William R. Tolbert Jr. was killed in a mutiny.
A coup d'état ( [ ˌkuː_deɪˈtɑː ] ; [ ku.de.ta ] ) , also known simply as a coup ( [ kuː ] ) , a putsch ( [ pʊtʃ ] ) , golpe de estado , or an overthrow , is the illegal and overt seizure of a state by the military or other elites within the state apparatus . William Richard Tolbert Jr. ( May 13 , 1913 -- April 12 , 1980 ) was the 20th President of Liberia from 1971 until 1980 , when he was killed in a coup d'état led by Samuel Doe .