Joshua Ming (December 5th, 1987 - July 6th, 2009) was a Bloxanadian man, who made international headlines after traveling to The Island of Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse, and being subsequently killed by the Waeut-Rosse tribe.
Life
Joshua Ming c. 1988
Joshua Ming was born into a Luobese-Bloxanadian family on December 5th, 1987 in Southern Bloxcouver, Ro British Columbia, to mother Mary Chen Ming, and father, Terell Zhao Ming. He was the youngest out of two siblings, Maria and John Ming.
As a child, he often became highly fixated and eccentric about certain topics for extended periods of time, before losing interest after a few months.
He was described as extremely adventurous, going out to play in the woods for hours, and on one occasion, even staying an entire night by himself in the forest. This outgoing spirit often got him hurt or in trouble however, as he often fell into the creek or got attacked by wild animals.
He attended DerMick Public School from kindergarten to grade 8. His teachers described him as an "average student", though he would "cause trouble by intentionally annoying other kids, to the point where almost nobody talked to him" (BBC, 2010). It is said by his family that while he could socialize and communicate perfectly fine with others, he would struggle to keep and maintain friendships.
During his childhood and after his death, it was speculated by his family that Joshua may have suffered from Autism, and/or another neurological disorder such as ADHD because of his impaired social skills, however he was never formally diagnosed.
Interest in The Island of Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse
According to Joshua's family, he developed an interest in the island, after watching the documentary The Mystery Of Tek - Ou - Waeut Rosse during his history class in grade 8.
His mother stated in an article by the BBC that:
"He'd always been the adventurous type, so the island seemed very appealing to him. He also had a general fascination with history for all his childhood so I guess that also makes sense".
As mentioned previously, Joshua often became highly fixated on certain topics, before losing interest after a few months, so his parents were not surprised when he began to fixate on the island. They noticed however, when he continued to be obsessed with the island into high school, exceeding the usual few months for which he would be interested in a topic.
His owned dozens of books, all about the island and its history, and would endlessly watch documentaries, and research about the island online.
It came to a point where "It didn't matter where we were, cousin's funeral, aunt's wedding, wherever, he couldn't get through a single conversation without mentioning it at least once" (said by his mother in same BBC article mentioned previously).
Joshua owned a diary around this time, which revealed some of his inner thoughts and reasoning as to why he was so obsessed with the island.
An entry from February 12th 2001 reads:
"No one understands. I have no friends. They all think i'm annoying. Only he (Likely referring to his father, Terell Zhao Ming) understands me. But I guess they're right. I am weird. But its so interesting to me. In the middle of the sea, like a hundred robloxians live their lives, on that tiny little island. They live their whole lives, without knowing that the whole world is afraid of them. Thinks that their WEIRDOS."
First Arrest
In 2003, Joshua (16 at the time) and his family vacationed to Bloxwaii. While in Pokou, Bloxwaii, Joshua snuck out at midnight, carrying only two bottles of water, a flashlight, and blue spray paint, and hiked up Sugargreen Peak, a small hill 1 kilostud (280 meters) away from the resort his family were staying at, that houses a shrine, where the local indigenous robloxians often pray and preform ceremonies. While there, Joshua proceeded to deface multiple parts of the shrine by the way of urination, and also wrote his name in spray paint on the ground of the shrine.
Another diary entry, written the same day the crime was committed (April 7th 2003), shows some of his inner thinking:
"LOLLL ROFLLL XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD, I'veee never felt more ALIVEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!1!1!!11! >:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD I CANT WAIT UNTIL I'M ON THE NEWS BABYYYYYYY, PRANK OF THE CENTURY XDDDD. The best part? THEY'LL HAVE NO CLUEE1!!!1!!1!11!1 OMFG IMMA BE FAMOUSSSSSSSSSSSS"
Time in Prison
He was caught two weeks later, and sentenced to a year in prison for the desecration of property, though he would only serve two months in Bloxwaii State Penitentiary.
However, in those 2 months, Joshua's mental state deteriorated rapidly. He described prison as "Hell on Roblox", and when his family visited and they tried to ask him why he did it, he responded by saying "I just wanted to do something funny, and be on the news" (What Was This STUPID Idiot Thinking??!, 2011). This correlates with his diary "These STUPID IDIOTS CANT GET A JOKE. IT. WAS. FUNNY. And even if it wasn't I'VE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH. I just WANNA LEAVE" (June 14th 2003).
The deterioration of his mental health was further exacerbated, after Joshua was attacked by a fellow inmate. It was reported that the inmate punched and attempted to stab Joshua, after he intentionally tried provoking him.
Joshua would be extradited home in August 2003, after controversy over his imprisonment. This was due to his young age, and due to the fact he was a Bloxanadian citizen.
The Plan to Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse
After his arrest in 2003, Joshua became noticeably more social withdrawn, spending even more time researching about the island. His belief that his family (All except his father) hated him was worsened after he claimed that they acted "indifferent, almost like they were about to laugh" after he recounted his attack in prison.
Another diary entry, January 2nd 2004, reads:
"Even just LOOKING AT MY REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR, I HATE IT. ALL I SEE IS HOW I'VE FAILED AND DISAPPOINTED EVERYONE. WHY MUST I STAY HERE?? I JUST WANT HAPPINESS, IS THAT SO HARD? WHY CANT ANYONE UNDERSTAND ME????? MY OWN FAMILY, MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, WANTS ME DEAD. THEY DONT SAY IT BUT I KNOW IT."
He later writes in the same entry:
"Me and dad, imagine if we left. We could be on our own, away from these STUPID IDIOTS [...] we could sail together to that island (Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse) and find robloxians who UNDERSTAND US. WHO UNDERSTAND ME."
His sister, who was interviewed for the documentary What Was This STUPID Idiot Thinking??! said that:
"He would sometimes ask us 'What if I left and went to Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse?' Obviously we thought he was joking so we'd all be like 'Oh yeah, ha, sure'. But then every time he brought it up, he'd sound more and more serious".
After graduating high school, Joshua took a gap year, telling his family that he needed to "think about who he wanted to become". This is widely considered to be a lie created by Joshua, in an effort to have more time to further research about the island.
Another diary entry (undated, c. late 2006- early 2007) seems to be the point where Joshua fully decides to travel to Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse:
"Mom's getting pissed at me, I haven't found an internship like I said I would. Doesn't matter though. What does Uni have for me? Oh yeah, more F------g idiots, who don't give me a second glance. [...] I've researched enough. Heard enough stories, seen enough pictures. It's time I put my money where my mouth is."
Joshua had started preparations for his trip around early 2008. Joshua's father, who unlike most of his family, was supportive of Joshua's endeavors, bought a camera for Joshua, so he could record the island and its residents. His father was the only person informed of his trip.
In an exclusive segment by The Bloxanada Gazette, Joshua's father reflected on the moment his son told him that he was going to the island.
"It was late evening I think, he (Joshua) said to me 'Dad, i'm gonna do it. i'm going to the island.' I wanted to think he was joking, but Josh, you could read him like a book, so I knew right away he was serious. We talked for at least an hour in the garden. I tried to assure him, his family loved him, his brother, his sister, his mom all cared about him so much, but he just wouldn't budge. [...] Eventually, I realized something. My son didn't care for much. He had no close buddies or anything like that. I haven't heard him have such a real passion for something since, well, I'm not sure. We all knew this made him happy, it was one of the only things that did. So, in my mind, if he changed his mind and came back, well then, at least now he knew that he needed to wait. If he did succeed, then, he would've achieved his dream, and everyone would've been happy. What a regretful decision that was."
Terell later stated that he never seriously believed Joshua would ever make it to the island, thinking that he would turn back along the way.
Journey to the Island
Joshua left his home on July 1st 2009. Before he left, he informed his family, that he would be "out of town".
Joshua would occasionally go on trips around Ro British Columbia, often heading out of Bloxcouver to the various parks and forests, and setting up camp for a night. He told his family that he might stay a little longer on this occasion, as to not arouse suspicion if he was gone a long time.
In his backpack, he brought with him approximately 12 days worth of non-perishable food items, a Robloxian to Kil'oguk dictionary (A primitive version of which the Waeut-Rosse tribe speaks), and various gifts such as toys, canned versions of exotic fruit, electronic devices, etc.
Based on security camera footage and witnesses, authorities were able to piece together most of Joshua's journey to the island.
After leaving Bloxcouver, it is believed he then took a coach bus to the small town of Mallerd, Bloxalberta. From Mallerd, Joshua is believed to have been spotted at the Mallerd Train station, though this spotting is unverified.
One account claims they spotted Joshua in Calblox, though this is also unverified. He was then spotted on a security camera at a convenience store on the outskirts of Akiywin, Bloxanitoba, meaning he most likely took a train from Mallerd to Akiywin.
From Akiywin, his journey is unknown, until he was spotted at a ferry station in Newbloxland and Labrador, where he was spotted taking a ferry from Labrador, to Newbloxland.
Arrival and Death
He then arrived in St Eder, the closest town to Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse, and bribed two fisherman (Patrick O'Blok and Adam Cerise) to take him there. They then sailed to the island using Patrick's fishing boat, and stopped near the island, from which Joshua jumped off and swam to the shore of the island.
Confrontation with the Tribe
According to the eyewitness accounts of Patrick and Adam, once Joshua arrived on the shore, he was immediately confronted by the tribe, and soon after shot with multiple arrows.
Adam said in article by the BBC:
"We stopped the boat a couple meters from the shore. They all seemed to be still inside their huts 'r whatever, so he said 'Adios!' and swam to the beach. He started making a buncha' noise, and that got the natives stompin' out. I had a feelin' in my chest that somethin' was gonna go wrong. I heard him stand there and talk a little bit, then he pulled out a toy monkey from his bag and some can of food I think. [...] The natives left for a little bit [...] at first I thought they were gonna give him somethin' back, cuz he (Joshua) was all smiles n' stuff, but boy was I wrong. My worst thought came true, and I heard the poor guy scream, as an arrow went right through him. I told him (Patrick O'blok) to go try and save him, but he just put the boat into full throttle and sped away. I couldn't bear to look again [...] I could still hear him cryin' sometimes when I try t' nap. "
Two days later, another fisherman (who has remained anonymous), claimed to have spotted the charred remains of a corpse on the shore of the island, most likely belonging to Joshua.
Immediate Aftermath
Joshua's death soon became international news. In response to this incident, the Minister of Fisheries Monique Clarke ordered the buffer zone surrounding the island to be at least 210 kilostuds (58.8 kilometers), have regular Coast Guard patrols around the island, and a ban on fishing in the buffer zone.
Reactions
Bloxanada
As mentioned previously, this incident lead to increased security measures by the Bloxanadian government regarding the island, such as with the buffer zone. In a press statement, the Prime Minister at the time Booby Snoff called the event an "extremely careless act of selfishness, that endangered everyone involved".
Later, the government expressed some remorse for Joshua and his family, offering approximately 1,000,000$ to "help alleviate the pain caused by losing a loved one, in such a traumatic way" in 2014.
In 2010, Patrick O'Blok and Adam Cerise, the two fisherman who took Joshua to the island, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, due to:
"Showing immense carelessness in transporting Mr. Ming to The Island of Tek - Ou - Waeut - Rosse, which not only violated the 1980 Bloxington Border Protections Act, but to a significant degree caused the death of Mr. Ming."
Both were sentenced to 5 years in prison. In 2012 however, Adam was released after significant evidence showed that Adam had showed compliance, after being unwillingly coerced by Patrick.
Media
An article written on July 21st 2009 by the Robloxian Times, describing Joshua's fatal encounter on the Island.
In the weeks and months immediately after the event, the opinion of Joshua at the time from the media was astoundingly critical. Journalist for the Robloxian Times Joey Gonzalez described Joshua as "another stupid kid, who F'd around and found out".
As time went on though, and more of Joshua's troubling past was revealed, much of the media began to sympathize with Joshua, as a result of his family's appearance on multiple major news outlets across Bloxanda, attempting to change the public's negative perception about their son. This was further heightened by the release of the documentary What Was This STUPID Idiot Thinking??! in 2011, which shared a much more nuanced point of view on the topic.
Shift in Opinion
Later, the consensus shifted, as many journalists began to push the blame onto Joshua's family. Critics cited the myriad of interviews Joshua's family partook in, as evidence against them. Numerous articles interpreted the family's recollections as sounding neglectful towards Joshua's needs, many stating that the incident might have been prevented if his family adequately provided support for his social isolation and loneliness, instead of (allegedly) simply standing by as he delved further into his obsession with the island. Particularly, many find their handling of Joshua's time in prison to be especially inattentive and even cruel in terms of their ability to be of emotional support towards him.
Critics also blame Joshua's father, Terell Zhao Ming, for his extreme carelessness in letting Joshua travel to the island, which ultimately led to his death. BBC Journalist GwegyUwu768 stated in an article:
"You don't give a monkey a calculator, and then be surprised when he tries to eat it. Likewise, you don't let a child with no real life experience on a cross country adventure to a dangerous and illegal island, and expect him NOT to die."
This hostility towards his family led to harassment by members of the public, including vandalism to f home. The media at the start heavily fueled the fire toward these actions, until public backlash formed in the midst of such "vigilante violence" (Bloxanda Gazette, 2015), causing the media to back down.
Family
By July 6th, Joshua's family began to worry, as he has never stayed out on a trip for more than 3 days. Despite him telling them beforehand that he may stay longer, their worries were not quelled. On the 7th, Joshua's father confessed to having known Joshua's true whereabouts, and his plan to go to the island. The next day, authorities were notified, leading to the discovery that Joshua had gone through with his mission, and had been murdered by the tribe.
In the coming months, Joshua's family would participate in many interviews for various news stations, attempting to change the narrative of the "irresponsible, dummy kid" that had been placed on him. In 2011, they would participate in the production of What Was This STUPID Idiot Thinking??!, sharing Joshua's life and previous struggles such as his troubling arrest. They aimed to reiterate their message that Joshua was misunderstood, and wasn't just a "dummy kid".
After this the public began to sympathize with Joshua, but not long after many began to criticize the family for their testimonies, much of which were interpreted as evidence of neglect. In response, Joshua's mother would state in an article by the BBC that:
"I am not the 'perfect parent', probably not even a very good one. But I loved my Joshua. I should have show it more, but I did, and I weep every night for him. So take a walk in my shoes, before you decide that i'm a monster."
Over the course of 2013 to 2016, the Ming family home would vandalized 6 times, being defaced with graffiti and Bloxy Cola. This caused extreme stress to them, especially to Terell, who pleaded with authorities to launch an investigation.