Key Takeaways
- Through his interview, Reisbeck brought Caleb McGillvary into the spotlight of internet fame, who was later arrested for m*rder.
- He was featured in the Netflix documentary “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker.”
- He has been anchoring news at WDJT CBS 58 in Milwaukee since November 2020.
Although Jessob Reisbeck was not arrested, the hitchhiker he interviewed, Caleb Lawrence McGillvary (Kai), was arrested in May 2013, two months after their viral encounter.
During a February 2013 interview with Jessob Reisbeck, Caleb McGillvary, aka “Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker,” vividly described the chaotic events that brought him viral attention.
He explained that while hitchhiking, a man who claimed to be Jesus picked him up and then deliberately drove into a pedestrian.
After the man went after two women, Kai intervened, swinging his hatchet to stop him and defend the women.
Kai, during the interview, vividly discussed self-respect and shared the details of his wild experience, asserting that his actions were to protect others in a dangerous event in Fresno.
After the interview, Kai quickly became an internet sensation, but just two months later, he was arrested in Philadelphia for the murder of 73-year-old New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy.
Authorities alleged that Kai met Galfy in New York and later beat him to death at Galfy’s home.
Kai claimed self-defense, saying Galfy drugged and sexually assaulted him, but his story remained inconsistent.
In 2019, the court found Kai guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to 57 years in New Jersey State Prison for the killing.
Additionally, Reisbeck played a role in the Netflix documentary “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker,” released on January 10, 2023, nearly a decade after the incident.
In the documentary, Reisbeck discusses his close bond with Kai and describes how he earned Kai’s trust, something few others could achieve.
He has built a career reporting on numerous arrests, but he has never personally experienced arrest.
From Reporter To Anchor: Jessob Reisbeck’s Career At WDJT CBS 58
Jessob’s career, however, extends beyond the viral story. Jessob, born in Wisconsin Rapids, moved to California at age 5 and always aspired to be a sports broadcaster.
After graduating from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Communication, he began his career as a sports anchor and reporter at WAOW-TV in Wausau in 2004.
He later worked at WSTM-TV from 2006 to 2009 and then joined KMPH-TV in Fresno, where he gained attention for introducing the world to Kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker.
After leaving KMPH in 2013, he worked as a morning anchor at WITI-TV and later at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.
Jessob is currently working as a full-time news anchor at WDJT CBS 58 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since November 2020.
He has been anchoring the 5 PM, 9 PM, and 10 PM newscasts for nearly four years.
In his news coverage and social media activity, Jessob Reisbeck has shared stories involving arrests, yet he has consistently avoided any personal legal complications.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Jessob shares two sons, Jensen and Jase, with his partner Lindsey, who owns Shear Beauté Salon.
- In 2013, he appeared on an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
