Warning: Spoilers for The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker below
Netflix fans are watching documentary The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker in their droves and have made it the most popular show on the streaming service.
It tells the story of Kai, real name Caleb McGillvary, a hitchhiker who shot to internet fame after smashing a man over the head with a hatchet in 2013 in order to save a woman.
His declaration of 'smash, smash, smash' launched him to viral fame which led to an appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show and people from all over the world wanting to get to know Kai.
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What at first looks like the story of a man finding fame and fortune after going viral soon spirals down a dark path as Kai's behaviour takes several strange turns.
The Netflix documentary shows how Kai soon goes from a heroic hitchhiker who saved a woman and is being considered as a candidate to be given his own TV show to someone who can't be controlled by those around him.
The trailer for the show warns 'if you're going to glorify someone, you better know who you glorify' and the following events prove those words very true indeed, so you might want to duck out now unless you're fine with spoilers.
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The documentary shifts sharply in tone for Kai as just months after securing his viral fame he was arrested for the murder of a 73-year-old man.
From there The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker delves into the true crime genre as those around Kai begin to wonder if the warning signs were there from the start.
Kai starts the story as a 24-year-old homeless man who had managed to stumble into fame by being in the right place, he ends it arrested for the murder of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy.
He spent over five years in jail before he ended up going to trial in 2019, where he was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 57 years in prison.
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The hitchhiker claimed that he had been drugged and raped after being offered a place to stay for the night, and claimed he was acting in self defence, though the jury did not believe his version of events.
Kai must serve 43 years of his sentence before he is allowed the possibility of parole, meaning it will be many decades before he could possibly return to the outside world.
He attempted to appeal his verdict by claiming there were numerous instances of misconduct and arguing that his defence counsel was ineffective, but a judge quashed Kai's appeal in 2021.
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The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is available to stream now on Netflix.
Topics: Netflix, TV and Film, True Crime
Joe Harker