A Canadian man who gained internet fame as “Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker” has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of a New Jersey man almost six years ago.
Jurors in New Jersey’s Union County convicted 30-year-old Caleb “Kai” McGillvary on Wednesday in the May 2013 death of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy.
Authorities say the two met in New York and the defendant stayed at Galfy’s home. McGillvary was arrested in Philadelphia days later.
McGillvary alleged that he acted in self-defence following an attempted sexual assault, but prosecutors said his statements were inconsistent and also cited the victim’s extensive injuries.
McGillvary gained some online fame after intervening in a 2012 assault on a California utility worker in which he described using a hatchet to fend off a further attack.
Local reporter Jessob Reisbeck conducted a TV interview with McGillvary for Fox-affiliated KMPH News in Fresno, Calif., asking him what happened.
The expletive-filled clip, released on Feb. 2, 2013, has been viewed 7.2 times on YouTube and led to an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for McGillivary.
In an interview after the arrest for Galfy’s death, McGillivary’s father, Gil McGillivary, said his son was born and raised in Edmonton.
Gil McGillivary, who spoke to The Associated Press from his home in Hawkesbury, Ont., said he had only sporadic contact with his son and last saw him in 2010. He had lost custody of Caleb shortly after he and his wife divorced when their son was eight.