True crime fans have been tuning into Netflix to watch The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, which follows the story of a man tipped to be the next huge reality TV star before his world came crashing down
Fans of true crime have been flocking to Netflix to get their fix – and have been met with the brutal tale of Kai, a “hero hatchet-wielding hitchhiker” who later turned to murder.
The 90-minute documentary titled The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker shows the rise and fall of the “home free” man – whose real name was Caleb Lawrence McGilvary – who spent his days roaming the streets around the US.
He quickly became a household name after helping to “save” a stranger from a vicious attack by the man driving a car he had grabbed a ride in.
The story came out on local news in Fresno, California, in 2013 and his video interview with a local TV station went viral thanks to his enthusiastic descriptions and comments. At one point he told the journalist how he “smashed” the attacker to get him off the lady.
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His famous line from the interview heard him say of the attack: “‘He grabbed one of them, a guy that big can snap a woman’s neck like a pencil stick. So I f**king ran up behind him with a hatchet, smash, smash, smash.”
Hitchhiker Kai became an overnight internet sensation in 2013
Becoming an internet sensation overnight, an abundance of memes and parody songs were quickly shared and it seemed as though everyone wanted a piece of him.
It led to the roamer, now 35, being presented with a number of huge opportunities, including the company behind the rise of Keeping Up With The Kardashians wanting to make him their next reality star.
He was invited onto a host of talk shows, eventually appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he continued to showcase his eccentric and erratic behaviour, including urinating on the show’s sign outside of the building.
His musical talents also impressed huge names in the industry, with Kai said to have been approached to collaborate with Justin Bieber.
However, within three months his story had turned sour and he was arrested for murder before being given a 57-year prison sentence.
The story, which premiered on the streaming platform earlier in the year, has gripped the attention of the audience for almost 10 years since it first went around the globe.
