Morgan Hill - As the news of Inkyo "Wanker Wang" Volt Hwang's death and the apparent murder of his new wife permeates the dark underworld of pornography in Los Angeles, members of the adult entertainment industry are questioning how and why he died in a Morgan Hill motel.
Hwang's Sept. 29 death in the Economy Inn on Monterey Road was reported in early October, but his identity was not released by authorities at that time. He was found dead in his room about 1:30pm by the manager who went to ask him if he wanted to stay another night. After getting no response, he called police. Morgan Hill police officers found his body half-in and half-out of the bed. No one else was in the room or registered to the room, and police officials said his death was not considered suspicious. The cause of death won't be released until the toxicology tests are completed, which could be six to eight weeks.
When the body was identified as the 38-year-old porn director linked to a possible homicide in King City, the adult entertainment industry woke up, speculation flying fast and furious around the community. South Valley Newspapers received many calls from porn directors, producers and industry talent in the days following, including a call from the "Hollywood Insider" to verify the details.
But even those who claimed to be close to Hwang, apparently a well-known director of XXX movies, said reports of his death were initially viewed as a publicity stunt.
"I knew he'd been out of touch for a while, but this was so unexpected," said a porn actor, who refused to give his name, said he was closer to Hwang than any of the others who claimed to be his friend. "I mean, it just could have been something on this blog to spark publicity or something."
More questions revolved around the manner of Hwang's death than that of his girlfriend, Miriam "Haley" Paige, who Hwang married in Las Vegas in August, according to Clark County, Nev., records and who Hwang is suspected of killing.
Before reaching Morgan Hill, Hwang was in King City accompanied by Paige. Police have verified that Hwang is "implicated" in her Aug. 21 death, though they will not elaborate. His death, according to King City police Sgt. Steve Miller, does not change that fact, and the investigation is ongoing.
Luke Ford, a journalist who covers porn and has published an in-depth look at the industry, said he was not at all surprised to hear of the recent events involving "Wanker Wang," as he was known to many.
"He really was a horrible person," he said in a phone call last week. "He was a man living on the edge, dangerous to himself and others."
Ford, who has a blog about the industry, said he has known Hwang for several years, observing his behavior at industry events. He has been involved in several confrontations with him.
"He was frequently drunk and belligerent," he said. "Almost anytime he would see me, he would try to grab my groin and kiss me, not in an affectionate way but in an insulting way, a degrading way, a sense of power for him."
He has often been described as a "mental masochist," according to some in the industry.
Yet others who knew Hwang described him as a genius, and said that though he was often drunk and lashing out at others, it was in a verbal way or through his blog, not physically.
Hwang was arrested in June for allegedly "pistol-whipping" Paige, but the charges were later dropped. His friends say he was simply trying to break his then-girlfriend's drug habit and get her out of "the business," and she exaggerated the situation.
Whatever happened with Paige, Hwang's friends and much of the porn community seem more concerned with how he died and why he died in Morgan Hill. Though acknowledging that Paige, whom they last knew as Hwang's girlfriend, is a part of the whole mystery, the focus in the adult industry is on Hwang, his last days and why he died.
The details of his last days are not known, according to police officials, but he may have been fleeing King City because of the investigation into Paige's death. Hwang has no known connection to Morgan Hill, according to police, and may have just been traveling north to get away from King City or he may have been trying to reach a larger city, such as San Jose or San Francisco.
Speculation was rife amongst the adult industry, some theorizing that he and Paige were headed north to make a new life for themselves, away from the industry, but her death, perhaps an overdose some speculate, changed their plans.
True to the nature of the business, Hwang's colleagues refused to talk without anonymity, some preferring to use a stage name, some no name at all.
Marilyn Dubil Marilyn Dubil is a reporter with South Valley Newspapers' Morgan Hill bureau.
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