Joshua Saunders, a Casper native and prolific YouTuber, died on Thursday at the age of 34. His father, Clint Saunders, who revealed the news, found him unresponsive at the apartment.
The cause of the death will be revealed after the autopsy. His father’s discussion with the coroner suggests that he may have had an organ failure during sleep, which the family believes is linked to alcoholism and depression.
Clint Saunders said, “Josh was harassed and bullied terribly his whole life.” King Cobra JFS, in the last Facebook video, complained about feeling sick, clammy, and sweaty.
In the emotional video, his father talked about the harassment and bullying Joshua faced offline and online.
“Josh was harassed terribly his whole life. From the time he was three, it was just nonstop. It was like he had a neon sign that said, ‘Please pick on me'.”
The Casper police and Natrona County Coroner’s Office are investigating the death.
His father thanked the fan base for garnering such a support system, “You guys helped him more than you can ever know, because you made him feel like a person.”
He says, “I can never repay you for that. Thank you for supporting him, encouraging him, and for all the gifts you sent."
Fans started paying tributes to the YouTuber. Some appreciated his authenticity, while others reminded the human cost of cyberbullying and online harassment.
Josh was not only a popular YouTuber with over 117,000 subscribers. He was also a musician and a woodworker adept at crafting walking sticks and wands. King Cobra used to sell these products online.
Josh Faye Saunders, aka King Cobra JFS, was from Casper, Wyoming.