A new Netflix documentary explores how a man who became a viral sensation ended up behind bars.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker tells the story of Kai Lawrence, who went viral in 2013, shortly before being charged with murder.
Watch the trailer here:
Kai went viral off the back of a news report, in which he gave his account of an incident that had just taken place.
Kai - who was homeless and aged 24 at the time - said he hitched a ride from a man who claimed to be Jesus Christ, before ploughing into a pedestrian.
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He said a woman then came over to help, at which point the driver got out of the vehicle and began choking her.
Sensing her danger, Kai said he got his hatchet out of his bag and hit the man over the head with it.
"So I f***ing ran up behind with a hatchet... Smash, smash, smash," Kai said in the viral news segment.
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The interview made him an internet sensation, and he was quickly lined up for chat show appearances, reality TV shows and musical collaborations.
However, as an interviewee in the above trailer highlights: "If you're going to glorify someone, you better know who you glorify."
Just three months later, he was on trial for the murder of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy, which he claimed was self-defence.
A brief Netflix synopsis reads: "This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad’s ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment."
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If that's enough info for you, the documentary drops on Netflix tomorrow (Tuesday 10 January), so you can see the whole story for yourself then. However, if you don't mind some spoiling, I'll continue.
Kai - real name Caleb Lawrence McGillvary - had met Galfy in Times Square, New York, before returning with him to his home in New Jersey.
Two days later, the attorney was found beaten to death in his bedroom, wearing only underwear and socks.
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Jurors in New Jersey's Union County convicted the Canadian of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 57 years in prison.
At his sentencing, the judge called Kai 'a powder keg of explosive rage,' according to Rolling Stone, adding: "You created this public image of a free spirit, but underneath that free spirit the jury saw another side of you: a cold-blooded, calculated, callous killer."
Topics: Crime, Film and TV, True crime, Netflix
Jake Massey