CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Steve Driver, the murderous “mope,” who in the summer of 2010, took his life after fatally stabbing performer and friend Herbert Wong — aka Tom Dong — and wounding two others with a samurai sword at the production offices of Ultima DVD, is the subject of an upcoming episode of “Fatal Encounters.”
Set to air in May on the Investigation Discovery channel, the show features interviews with people who either knew or came into contact with Driver (legal name Stephen Clancy Hill) during his misguided, often disappointing, pursuit of porn stardom, including Ultima DVD owner Eric Jover, who had allowed Driver to live at his production studio up until Driver’s behavior became unbearably erratic.
Jover told XBIZ, “The events of that day made me realize how easily and swiftly one's mortality can be taken away by the anger of another person, and this made me more intuitive in handling all types of relationships and situations. It has shifted my focus on creating a strong, positive atmosphere with everyone on and off set, and it really has driven me to become more focused on creating mutually beneficial relationships throughout the industry that are beyond monetary value.”
While Jover understands the sensational appeal of Driver’s story, he hopes that the Discovery Communications program will “put the many people in the adult industry under the proper light.”
He explained, “I shared with them how much labor is actually involved in the creation and distribution of adult content, and I hope they portray us to be ambitious, hard-working Americans instead of people who are glamorized or superficial.”
Also slated to appear in the episode are Christopher Rachal, the Ultima studio manager who was nearly hacked to death by Driver when he attempted to evict and fire him, Driver’s heartbroken father David Hill, porn star Charley Chase, who starred opposite Driver in Robert Hill Releasing’s “Tea Baggin' Party,” and would later comment to the media about his horrible on-set body odor and writer Mike Albo, whose piece on the events “Porn Machete Murder” was the most popular story of 2011 on LAWeekly.
Albo, a former adult industry publishing veteran, told XBIZ that he believes the tragedy of Driver’s story will resonate with viewers more so than its porno elements.
He said, “I think people will see that everybody has dreams and aspirations and when those are shattered and taken away, it’s devastating. Most people accept it and readjust their sights. But an unstable person — especially one with a history of failures and disappointments — can lose his grip and become a danger to himself and those who are unlucky enough to be around him when it happens.”
Driver eluded police for three days after the attack at Ultima DVD, but was finally tracked down to a hillside bluff near the Chatsworth Nature Preserve in the San Fernando Valley. He held LAPD SWAT at bay for eight hours, while threatening to kill himself with yet another sword. When authorities finally attempted to bring Driver in with the aid of tasers and bean-bag projectiles, he leapt off the cliff to his death 50-feet below.
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