Netflix’s next true crime is all about the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, and it sounds wild

Netflix are kicking off the brand new year with one of the most unhinged-looking true crime docs they’ve ever commissioned. The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, which comes out in exactly a week’s time (10th January), tells the story of Kai Lawrence, a homeless person with a dark past who went viral on YouTube. 

This isn’t just your average cut-and-dry solved case. Kai’s history remains in dispute, even though he’s currently serving a life sentence in prison. Plus, you might even remember clips of him circulating around the internet back in 2013. 

So, here’s a brief history of Kai the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, and just what exactly he’s serving jail time for:

Photo via Netflix

In early 2013, Kai (who was hitching a ride from a stranger named Jett Simmons McBride) told Fox News about a car accident he witnesses; as well as McBride attempting to attack a young woman involved in the crash.

He spoke candidly about “smashing” McBride on the head with a hatchet multiple times, while defending the young girl who had been “grabbed.” The clip of his interview on Fox became an overnight sensation, thanks to the way he described the situation.

“I fucking ran up behind him with a hatchet… smash, smash, SMASH,” he told the news reporter. Of course, this was 2013, so someone obviously autotuned it and posted a remix onto YouTube. The original video, though, has around 9 million views.

For a time, everyone loved Kai. But, when he was found to have committed a murder just three months later, his world collapsed around him. Police claimed the killing was premeditated, while Kai (whose real name is Caleb Lawrence McGilvary) maintains he was assaulted, and acted in self-defence.

Watch the trailer for the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker below:

The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker will be available on Netflix from 10th January. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

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Featured image via Netflix.