fallen folk heroes July 18, 2013

Kai, the ‘Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker’ Meme Turned Accused Murderer, Tried to Kill Himself

By Joe Coscarelli

Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, the 24-year-old viral-video vagrant charged with murdering a New Jersey lawyer, has attempted suicide in jail. The self-inflicted wounds are not considered life-threatening, but he remains guarded at a local hospital. Kai, as the free spirit is known in his “Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker” star turn, was arrested in May for allegedly beating 73-year-old Joseph Galfy Jr. to death at his home after the two met in Times Square. Kai implied in a vague Facebook post that he was drugged and sexually assaulted. This story just keeps getting darker.

Sources

NBC NY NJ Star-Ledger

Tags:

Show Leave a Comment

Kai, Meme Turned Murderer, Tried to Kill Himself

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission.

Most Viewed Stories

Editor’s Picks

THE FEED

When Will the Declassified JFK Files Be Released Publicly?

The president has ordered their disclosure with a timeline that suggests it might actually happen this time.

tremendous content

tremendous content

Is Trump’s Paper-Straw Ban Really About His Shark Phobia?

By Margaret Hartmann

The president claimed plastic straws won’t “affect a shark very much.” But he’d previously declared, “I hope all the sharks die.”

early and often

early and often

Pope Informs J.D. Vance He’s Wrong About Migrants, Christianity

The Catholic VP offered a theological defense of his “America First” immigration policies. Pope Francis had some notes.

Most Popular

the city politic

the city politic

Federal Prosecutors Told to Drop Charges Against Eric Adams: Live Updates

By Intelligencer Staff

Looks like the mayor’s Trump outreach might have paid off. Here are the latest developments and reactions.

the city politic

the city politic

Trump Now Has Eric Adams on a Short Leash

Expect more of the mayor’s feverish, embarrassing efforts to curry favor with the president.

My Secret Landlord and Me

The accidental way I found out who I was really writing my checks to, and why it’s usually so hard to tell.

The Ominous Legal Logic of Dropping the Eric Adams Case

The Department of Justice isn’t even pretending to have good reasons.

early and often

early and often

Trump Cabinet Confirmation Hearings: Schedule & How to Watch

By Margaret Hartmann and Chas Danner

Will the Senate GOP confirm controversial picks like Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr.? Here’s the hearings schedule and list of who’s been confirmed.

Big Tech’s Other Big Battle Is for the Box

By John Herrman

The tech giants all say they’re chasing AGI, but they’re also fighting over something we all use that’s already here.

just asking questions

just asking questions

Ron Wyden Isn’t Shy About Calling It a Coup

By Benjamin Hart

The veteran Oregon senator says Americans should be “damn concerned” about Elon Musk’s incursions into the federal bureaucracy.

Escaping Trump’s First Days

By Torrey Peters

Traveling in Colombia, I realized I couldn’t outrun the new regime.

early and often

early and often

Asked If Vance Is His Successor, Trump Says ‘No!’

He also equivocated, but Trump’s immediate rejection of the idea that J.D. is a cinch for 2028 should bother the veep a lot.

early and often

early and often

White South Africans Are the Only Refugees Trump Welcomes

At the same time he’s slamming doors on refugees from “shithole countries,” Trump is offering asylum to a foreign white-identity group.

How to Make Sense of Trump’s Plan to Stop Making Cents

Here are answers to all your questions about the U.S. potentially going penniless.

What Federal Agencies Has DOGE Gotten Into?

From the NOAA to OPM to the Pentagon, here’s an updated look at where Elon Musk’s DOGE is already operating and what they’re doing.

Adams Told City Officials Not to Bash Trump or Interfere With ICE

The embattled mayor reportedly told his staff not to mess with federal immigration actions and to avoid public conflict with the president.

How Kendrick Lamar Went From BLM Symbol to Super Bowl Star

By Zak Cheney-Rice

The enthusiastic response to his music has been driven in part by the perception that he’s a political vessel. But what exactly are his politics?

Could Trump Get Rid of Congestion Pricing?

In an interview with the New York Post, the president indicated his intentions to “kill” the program but provided few details on his plans.

early and often

early and often

Republicans Let Trump and Musk Roll Right Over Them

Trump’s party is bending the knee to his most radical steps, but there are some signs of rebellion to watch for.

tremendous content

tremendous content

Trump Mocks Taylor Swift for Super Bowl Boos, Can’t Help But Lie

By Margaret Hartmann

The president said his pop-star nemesis was “BOOED out of the Stadium” … but he’s the one who left the game early?

early and often

early and often

Does J.D. Vance Have Anything to Do But Post?

By Chris Stanton

During his first few weeks in office, the vice-president has proven just how much free time he has.

early and often

early and often

Trump’s Attack on Military Diversity Is Doomed to Fail

Bigotry and backward thinking won’t keep America safe.

The Sneaky Ways Parents Transfer Money to Their Adult Children

By Katie Arnold-Ratliff

Low-interest loans, wads of cash, pieds-à-terre, and other strategies that stretch the gift tax limit.

People With Parents With Money

As told to Paula Aceves and Julia Edelstein

14 adults come clean about the down payments, allowances, cash infusions, and tuition payments that make their New York lives feasible.

How Many Adult New Yorkers Are Secretly Subsidized by Their Parents?

By Madeline Leung Coleman

Parents are slowly transferring trillions of dollars to their New York City children, one down payment and Via Carota tab at a time.