian Magazine, Guiteau spent his days either in Lafayette Park or practicing shooting, and his evenings cleaning his gun. He would also follow Garfield whenever the President left a location.

Okay, so here’s how it went down. On the day President Garfield was shot, Guiteau was already there, waiting in the boarding area. When Garfield and Blaine walked in, Guiteau just opened fire – two shots! Then he tried to run. Honestly, the fact that he was waiting there proves this wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment thing; it was totally premeditated. It’s chilling to think about how carefully he’d planned it all out.

4. Everyone Feared A Chester Arthur Presidency

Courtesy of Netflix

The Netflix documentary Death by Lightning reveals that Chester Arthur doubted his own ability to be president. But, as reported by Politico, he wasn’t the only one worried. Most Americans feared what an Arthur presidency would look like, given his perceived lack of experience and qualifications.

Newspapers reacted with alarm and outrage to the idea, with the Chicago Tribune calling it a disaster and reflecting the widespread fear it caused. Publications in Charleston and Louisville went further, labeling him a criminal. The New York Times questioned his qualifications to be president, calling him the least prepared person for the job. Some newspapers even went so far as to suggest Chester Arthur had been involved in the assassination.

3. Alexander Graham Bell’s Metal Detector Would Have Worked If It Weren’t For The Doctor

Courtesy of Netflix

The book Death by Lightning details how Alexander Graham Bell tried to use a metal detector to locate the bullet lodged in President James A. Garfield. While the book accurately portrays Bell’s initial scan being hampered by the mattress springs, it omits a crucial fact: Garfield’s doctor wouldn’t allow Bell to examine the president’s entire body.

I remember reading that the doctor thought the bullet was on Garfield’s right side, and that’s all the inventor, Graham Bell, was permitted to search with his new machine. It turned out the machine did work, which was amazing. It’s just so frustrating to think that if they’d let him check the other side of the President, he almost certainly would have located the bullet!

Although the scene didn’t depict the doctor limiting Alexander Graham Bell, it clearly showed the doctor was certain the issue was on the right side.

2. Chester Arthur Didn’t Take Over As President Because Of Confusion About The 25th Amendment

After being shot by Charles Guiteau, President James A. Garfield lingered on his deathbed for 80 days. Surprisingly, the 25th Amendment – which would have temporarily transferred power to Vice President Chester Arthur – wasn’t used. Britannica explains this was due to unclear wording in the amendment regarding what should happen if a president began to recover from their illness.

The presidency faced a dilemma: either Chester Arthur would finish out the term, or the office would return to President Garfield once he recovered. Unfortunately, Congress wasn’t meeting and couldn’t offer advice. The cabinet also refused to decide anything without speaking to Garfield, but he was too sick to consult with them.

1. Charles Guiteau Was One Of The First Public Trials Where The Defendant Pled Temporary Insanity

The Netflix drama about the presidential assassination jumps directly from the arrest of Charles Guiteau to his execution, skipping his trial altogether. However, when the trial began on November 14, 1881, it quickly became a public sensation for two key reasons.

The defendant was a pioneer in using the temporary insanity defense during his public trial. Interestingly, he also attempted to represent himself in court, but the judge wouldn’t allow it.

Throughout his trial, Guiteau acted disruptively. He constantly interrupted his attorneys, the opposing counsel, and the judge. While testifying, he openly ridiculed the prosecutor questioning him. Sources like Famous Trials report he even broke into a rendition of “John Brown’s Body” during his closing remarks and drew comparisons between himself and historical figures like George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant. This behavior would have added significant length to the book, Death by Lightning, and was therefore omitted.

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2025-11-06 17:52