YouTube’s ‘Goth Wizard’ KingCobraJFS Dead at 34, Father Confirms in Viral Video

YouTube star KingCobraJFS, also known as Joshua Fay Saunders, has died at the age of 34. The eccentric creator, who often referred to himself as a “goth wizard,” built a devoted following of more than 117,000 subscribers over the past decade with his offbeat streams, DIY projects, paranormal musings, and vocal covers. He was even profiled in a YouTube documentary that chronicled his strange, singular rise on the platform.

News of Saunders’ death came on August 22, when his father posted a now-deleted video confirming his son had been found unresponsive. In the emotional clip, which quickly went viral on X, Saunders’ dad explained, “I went to Josh’s house yesterday to take him to the doctor, and when I got there, he was sleeping. I tried to wake him up, but he was not responsive. I realized that his lips were blue, and I tried to revive him, but he was already dead.”

According to Complex, the Natrona County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Saunders died on August 21 in Casper, Wyoming. Coroner James Whipps identified the decedent as 34-year-old Joshua Fay Saunders and said that an autopsy has been scheduled. The coroner noted that “the investigation is ongoing and further information surrounding the circumstances of the death will be released later.”

Casper police told the outlet that the case is being treated as an unattended death, adding that detectives “believe the incident to be isolated, with no ongoing threat to the public.” Officers were called at 1:30 p.m. and “located a deceased adult male at the scene.”

In his video, Saunders’ father reflected on his son’s difficult life and his complicated relationship with his online presence. “I got on today to delete all of his social media… because ‘f*** you’ is how I’m feeling,” he admitted. “But I realized that would not be fair to his fans, and it’s certainly nothing he would want. As you all know, Josh was harassed and bullied terribly his whole life. From the time he was 3, it was just nonstop. It was like he had a neon sign that said ‘Please pick on me.’”

On his channel, Saunders described himself simply: “My artist name is King Cobra. I play and compose my own music, am [a] fan of Metal and Rock and a little bit of grunge and punk and some Alternative… I am also a firm believer in the Paranormal such as ghosts and poltergeists and things that go bump in the night.”

Fans are now filling social media with tributes. One wrote, “R.i.P King Cobra JFS, we lost the final goth today…” while another added, “RIP KING COBRAJFS. It’s been a wild ride friend. Was always rooting for you big dawg.”