‘The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker’: How a Canadian viral star turned killer

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Netflix’s newest true crime providing, The Axe Wielding Hitchhikermost likely rings a bell if you happen to spent any time on-line 10 years in the past.

The documentary focuses on Kai Lawrence McGillivary’s in a single day web superstar standing, which rapidly changed into an arrest and a homicide cost.

In response to Netflix, the documentary “chronicles a fortunate nomad’s rise to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that led to his imprisonment.”

The story made headlines worldwide in 2013, drawing explicit curiosity in Canada due to Kai’s connection to Alberta.

Here is every thing you should learn about Kai, his crime connections and The Axe Wielding Hitchhiker.

“Kai” just isn’t his actual identify

The documentary focuses on a person recognized as “Kai” when he rose to viral fame in 2013, however his delivery identify is Caleb Lawrence McGillivary and he spent the early years of his life rising up in Edmonton.

Relations within the documentary reveal that nobody known as him Kai as a baby and it wasn’t till he moved away from Canada to grow to be a nomad within the US that he began utilizing the identify.

How Kai Turned “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker”.

Kai grew to become a nationwide hero in February 2013 after being credited with saving lives when a person he was hitching a experience with rammed a utility employee right into a pole along with his automobile, allegedly inflicting a attacked a girl who tried to assist the struggling employee.

To listen to it in Kai’s phrases, captured on video by native information reporter Jessob Reisbeck and shared on YouTube the day of the incident, Kai stated he took a experience with Jett Simmons McBride in Fresno, Calif., to McBride, a supposed white supremacist. , the employee pinned down throughout their drive, Kai jumped out of the passenger seat to hit McBride within the head thrice with an ax whereas McBride allegedly tried to assault a girl who came visiting to assist the utility employee.

The tire-wearing hitchhiker, then 24, gave Reisback an interview and have become immediately well-known for the road he used to explain his ax protection strikes: “Smash, smash, SUH-MASH.”

“If I hadn’t performed it, he would have killed extra folks,” Kai informed Reisbeck.

Earlier than revealing his account to Reisbeck, he prefaced the interview with what gave the impression to be a optimistic and inspirational message:

“Earlier than I say the rest, I wish to say, it doesn’t matter what you have performed, you deserve respect. Even if you happen to make errors, you might be lovable. And it does not matter your appears or expertise or age or dimension or something, you might be value it. Nobody might ever take that away from you.”

His quirky, surfer-dude supply instantly endeared him to folks on the Web, and Reisbeck says that after he uploaded the video that evening and went to mattress, he awoke the following morning with half one million YouTube views.

Kai’s immediate superstar got here with a darkish aspect

Individuals instantly needed a chunk of Kai, nevertheless it took some sleuthing to search out him. Due to his nomadic, carefree and non-fixed-address way of life, Kai was not simple to pin down.

Reisbeck finally related with Kai for a follow-up interview and discovered that he was fairly a gifted musician.

As soon as Kai was again on the map, TV producers began providing him alternatives. There have been appearances on Jimmy Kimmel’s late evening present and Justin Bieber’s workforce reached out to him for a track collaboration after studying {that a} producer for Maintaining with the Kardashians plans to make a actuality present about him.

And whereas Kai appeared to be basking in his in a single day superstar standing, it grew to become clear to these in his orbit that he was a little bit of a free cannon.

One minute he’d be strumming a guitar, and the following he’d be peeing on Julio Iglesias’ star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame. He had no drawback shoplifting from shops within the Bay Space, however would flip round and provides the stolen items away to different homeless folks. He was kicked out of a resort for making fast work of a bottle of Jack Daniels, flashing a knife and skateboarding within the foyer.

The web remained loopy for Kai

Regardless of these closest to Kai being appalled by his unpredictable conduct and perspective, the web remained fascinated by him and rooted for the lovable, catchphrase-ready nomad.

His lengthy, untamed hair made him simple to identify and he was typically requested by followers for selfies and to look of their movies – for which he typically negotiated a commerce and requested for a bottle of booze in return .

For many who could not get a chunk of Kai in particular person, they maintained his cult standing with memes, songs and remixes, firmly planting him as one of many largest viral video stars of all time.

A stunning homicide cost

Simply three months after its star rose, it rapidly collapsed.

In Might 2013, Kai traveled to New York and shortly after his arrival, he was arrested for the homicide of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy. Galfy was discovered useless at his dwelling in New Jersey, his head buried and he was carrying solely his socks and underwear.

Through the investigation, the police discovered a chunk of paper with Kai’s quantity and identify on it underneath a laptop computer in Galfy’s dwelling. There was additionally a practice ticket receipt that police used to trace surveillance footage, which confirmed Galfy shopping for Kai a practice ticket, and the pair saying goodbye.

Police positioned Kai at a Philadelphia bus station and Kai confessed to the homicide, claiming that he attacked Galfy in self-defense after the lawyer, whom he met in Occasions Sq. and provided him a spot to remain, drugged and sexually assaulted him that evening assaulted. earlier than.

Nevertheless, authorities claimed Kai’s statements have been contradictory, that the sexual encounter was consensual and the violent killing premeditated.

Kai is discovered responsible

After spending six years in jail awaiting trial, Kai was discovered responsible of first-degree homicide in April 2019. Through the proceedings he was belligerent throughout cross-examination and the decide known as him “a powder keg of explosive rage”.

Kai was sentenced to 57 years in jail, with the decide telling the then 30-year-old: “When you find yourself eligible for parole, you’ll nonetheless be youthful than Mr. Galfy was once you killed him.”

The court docket decided he must serve at the very least 85 % of his sentence and whereas he appealed his conviction on counts of “misconduct, abuse of discretion and ineffectiveness of protection counsel,” his homicide conviction was upheld by a New Jersey panel. August 2021.

Speak to Inside problem Kai stated from jail in January 2020 that he didn’t notice he had killed Galfy regardless of his in depth accidents.

Kai’s household speaks out

Kai’s mom, Shirley Stromberg, seems within the documentary to share her aspect of the story and says that her son lied about being locked in a room for lengthy durations of time as a baby.

As a substitute, Stromberg says she tried to maintain her spirited younger son secure within the mornings by locking his bed room door — in any other case he would stand up in entrance of her and get into harmful conditions. Stromberg additionally shared that it was tough to get her son’s assist over time.

“As a result of the medical subject did not actually perceive what was happening, the medical subject questioned if he had ADHD and issues like that, however ultimately there was nobody analysis.”

In his 2013 interview with Reisback, Kai claimed he had no household.

“So far as anybody I grew up with, I am already useless,” he shared.

That line, says Kai’s first cousin, was fairly painful.

That cousin, Jeremy McGillivary Wolfe, tells the documentary crew that listening to these phrases was devastating and that he nonetheless cares for his cousin. Wolfe says that he believes Kai had a tough childhood and remembers that he was liable to anger.

“I actually consider Caleb has psychological points as a result of he appears good, however in terms of a sure scenario of strain, you both grow to be a diamond otherwise you get crushed,” Wolfe stated. “And on this case, Caleb is crushed.”

Kai’s father, Gil McGillivary, shared with APTN that Kai has been homeless since 2011.

McGillivary stated his son didn’t obtain a correct schooling and frolicked in a therapy middle as a baby till he was 18 years previous.

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‘The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker’ is now streaming on Netflix Canada.