Police consider whether 'King of the Hill' actor's sexual orientation played a role in his killing
HOUSTON — Investigators are looking into whether the sexual orientation of 'King of the Hill' voice actor Jonathan Joss played a role in his shooting death in Texas, authorities said Thursday, walking back a previous statement about the potential motive.
Joss' husband has claimed the person who killed the actor yelled 'violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire outside his home in San Antonio on Sunday night. A day after the shooting, San Antonio police issued a statement saying they had found 'no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation.'
But during a news conference on Thursday, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the statement was 'premature' and that whether Joss' sexual orientation played a role in the shooting 'is part of the investigation.'
'I will own that and simply say again that we simply shouldn't have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued,' McManus said.
The police chief said many in the LGBTQ community 'are feeling anxious and concerned' after Joss' shooting and that 'a lot of it has to do with that premature statement."
'The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ community,' McManus said.
Texas does not have separate hate crimes charges. But if homophobia is found to have been a motive in the shooting, that could result in a harsher sentence at trial under the state's hate crimes law.
'We gather the facts, and we give those facts to the district attorney's office. And then that hate crime designation is determined at sentencing,' McManus said.
The actor's home burned down in January. Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has said that they were checking mail there Sunday when a man approached them, pulled out a gun and opened fire.
In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it 'openly homophobic.'
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, who is a neighbor of Joss, is charged with murder in the shooting. Ceja Alvarez has been released on a $200,000 bond.
Ceja Alvarez's attorney, Alfonso Otero, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday.
McManus said police had been called to Joss' home and his neighborhood about 70 times over the past two years related to 'neighborhood type disturbances.'
'Sometimes was the caller. Other times, the neighbors were calling on him,' McManus said.
The San Antonio Police Department's mental health unit as well as a unit known as SAFFE that works with residents to help prevent crime 'had extensive engagements with Mr. Joss, making repeated efforts to mediate conflicts and connect him with services that he may have needed,' McManus said.
The January fire at Joss' home is still being reviewed by arson investigators, McManus said.
Joss lost all his belongings in the blaze and his three dogs were killed.
Actors who worked with Joss, along with friends and fans have honored Joss' memory with tributes.
'His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan's friends and family,' the show's creators and producers — Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson — said in a statement on the animated series' Instagram page.
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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Police consider whether 'King of the Hill' actor's sexual orientation played a role in his killing
HOUSTON — Investigators are looking into whether the sexual orientation of 'King of the Hill' voice actor Jonathan Joss played a role in his shooting death in Texas, authorities said Thursday, walking back a previous statement about the potential motive. Joss' husband has claimed the person who killed the actor yelled 'violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire outside his home in San Antonio on Sunday night. A day after the shooting, San Antonio police issued a statement saying they had found 'no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation.' But during a news conference on Thursday, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the statement was 'premature' and that whether Joss' sexual orientation played a role in the shooting 'is part of the investigation.' 'I will own that and simply say again that we simply shouldn't have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued,' McManus said. The police chief said many in the LGBTQ community 'are feeling anxious and concerned' after Joss' shooting and that 'a lot of it has to do with that premature statement." 'The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ community,' McManus said. Texas does not have separate hate crimes charges. But if homophobia is found to have been a motive in the shooting, that could result in a harsher sentence at trial under the state's hate crimes law. 'We gather the facts, and we give those facts to the district attorney's office. And then that hate crime designation is determined at sentencing,' McManus said. The actor's home burned down in January. Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has said that they were checking mail there Sunday when a man approached them, pulled out a gun and opened fire. In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it 'openly homophobic.' Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, who is a neighbor of Joss, is charged with murder in the shooting. Ceja Alvarez has been released on a $200,000 bond. Ceja Alvarez's attorney, Alfonso Otero, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday. McManus said police had been called to Joss' home and his neighborhood about 70 times over the past two years related to 'neighborhood type disturbances.' 'Sometimes was the caller. Other times, the neighbors were calling on him,' McManus said. The San Antonio Police Department's mental health unit as well as a unit known as SAFFE that works with residents to help prevent crime 'had extensive engagements with Mr. Joss, making repeated efforts to mediate conflicts and connect him with services that he may have needed,' McManus said. The January fire at Joss' home is still being reviewed by arson investigators, McManus said. Joss lost all his belongings in the blaze and his three dogs were killed. Actors who worked with Joss, along with friends and fans have honored Joss' memory with tributes. 'His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan's friends and family,' the show's creators and producers — Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson — said in a statement on the animated series' Instagram page. Follow Juan A. Lozano:
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Jonathan Joss killed in hate crime? Husband claims killer used slur as actor lay dying
Jonathan Joss The husband of murdered King of the Hill actor Jonathan Joss says the man who shot him stood over the dying star, laughed, and delivered a slur. Joss, 59, was gunned down Sunday night near his home in San Antonio, Texas, in what his spouse, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, believes was a hate-motivated attack by a homophobic neighbor after years of harassment. 'Everything was really close range. It was in the head,' Kern de Gonzales told The Independent. 'I held his face together while I told him how much I loved him. He could still hear me… I could tell he was trying to say, 'I love you.'' Kern de Gonzales claimed that the killers words while Joss was dying included homophobic slur. During the confrontation, he recounted the assailant's threatening behaviour while holding him at gunpoint. The attacker mockingly said, "'Oh, you love him? Joto,'" as per Kern de Gonzales's account. He further clarified, "' Joto' is Spanish for f****t. I never knew the word until I came to Texas, and then I heard it a lot." The accused shooter, identified as 52-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, was arrested near the scene and has been charged with first-degree murder. According to the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), Ceja admitted to the shooting, stating simply, 'I shot him.' However, in a statement released Monday, SAPD said investigators had found 'no evidence to indicate that… Mr. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Te asiguri cu NN, ai teste genetice cadou. Asigurarea de Sănătate NN Aplică acum Undo Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation.' 'We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information,' the department added. 'Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly.' Read more: Jonathan Joss was not murdered because he was gay, says San Antonio police, refuting husband's claim Additionally, SAPD records claim officers responded to more than 40 calls involving Joss in 2024, ranging from welfare checks to mental health concerns and neighbor disputes. Still, Kern de Gonzales insists his husband was not violent- only outspoken. Kern de Gonzales, identifying as transgender man, strongly disputed the department's stance. He alleged the couple had endured years of targeted hostility from Ceja, and says their repeated complaints were ignored by law enforcement. 'They ignored us, refused to file police reports for about two years [over the couple's complaints of harassment], and now they're trying to say it wasn't a hate crime,' he told The Independent. 'It's like when the police investigate themselves and find they did nothing wrong.' He also pointed to earlier, deeply unsettling events involving the suspect- including discovering their deceased dog's skull near their mailbox following a house fire this past winter. That detail does not appear in the SAPD incident report. According to Kern de Gonzales, the fatal confrontation began after Joss shouted at Ceja. The couple had stepped outside to check the mail when the alleged gunman approached with a weapon. 'I don't care if me and my husband were walking around with one pitchfork in our hand and another pitchfork up our a**, we didn't point any weapons at anybody,' he said. 'When the man rolled up with the gun, we were checking the mail.' Joss, who was of Native American descent, was best known for voicing John Redcorn on the long-running animated series King of the Hill. Beyond his work in entertainment, his husband says he was deeply spiritual and often chanted or drummed in the yard- acts that, he alleges, drew racial abuse from some in the neighborhood. 'I had never seen someone be accosted for being Native American,' said Kern de Gonzales. 'People would drive by and yell out the window, 'F***ing Indian. '' He added that Joss also faced ridicule for his appearance. 'Jonathan would be harassed for just being in his yard wearing a dress,' he said. 'When people would ask why he wore a dress, he would say, 'Because I have nice legs.' And he did. He looked beautiful in a dress. And I think a lot of people were threatened by that, because Jonathan could wear a dress and still be masculine and confident.'
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Jonathan Joss' husband reveals killer's disturbing 5-word comment after shooting, ‘He's laughing, saying…'
The husband of actor Jonathan Joss has opened up about the heartbreaking moment the King of the Hill star was shot, and the killer's disturbing five-word comment after opening fire. Tristan Kern de Gonzales told The Independent that the killer cackled and spewed a gay slur moments after he shot Joss in the head. Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor, who Gonzales said was homophobic, near his San Antonio, Texas, home. 'Everything was really close range. It was in the head,' Gonzales said of the moment Joss was shot by Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez. 'While I'm holding him, [the suspect] has the gun pointed over me, and he's laughing, saying, 'Oh, you love him? Joto,'' Gonzales added. ''Joto' is Spanish for f—t. I never knew the word until I came to Texas, and then I heard it a lot.' Alvarez was arrested just a block away. He has been charged with murder, but police said that the initial investigation found 'no evidence' indicating Joss was attacked because of his 'sexual orientation.' 'We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly,' San Antonio police said in a statement, according to the New York Post. Gonzales previously said on social media that the attack took place shortly after he and Joss found the bones of their dead pet dog displayed on the property, which caused them 'severe emotional distress.' 'We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,' Gonzales said. 'While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.' 'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,' he added in the post.
