5 things to know about the case against Caleb Lawrence McGillvary aka Kai the Hitchhiker

Netflix is set to release a documentary on Caleb Lawrence McGillvary on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Titled The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, the documentary will chronicle the meteoric rise and the sharp fall of McGillvary, a former viral sensation on the internet.

In 2013, McGillvary, nicknamed Kai the Hitchhiker, was hailed a hero for saving a woman from a man by attacking her only to get arrested for first-degree murder just three months later.

As per the streamer, the official synopsis of The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker reads:

“A happy-go-lucky nomad becomes an an unlikely hero through viral stardom before a downward spiral lands him in prison for a murder he says was self-defense.”

A Canadian, McGillvary (35) is currently serving a 57-year sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2061. He will be 73 years old when he gets out of jail.

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Caleb Lawrence McGillvary killed a lawyer a day after meeting him

The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker will show how a video made McGillvary a celebrity overnight and a first-degree murder brought him down within months.

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1) Crime and arrest: Caleb Lawrence McGillvary apparently met New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy in Times Square on May 12, 2013. The individual welcomed the hitchhiker and allowed him to stay in the guest room. The next day, the attorney's body was discovered. Following a three-week trial, McGillvary was found guilty of first-degree murder in April and sentenced to six years in jail.

2) What McGillvary said in defense: When Caleb Lawrence McGillvary took the stand in 2019, he said in defense that Galfy (73) offered him a beer and he blacked out after drinking it. When he gained consciousness, the septuagenarian lawyer was reportedly “grinding and humping” McGillvary, the convict said.

He then punched and kicked him in self-defense, but didn’t realize that Galfy was dead.

3) Why didn't the court believe McGillvary's version: Caleb Lawrence McGillvary's statement didn't match up with his police testimony, the prosecution argued. Galfy's body had three skull fractures and four broken ribs, so the self-defense angle by the defence didn't add up.

4) Judge's impression of McGillvary: Superior Court Judge Robert Kirsch described Caleb Lawrence McGillvary as “crafty, cunning, disingenuous and manipulative,” and added that he is a “powder keg of explosive rage”. The judge was referring to McGillvary’s substance abuse history, outbursts in court throughout the trial, and violent temper issues.

5) Sentencing and jail time: He was eventually sentenced to 57 years in jail and before parole possibility, he will serve 85% of that term. In 2021, Caleb Lawrence McGillvary's bid to get his murder conviction overturned failed.

All of his arguments were dismissed by the New Jersey Appellate Court, which emphasised the testimony of the medical examiner on Galfy's injuries. The trial judge stated that McGillvary's attack was "far more than just an effort to thwart a sexual advance" as evidenced by the severity of the wounds.

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All about the video that made McGillvary a celebrity

In February 2013, Fox Network’s affiliate TV station KMPH uploaded a video where Caleb Lawrence McGillvary is heard narrating a harrowing incident.

According to him, he hitchhiked a ride by one Jett Simmons McBride. While on their ride, McBride reportedly attacked the woman and McGillvary saved her by striking McBride with a hatchet.

In the Fresno, California-based video, he uses the words, “Smash, Smash, SUH-MASH”, to describe the hatchet blows. The video set the internet on fire and McGillvary became a celebrity overnight.

Caleb Lawrence McGillvary was invited to appear on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show and Stephen Colbert for an episode where he was praised for his bravery after the Gregory Brothers transformed it into a song.

Just months later, he was held for murdering a New Jersey attorney.

Stream the Netflix documentary on Tuesday.