The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is a true-crime documentary film directed by Colette Camden that focuses on Caleb Kai McGillvary, the hitchhiker who went from Jimmy Kimmel to being accused of murder. The documentary has a runtime of 85 minutes.
Who is Caleb Lawrence McGillvary?
Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, popularly known as Kai, rose to internet fame back in 2013 when he saved two women from a violent attack by a man who he was hitchhiking with. The internet knew him as the ‘Smash’ guy, who used a hatchet to attack the man from behind as he assaulted a woman.
He gained popularity almost overnight, with media and almost everyone on the internet deeming him a hero they needed and loved. However, even behind his apparent heroic deed was a man who was rather unstable, and that is apparent in the videos we get to watch in the Netflix documentary. Even the people who interacted with him at the time shared a common theme – Kai the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker was sort of charismatic and cool, but there was just something off about him.
The documentary mentions his childhood abuse and trauma, and although most people, his mother included, mention that there might be some lies in his story, it is certain that Kai went through something traumatic in his life. We get an in-depth look into his life and talk to various people who knew him up close. The audience is left to wonder who is right and who is wrong, with a lot of stories conflicting with each other.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker: What Happened at the End to Caleb Lawrence McGillvary?
After a few months of fame and a spot on Jimmy Kimmel, Kai was embroiled in the murder investigation of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy, who was found dead in his home. Caleb claimed self-defence on his part, accusing Gaify of drugging and raping him, but the prosecution did not find any self-defence wounds on him and found his accounts inconsistent. Thus, in 2019, the judge found him guilty of first-degree murder.
Kai continues to plead his innocence and sticks to his story that he murdered Galfy in self-defence. He was sentenced to 57 years in jail, and his conviction was upheld in 2021 by a panel of New Jersey appeals judges.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker Review: Bloody Entertaining