The case of the missing Uber driver who may have been killed and dismembered by his longtime friend, perhaps because it's been unfolding piece by piece in the media, has spurred some loud rumors about a possible motive in the killing. The body of 48-year-old Piseth Chhay, missing since May 14, has yet to be positively identified, however SFPD investigators were called to a warehouse in Hayward on Saturday after workers there identified a putrid stench coming from some garbage bags, and they suspect the human remains they found inside may belong to Chhay. The warehouse is connected to Chhay's friend, Bob Tang, a person of interest early on in the case who appears to have fled the country, and now rumors have trickled into the media that Chhay may have been having an affair with Tang's wife.
Chhay's cousin, Sovanarath Chi, has been a spokesperson of sorts for his family, telling KRON 4, "This is hell. I don’t wish this upon anyone." She vehemently denies that Chhay could have been conducting an affair, saying, "I know that my cousin is a very faithful guy. I don’t believe that he had an affair whatsoever with her."
Creepily, she tells KRON 4 that she saw Tang after Chhay's disappearance, and says, "He was just pretty strange. He was just kind of jittery and was looking at his phone constantly. And was just lost for words. It was unusual for me."
Chi further tells ABC 7, "People are starting to rumor about the relationship of Bob's wife with my cousin might have been romantic which that's not true that's not confirmed by the police. Bob's wife is pretty much besties with my cousin's wife."
Another rumor seems to have surfaced about gambling debts, and Chi denies those to KTVU, saying of the rumor, "It hurts not only my cousin, but me as well, and the whole family," and adding, "The gambling part is not true, police have confirmed it's not true, and owing money is also not true."
Chi also tells KTVU, "Nobody in our family wants to believe that it's him in the warehouse, and we want to believe he's kidnapped, kept somewhere, and we'll be able to find him soon, alive."
Chhay has been married to his wife, Rattana Kim, for 20 years and they have two sons.
Tang was last seen on May 22, one day before he was scheduled to be interviewed by police regarding Chhay's disappearance. His car was later found in a garage at SFO, and he is believed to have fled to his native Cambodia.
Previously: Human Remains Discovered In Hayward Warehouse May Belong To Missing Uber Driver Piseth Chhay