A hitchhiker hailed as a hero for saving a woman’s life went on to commit a brutal murder three months later.
Attorney Joseph Galfy, 73, was found lying in a pool of his own blood at his home in New Jersey in May 2013. He was wearing just underpants and socks and he died of blunt force trauma after his skull was bashed in.
But to the surprise of cops, the man responsible turned out to be Kai Lawrence, who had recently been propelled as a viral sensation for an unforgettable interview he gave after using a hatchet to stop an assault on a woman.
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The eccentric hippie, now 35, reenacted on camera how he used the weapon to “smash, smash, smash” and he became an overnight celebrity after the clip blew up – even appearing as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel. But weeks later, he turned into a killer.
Kai has been languishing in prison ever since – although he maintains a presence online and regularly uploads videos to YouTube from his cell. Below we recap his extraordinarily fast rise and fall from hero to killer.
Viral Video
Kai, whose real name is Caleb McGillvary, was a homeless ‘free spirit’ who drifted from one place to the next when he suddenly became famous.
It started in February 2013 when a bloke called Jett Simmons McBride pulled up on the road to give Kai a lift – before the erratic driver revealed some dark secrets.
Things took an even more sinister turn when McBride rammed into a pedestrian before he got out of the car and attacked a woman who was trying to help the victim who was wedged.
Kai grabbed a hatchet from his backpack and used its blunt side to hit McBride three times before police arrived to arrest him minutes later.
Speaking to a FOX TV crew shortly after, Kai said: “These two women are trying to help him (victim). He (McBride) runs up and grabs one of them man, and a guy that big can snap a woman’s neck like a pencil so I f***ing ran up behind him with a hatchet, smash, smash, smash!”
The woman credited Kai with saving her life. He later appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Show and was even approached by Justin Bieber’s team and the producer of Keeping Up With The Kardashians for projects.
But despite seemingly having the world at his feet, Kai, who even testified in court against McBride, soon became a convict himself.
Murder
Joseph Glafy was a respected attorney who was a partner at Kochanski, Baron, and Galfy PC and between 1965 and 1970 he was a major in the US Army.
But days before his murder, he struck up some sort of a relationship with Kai Lawrence after they met each other in Times Square.
According to Kai, the lawyer invited him to his home in New Jersey where he claims his drinks were spiked and he was allegedly sexually assaulted.
He returned to the house after the alleged attack and later told cops: “He made homemade burgers and I don’t remember much after that. I woke up on his floor and he was on top trying to take my pants down and I just started hitting him and I just blacked out.”
Joseph was known for his punctuality and when he failed to turn up to work or answer the phone, police arrived at his home to check on him.
Everything seemed normal until they found his cold body lying on his bedroom floor and clues left at the scene led them to arresting Kai just days later.
Despite arguing that he acted in self-defence to prevent a sexual assault, a jury found him guilty of first-degree manslaughter in April 2019.
The judge then told him: “You created this public image of a surfing free spirit unshackled by the constraints of materialism and consumption. However, underneath the jury saw another side of you. You are a powder keg of explosive rage, a cold-blooded, calculated and callus killer.”
An emotional Kai barked back: “This has been nothing but a sham trial. You have railroaded an innocent man. Shame on you.”
The internet star turned killer was handed a 57 year prison sentence – something he has since tried and failed to overturn.
A Netflix documentary called Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker was released last year and Kai reacted to it by saying he was “ruthlessly exploited”.
In a statement to The Tab, he said: “So, Netflix is making a move about my life story before I was arrested. But they refuse to pay me anything for it… if someone made a movie about OJ Simpson’s football career, you better believe he’d be banking off it.
“Guys who kill and rape women get money for their pre-arrest fame – but I saved women from being killed and allegedly killed a rapist, so Netflix is ruthlessly exploiting me. What the f***?”
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
