Kai Mcgillvary the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker

The Viral Sensation

Where do we start with today’s episode?  We feel like the best place to start is probably the place that brought Kai to most people’s attention.  On January 10th, 2023, Netflix released The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, which is described thusly, “a shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad’s ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.”  Do you need to have watched this documentary before listening today?  Not necessarily; we’re going to go over the events of the doc, so while it’s not necessary to watch, it would probably be best / most enjoyable if you do. 

So, we start at a car crash on February 1st, 2013, a little after 2 PM.  Jessob Reisbeck was the sports reporter for local Fox affiliate KMPH-TV in Fresno, California.  They were short on reporters, and Jessob was sent out to cover the car crash.  The reports coming into the station were strange, so they felt like they needed to get someone out there to see what was going on.  Initially, the description of the accident that went over the police scanners was that it was pretty bad; a person had been pinned between a car and a truck for a utility company.  The driver of the car had gotten out after the accident and was yelling crazy things, racist, terrible things. “I’m Jesus Christ.” “All black people deserve to die.” etc etc (Just to give you an idea.)  

The man that was pinned was a black man, who worked for the utility company that owned the truck.  With the way the driver was yelling, everyone assumed that he hit the worker because he was black.  The driver continued to yell that he was Jesus, and he was going to save everyone.  As he’s yelling, bystanders are rushing up to try to help the pinned man.  As the bystanders approached though, the driver began to try to attack them.  He was 6 foot four inch, 300 pound Jett Simmons McBride.  He grabbed a woman coming to help and put her in what’s described as a bear hug and started to try to choke her.  

As Jessob was interviewing the woman who was attacked, she described a “homeless hitchhiker looking guy” getting out of the passenger seat of the car, then coming up behind Jett McBride and striking him in the head with a hatchet until he released her.  Jessob noticed that across the street, walking around was a homeless hitchhiker looking guy with a big backpack, so he asked him if he wanted to talk.  This was how the world was introduced to Kai.  

Jessob said can we talk to you, and Kai kinda shrugged and responded “What do you want to talk about?”

At one point, Kai said “That woman was in danger.  He had just finished what looked like at the time, killing somebody.  And if I hadn’t done that, he would’ve killed more people.”  When asked why he was with the driver, Jett McBride, Kai said that he was just hitchhiking.  He had just met the man.  He said that as they were driving, McBride began to talk about crazy things.  He kept telling Kai he was Jesus Christ.  Kai said that McBride told him that when he was in the Virgin Islands at one time, he raped a 14 year old girl.  He also said that McBride said, “I’ve come to realize I’m Jesus Christ and I can get away with anything I want to. Watch this.”  He then drove into the worker.  After talking to Jessob, other reporters came up to Kai and asked to talk to him about what happened.  Now, Jessob thought that Kai was extremely charismatic and seemed to be enjoying the spotlight, so he was probably going to talk to any and everyone who wanted to talk with him, but much to his surprise, Kai told everyone that he wasn’t going to talk with anyone else and disappeared.  

After the accident, Kai was questioned by the police and released.  The day after the accident, Jessob uploaded his interview with Kai, which promptly went viral.  As of today, the video has 8.1 million views.  The Gregory Brothers (Bed Intruder Song / Chrissy Wake Up / It’s Corn) sampled the interview in a song on their YouTube channel.  The song has over 10 million views.  The Gregory Brothers started “AutoTune the News,” and are basically responsible for TONS of catchy, auto tuned songs that get stuck in your head.  (Examples above.)

Because of his likable personality, and carefree, positive attitude, Kai became very popular very quickly, and sought after in the entertainment industry.  Ya see, the equation went like this: Kai = Ratings & Ratings = Money, so everyone wanted a piece of Kai.  Perhaps most notably were The Jimmy Kimmel Show and the producers who worked on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.  They all ran into one big problem though; how do you find someone that’s homeless? 

Well, Kai had a Facebook account, so many people reached out to him there or they tried to get to Kai through Jessob.  Jessob said that his email account was just blowing up, as quick as he could reply or delete emails, there were hundreds more pouring in.  There were emails from all over the world, all asking how they could contact Kai.  Jessob was the only one who had Kai’s email address, so he sent him a message telling him that all of these people were trying to get ahold of him… but, of course he said that he wanted to tell Kai’s story first and get the scoop.  One day, Kai borrowed someone’s phone at a gas station and called Jessob.  He was in Stockton, and Jessob immediately went to meet him.  

The cameraman who was recording that day said that the vibe between the viral video and the in person interview was different, in person, Kai was a loose cannon.  You didn’t know what he was going to do or say.  After their interview, Jessob took Kai out to eat and laid out everything that he had been sent regarding Kai.  Essentially, he told Kai that all he had to do was choose who he wanted to talk to, and he would be rich and famous almost instantly.  He could be a millionaire overnight.  As Jessob was talking, Kai appeared to kinda drift off and not pay attention, until he said “I kinda just want to go to the Bay Area and smoke weed.”  When Jessob told the Kardashian producers that, they told him they would give Kai an entire Limo filled with weed if he would talk to them.  So Kai agreed.  

The producers / their people went to Kai and found him.  They got him to sign a contract for a reality TV show.  They thought Kai could be a gateway to something they never saw, “homeless people living happily on the streets.”  They put Kai up in a hotel, and as soon as he went into his room, he found the liquor bottles.  They weren’t small, airplane size bottles.  They were full size bottles.  Kai cracked open a bottle of Jack and started guzzling it down.  A little while later, he went down to the lobby with his skateboard and rode it across the lobby to the doors and left.  Now, the show’s producers had assigned him a handler to watch, and they had their hands full, to say the least.  As they left, security came and told them that Kai wasn’t welcomed back in and kicked them out.  After they were kicked out, Kai took off running down the road and pulled out a knife and tried to throw it into the ground.

So at this point, the producers are beginning to question kinda what they were going to do, if they were even going to try to do a show with Kai.  In the meantime though, he had an appearance with Jimmy Kimmel scheduled, which happened on February 11th.  Not long after his appearance on Kimmel, Kai disappeared and headed out on the road.  He would pop up randomly on social media at various places, usually in videos of people recognizing him.  Jimmy Kimmel was the peak, and everything after was just a slow descent in fame and popularity for Kai.  

Kai’s History

In one interview after the initial incident, Kai said “As far as anybody I grew up with is concerned, I’m already dead.”  In Kai’s mind, it was him against the world, for lack of a better way to put it.  After his arrest though, many relatives came out and spoke about Kai and his past.  The Netflix doc touched on his childhood, and to put it lightly, it was less than idyllic.  

Kai was born in Canada, and when he was around four years old, his parents separated.  Kai was born as Caleb McGillvary, but it appears he changed his name when he cut ties with his family.  His cousin said that growing up with Kai, he was loud and very funny, but also very mischievous.  He said that when they were young, he (the cousin) had a normal childhood.  He was able to act like a young boy, go outside and play with friends in the neighborhood, etc.  Kai wasn’t allowed to do those things.  As his cousin put it “he wasn’t given that privilege.” 

Kai was kept locked in his room for great periods of time.  There were thick dark blankets over his windows to make it appear that it was dark outside.  His cousin said that even though the blankets were there, Kai could still hear kids outside playing.  Growing up, they knew that Kai had it difficult.  When he was around 13 years old, Kai tried to start a fire in his house, and not long after, Shirley (his mother) decided to send him to “Bosco Homes,” which is basically a facility where they send troubled teens who need a home.  

The cousin said that as they were growing up, Kai had essentially a hair trigger.  He had a difficult time distinguishing when someone was laughing with him or laughing at him.  And if he thought you were laughing at him or making fun of him, he would go into “little rages,” but quickly snap out of them.  Kai’s cousin also said that he feels like Kai has mental health issues, which for all his childhood were basically untreated.  Kai’s father (Gil) later said that he thinks Kai has post traumatic stress disorder from the way he grew up.  

Shirley defends the way she raised Kai.  She said that she never locked him in his room for hours on end.  She did “occasionally” have to prevent him from leaving his room too early, because Kai would sometimes wake up before she did.  When he did, he would get into stuff that could harm him, so in her eyes, being a responsible parent meant preventing that from happening.  It was in his best interest and for his safety.  She said that doctors leaned towards an ADHD diagnosis, but no clear cut diagnosis for Kai ever materialized. 

Kai’s experience in the group home wasn’t great either.  He would be sent from one to another to another.  It was in one of these homes that Kai claimed he was physically and mentally abused.  His father said later that he felt like Kai resented him because of the divorce.  In the divorce proceedings, Shirley got custody of Kai, and afterwards, Gil remarried and had more children. He felt like Kai was angry with him for having a new family and not coming to rescue him from the group homes he was being forced to live in.  When Kai turned 18, the group homes spit him out and left him to fend for himself.  That’s when he cut ties with his family and ventured out into the world.  Gil said that the last time he saw him was around Christmas of 2010, when Kai showed up to spend some time around the holidays with his family. 

So, in 2013, Kai kind of popped back up into their lives when he went viral from the interview.  Shirley said that she was worried because Kai was so trusting in everyone he met, she thought he would be taken advantage of.  And, that’s a real fear, because, it’s essentially exactly what happened.  As soon as he became “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker,” everyone wanted to get a hold of him.  Everyone wanted him to come on their show and give an interview.  The Kardashian producers wanted to make a show about him.  They weren’t doing this out of the kindness of their hearts, they saw money and wanted to lock Kai into an agreement with themselves before anyone else had a chance to.  

The Murder

Joseph Galfy was a military veteran who worked as an attorney in Clark Township, New Jersey.  He had lived in his home for 15 years, and friends described him as “a frail, mild-mannered, and helpful individual incapable of harming even a fly.”  One other thing that Joseph was known for was his schedule.  He was the type of person who was on schedule and never late.  That’s why it came as a surprise to one of Joseph’s neighbors when they received a call from Joseph’s former secretary on May 13, 2013. She said that the attorney was expected in court that morning but had failed to turn up and was unreachable on his cell phone.  Concerned, Bob (the neighbor) went over to check on Joseph, only to find his newspaper lying on his porch and the house eerily quiet. To ensure everything was fine, he called the police, and they arrived at the home to perform a welfare check.  

The 73-year-old was found dead in a pool of blood on the floor of his master bedroom, just clothed in his underwear and socks. The home wasn’t in bad condition, it wasn’t ransacked and there were no signs of forced entry, so the authorities didn’t suspect that it was a break in.   An autopsy revealed that Joseph had died from severe blunt force trauma to the head, which had crushed most of his facial bones and ear. After much deliberation, it was concluded that he had likely been stomped to death.

Due to the lack of signs of forced entry and the house was surprisingly organized, the investigators believed that Joseph knew who attacked him.  While they were going through the crime scene, they found a paper under a laptop in the family room with the phone number of Kai Lawrence.  They also found a train ticket from the morning of May 12, 2013.  The detectives went to the train station and pulled the surveillance footage.  They were able to identify the victim buying a ticket and speaking to a man with crazy hair. He was soon identified as Caleb McGillivary, AKA Kai Lawrence.  

About three months or so after his interview with Jessob and going viral, Kai posted the following on Facebook:

“what would you do if you woke up with a groggy head, metallic taste in your mouth, in a strangers house… walked to the mirror and seen come dripping from the side of your face from your mouth, and started wretching realizing that someone had drugged, raped and blown their fuckin load in you?  what would you do?”  That was May 14th, 2013.

Investigators began to search for Kai, they had obviously seen the interview and saw Kai talking about Suh-Mashing someone in the head.  They talked with authorities back in California, but they didn’t really have any way to contact Kai.  Jessob reached out to Kai to try to find him, but got no response.  Then, investigators learned that Kai had planned on meeting a fan in the area, and when they contacted her, she confirmed that she had seen Kai.  She even had pictures.  Kai had cut his hair shorter, and the pictures showed off a face / neck tattoo that he had gotten.  She said that she was shocked at first because of this short hair, indicating that he had recently cut it.  Investigators used the pictures she had to try to help find Kai. 

On May 16th, 2013 in Philadelphia, a Starbucks employee looked up and saw Kai getting coffee.  The employee called the police who promptly showed up, but Kai was nowhere to be found.  One officer thought that the nearby Greyhound station might have been where Kai went, and sure enough, there he was.  The officer called for backup, and Kai was arrested without incident.  As they were walking Kai past the press after his arrest, they asked “Can you just tell us what happened?”  Kai responded “I’ve been advised by an attorney not to say anything to you guys. I’d like to say thank you to all the supporters.”

Investigation, Trial, and Conviction

In his interrogation, investigators asked Kai what happened.  He said that he met Galfy in Times Square when Galfy approached him and asked where he was headed, remarking that he seemed lost.  Kai told him he was going to Jersey, and Galfy said he was heading that way as well, and offered him some food and a ride.  Kai said “At first I thought he was really nice, and then he fuckin raped me.”  Kai went on to say that after they ate, they went to Galfy’s house and drank some beer.  He said that Galfy put the beer in a glass, pouring out of the bottle.  And then they watched TV and drank a few beers. Kai said after a bit, he was extremely tired, so he went to bed.  

Kai next said that the next morning, he woke up with a strange, metallic taste in his mouth.  He looked in a mirror and there was semen coming down the side of his face. When asked if he confronted Galfy, Kai said that he didn’t.  He said that Galfy drove him to the train station and got him a ticket to go to Asbury.  Next, they said their goodbyes, and Galfy gave him a number to call if he was ever in the area and needed a place to stay.  Kai went to Asbury because he was supposed to meet some friends, but they were never able to meet.  

At this point in the interrogation, Kai seems kind of shell shocked and says “I got raped and you say you’re charging me with first degree murder?”  The detective quickly says yes and then asks what Kai did next.  Kai went back to the train station and said he called Galfy to see if he could stay another night with him.  Kai said that they ate cheeseburgers and drank a few beers, and that’s all he could remember from the night. He said the next thing he remembered was waking up on the floor with Galfy trying to pull his pants down, dressed only in his underwear. 

Kai said that he hit him.  Galfy was trying to throw him around and Kai said all he could remember was he hit him.  He could say if he used his hands or elbow, possibly he kneed him.  Finally, he hit Galfy in the head and he got off of him.  At this point in the interview, Kai said “I should probably talk to a lawyer, shouldn’t I?”  The detective said “I can’t give you legal advice.  It’s up to you.” Kai then said he wanted to talk to a lawyer and the detectives stopped questioning him.  Before they left, they told him “Once I walk out of this room, I wont be able to talk to you again.  Do you have any questions for us?” Kai asks what the penalty for the crime is in New Jersey, and the detectives tell him that is up to a judge / jury to decide.  Kai asked if the death penalty was legal in New Jersey, and they said “Um, Okay, we’re done okay? You asked for an attorney so we’re gonna have to stop talking, okay?”  They tell him good luck as they walk out of the interrogation room.  

Kai was charged with Galfy’s murder, and throughout the interrogation process and leading up to his trial, he maintained that he acted in self defense.  The police maintained that the sexual encounter between the two was consensual, and that Kai had planned the murder, making it premeditated.  Kai told them that after the viral video in California, he had no need to have sex with men like Galfy, “Do you know how many hot chicks—never mind. Even if I was gay, do you know how many hot guys wanted to fuck me after that shit in California? I’m not even being vain. It’s just a fact, like—no offense, but he [Galfy] was not a looker.”

Kai remained in jail until his trial started.  In June of 2013, he was hospitalized for self-inflicted wounds awaiting trial.  His trial didn’t take place until APRIL OF 2019.  During his trial, he took the stand in his own defense, and during the cross examination, he became combative.  During the closing arguments, he had an outburst, which almost caused the judge to expel him from the courtroom.  Kai was found guilty of first degree murder and given57 years in prison.   He had to serve at least 85% of that, roughly 43 years after the 5+ years he served awaiting trial.  

After the trial, Kai appealed, which was denied in August of 2021.  When he was in custody, leading up to his trial, Kai was kept in solitary confinement at the Union County Jail.  Twenty-three hours a day, seven days a week, in segregation—what is considered to be “cruel and unusual punishment.”  That is of course a gross violation of constitutional rights.  Major conflicts of interest abound in the case.  Officials of the court who should have recused themselves among others.  Eventually, one judge assigned to the case would step down rather than recuse himself when it was pointed out that he was connected personally to Joseph Galfy.  The prosecutor, Theodore Romankow also “resigned” after 11 years when his friendship with the deceased was disclosed.  Incidentally or coincidentally, he “called it quits” on the same date Kai’s arrest was announced.

There are numerous issues with the investigation, detention, and trial of Kai. Kai accused the proceedings of being a kangaroo court and sham trial. Many media sources portray his claims as unhinged and conspiratorial though.  

In an investigative report, it was noted that the dishwasher had been run between May 13 and 15th, while Galfy’s home was an active crime scene.  Also, Galfy was found with his own semen and unidentified blood on his penis.  Kai was denied a rape kit, but they ran one on the deceased.  The cups that were said to have been used when Galfy drugged Kai with the beer were washed by investigators. A tox screen was ordered on Galfy, and the tox screen and rape kit were both negative, but they were done on the wrong person.  So at this point, the prosecution can claim that “a rape kit was run” and that “tox screens were inconclusive.” That certainly would seem to make Kai out to be a liar had this not been the result of a brazen bait-and-switch.

Who was allowed in the house around the time that this mysterious dishwasher incident occurred?  None other than former local chief of police and brother of the deceased, James Galfy.  James Galfy, according to investigative documents released in discovery, noted his concern that a “drifter” was involved when he was told his brother was dead. Apparently not the first such case of a “vagrant” being involved in Galfy’s life.  Why would James Galfy immediately assume his wealthy lawyer brother would have a “drifter” in his home the night he died? 

In another interview with a witness who saw Kai, he was described as looking “glassy-eyed” and drugged after the incident.  The audio of Kai’s interrogation has him emitting an audible sigh when he discovers that the man he accuses of drugging and assaulting him is dead.

On top of this is the expert witness, Dr. Robert Pandina who refused to run the rape kit on Kai.  Pandina claims he did not know Galfy.  This is a little odd because there was a document from the prosecutor’s office which stated that Pandina “unexpectedly received charitable funds from the Estate of Joseph Galfy.” Well, what an unexpected turn of events, but who among us hasn’t received a windfall from deceased persons after acting as an expert witness in trials involving them?  Refusing proper services and processing for a victim of sexual assault is a crime in New Jersey. 

As it stands, Kai is still fighting and maintaining his innocence.  Well, not really innocence, but that he was attacked and raped, then fought back.  In New Jersey, lethal force is authorized in the case of sexual assault so accidentally killing someone who is raping you in the state is not even manslaughter.  Kai claims that there is a cover up in his case because Galfy was a prominent member of the legal community in the area.