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Netflix’s new documentary, The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, has aroused great interest among viewers. The number one charting documentary has left viewers shocked and enraged, questioning the government, health, and justice systems for exploiting a seemingly mentally troubled man. The documentary is premised on a Canadian viral star turned killer who ended up behind bars.
Kai became popular in February 2013, after he defended two women and an injured pedestrian from Jett Simmons McBride using a hatchet. After his eccentric retelling of the story to local news station KMPH, Kai became an overnight sensation. He received various offers from entertainment houses and even appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! However, Kai’s newfound fame turned out to be his Achilles heel, and he was soon arrested for murder. Years after his incarceration, the newly released Netflix documentary has fans wondering what Kai’s life is like today.
8 Who Is Kai Lawrence?
Kai Lawrence was a hero to many, while to others, he was a cold-blooded murderer rightfully paying for his crime. Regardless of how he is perceived, the strange journey of the man called Kai is an interesting one nonetheless. The habitual drifter was born Caleb Lawrence McGillivary before he picked up the name Kai along the way. Kai was born in Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, to Shirley Stromberg and Gil McGillvaryand and is the second of four children.
7 Kai, The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker, Was Arrested For Committing Murder
Kai’s newfound fame lasted only a few months before he was charged with the murder of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy. The slain man was found battered to death near his bed in his socks and underwear.
Investigations from the clues found in his home led the trail to Kai, who accused the deceased of drugging and sexually assaulting him. When the hatchet wielding hitchhiker was arrested, he claimed he only turned on Joseph out of self-defense and pleaded not guilty.
6 Caleb ‘Kai’ McGillvary Was Imprisoned
Despite the best efforts of his ardent followers and fans, there was no trial for the jailed YouTube star for years. His days in detention were quite eventful as Kai, the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker waged a legal war from jail, filing cases in federal and state courts.
Kai claimed that authorities were prejudiced, disposing of vital evidence and refusing to gather evidence proving his innocence. Kai also dismissed his first defender and recused the main judge for the latter’s proximity to his victim’s son.
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5 Kai, The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker Studied Law In Jail
Isolation and confinement are the worst things that could happen to a free spirit. For Kai, getting out of confinement was of utmost importance to him, so the hatchet hero spent his time studying the law to seek justice.
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Kai devoured every law book he laid his hands on and used the law library to supplement whatever his fans sent him. However, prison officials constantly frustrated his efforts. He claimed officers threw away his law books and barred him from the jail’s law library.
4 Caleb ‘Kai’ McGillvary Was Convicted For Murder
Six years after he was arrested, the former internet star was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 57 years in prison with the condition to serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. Despite his previously clean criminal history, the judge described Kai, the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker as cunning, disingenuous, and manipulative, hammering that the hitchhiker should be kept from society.
3 Kai, The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker Had The Support Of Fans
Kai’s murder charge stunned some of his fans, but rather than put them off; it was an opportunity for them to show their loyalty and love to their hatchet-wielding hero. Several Facebook accounts were opened where fans expressed hope for his innocence and release.
Donations were made to support his legal fees, and a substantial amount was raised for the embattled hitchhiker. Till today, Kai’s fans are solidly behind him.
2 Caleb ‘Kai’ McGillvary Had Issues With His Mental Health
After going viral, Kai, the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker said several unbelievable things in his follow-up interview, including the absence of a family who cares for him. However, that claim was proven to be untrue when his family reached out after his arrest.
Kai’s parents revealed that he had had behavioral struggles and was institutionalized for a while. Kai’s father, Gil, also claimed that the hitchhiker had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
1 Caleb ‘Kai’ McGillvary Lost The Appeal To Overturn His Conviction
Kai’s knowledge of the law and insistence on his innocence prompted him to file an appeal immediately after his first sentencing. However, Kai lost the appeal of his New Jersey conviction two years later.
In a brief drawn up by Kai and his lawyer, the duo listed 15 points detailing prejudicial errors. Nevertheless, the appeal judges struck out all 15 points and threw out his bid for a retrial, maintaining that the trial was fair. Per his conviction, Kai, the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker is scheduled to be out in 2061.
