“Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker” to Be Extradited on Murder Charges

The internet celebrity is heading back to New Jersey on charges he murdered an attorney

Caleb "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" McGillvary, the internet celebrity accused of beating an elderly New Jersey attorney to death, waived his extradition rights during court proceedings in Philadelphia Tuesday.

The move paves the way for him to be transferred to authorities in Union County, N.J.

McGillvary, known as "Kai" to millions online, is accused of murdering North Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy in early May.

Officials say the two men met in Times Square on May 11 and later had a sexual encounter inside Galfy's Clark, N.J. home.

Galfy, 73, was found dead in his bedroom two days later. Authorities said he was severely beaten and found wearing only his socks and underwear.

A manhunt was then launched to find McGillvary. Police say he spent May 13 in Philadelphia sightseeing with friends and later stayed at a home in Glassboro, N.J.

The next day, he was dropped off at a PATCO train station in Haddonfield, N.J.

McGillvary was caught later that week after a barista at a Starbucks in the Old City section of the city recognized him and called police. He left before officers arrived, but they were able to track him down at the Center City Greyhound station later that night.

The 24-year-old appeared in court Tuesday via closed circuit television from a Philadelphia jail.

When an assistant district attorney asked McGillvary whether he was aware he's wanted for murder, the man replied "I've heard that, yes."

The judge then revoked his bail.

McGillvary became an internet sensation in February after an interview he gave to a Fresno, Calif. television station went viral.

In the interview, he described how he used a hatchet to beat a driver who was attacking a California utility worker. The video tallied more than 4 million views on YouTube.

He later appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!

When Kimmel asked him what people have been saying since the video went viral, McGillvary responded: "Hey, you're Kai, that dude with the hatchet."

As police searched for McGillvary, he posted to his Facebook page, claiming he was drugged and raped.

"what would you do if you woke up with a groggy head, metallic taste in your mouth, in a strangers house...," the post read in part. "realizing that someone had drugged, raped...what would you do?"

In an earlier post on May 10, before the two men allegedly met, McGillvary thanked those who took him in.

"Hey id like to express my gratitude to all the gnarly awesome people whove invited me in, partied hardy with me, and brought me to such cool places to meet such cool people," he wrote.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office tells NBC News they expect McGillvary to be extradited from Philadelphia later this week.


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

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