Everything that’s happened to the former viral sensation since his rise and fall.
The latest true crime phenomenon on Netflix (in a long, steady stream of true crime phenomenons) is a documentary about viral internet sensation turned convicted murderer, Kai (full name: Caleb Lawrence McGillvary). The homeless hitchhiker sprung to fame in 2013, when he gave an animated and colourful interview on TV after saving a woman from a man who attacked her during what appeared to be a violent psychotic episode. Kai hit the man over the head three times with a hatchet to stop his assault, hence he was dubbed “The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker.”
Kai’s story, however, would not end up a happy one. That same year, he would be arrested for the murder of 73-year-old pensioner Joseph Galfy in his New Jersey home. The Netflix documentary charts Kai/Caleb’s swift and violent rise and fall. It’s a fascinating, bizarre, and ultimately tragic ride, which has left many viewers wondering where the charismatic but troubled Kai is now.
Kai (or Caleb Lawrence McGillvary) was convicted of the murder of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy in May 2019, and sentenced to 57 years in prison. He will need to serve at least 85% of his sentence, which means the earliest the 34-year-old will leave prison will be at the age of 80.
McGillvary has maintained his innocence throughout, arguing that he was sexually assaulted by Galfy and acted in self-defence. In a 2020 interview with Inside Edition from prison, McGillvary was adamant that he was on his back when various injuries to Galfy occurred (which he uses as evidence that he was acting in self-defence), and says that he didn’t realise he had killed Galfy when he fled his property.
In 2021, McGIllvary and a new defence team filed an appeal against his original murder conviction, claiming “misconduct, abuse of discretion and ineffectiveness of defense counsel” in the original trial. The appeal was unsuccessful, based around some tenuous arguments, such as Kai suggesting that he should’ve been allowed to call on the judge as a witness, and also claiming he was subject to racial bias from the black sheriff (who used “hostile body language” against him) and the jury, who were mostly people of colour.
Kai’s thoughts on the Netflix documentary aren’t completely clear, though there are a few heavily edited conversations on the ‘Kai the Hitchhiker’ YouTube channel between what seems to be Kai and various people involved in the making of a Netflix documentary. While the video is heavily edited, Kai seems frustrated that he’s not being offered any royalties for the documentary, and makes the following comparison.
If someone made a movie about OJ Simpson’s football career you better believe he’d be making bank off it, and he wrote a book about killing his wife. Bill Cosby got royalties for the Cospy Show while sitting in prison for rape.
On that same YouTube channel, there are myriad short clips of Kai in prison, doing various things like juggling, exercising, and card tricks. There are also recordings of phone conversations he’s been having from prison, where he’s recommending various books and talking about his appeal. He claims to have versed himself well in law since being in prison, and quite a few of his conversations revolve around what he believes to be discrepancies and shortcomings in his trial, which he continues to try and overturn.
As things stand, Kai’s legal situation is the same as it was when he was convicted, having served four years of a 57-year sentence for first-degree murder.
The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker is available to watch on Netflix now.
