Police consider whether ‘King of the Hill' actor's sexual orientation played a role in his killing
In this image taken from video, Jonathan Joss, talks to reporters following a fire at his San Antonio, Texas, home on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (KSAT via AP)
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 LGBTQ2S+ 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 US$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 (Joss) 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.
___
Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
43 minutes ago
- CTV News
Purpose' makes Tony Awards history for Kara Young and wins best play
Sarah Snook poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play for "The Picture of Dorian Gray" during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) NEW YORK — The best new play trophy at Sunday's Tony Awards went to 'Purpose,' Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drawing-room drama about an accomplished Black family exposing hypocrisy and pressures during a snowed-in gathering. It caps a remarkable year for Jacobs-Jenkins, who in addition to winning back-to-back Tonys -- his 'Appropriate' won best play revival in 2024 -- earned the Pulitzer Prize for 'Purpose.' (That win came the day of the Met Gala, where he served on the host committee.) Jacobs-Jenkins becomes the first Black playwright to win for best new play since August Wilson took home the trophy in 1987 for 'Fences.' He urged Tony viewers to support regional theaters. Kara Young -- the first Black female actor to be nominated for a Tony Award in four consecutive years -- became the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively with the featured actress in a play trophy for her work in 'Purpose.' Young thanked her parents, Jacobs-Jenkins, her cast and director Phylicia Rashad. 'Theater is a sacred space that we have to honor and treasure, and it makes us united,' she said. 'Succession' star Sarah Snook took home the trophy for leading actress in a play for her tireless work in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' where she plays all 26 roles. 'I don't feel alone any night that I do this show,' Snook said, dismissing the idea of her play as a one-woman show. 'There are so many people onstage making it work and behind the stage making it work.' Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for his work in a revival of 'Yellow Face.' He said he was gifted the tuxedo he was wearing from another Asian actor who wanted him to wear it to the Tonys. 'I'm only here because of the encouragement and inspiration of generations of wonderful deserving Asian artists who came before me,' he said. 'To those who don't feel seen,' he added. 'I see you.' Jak Malone won best actor in a featured role in a musical for the British import 'Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical,' playing a woman every performance. He hoped his win could be a powerful advocacy for trans rights. The host with the most First-time host Cynthia Erivo kicked off the show from her dressing room in Radio City Music Hall, urged by the stage manager to get to the stage. He asked if she had an opening number and she replied she hadn't figured it out yet. As she made her way through the backstage warren, she ran into various people offering advice until she reached Oprah Winfrey, who advised, 'The only thing you need to do is just be yourself.' Erivo then appeared at the stage in a red, spangly gown with white accents, hip cocked, as she launched into the slow-burning original song 'Sometimes All You Need Is a Song,' written by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Initially alone with just a pianist, Erivo's soaring voice was soon joined by dozens of members of the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir, all dressed in white, making her look like a powerful strawberry in a bowl of whipped cream. She went into the audience and got front-row guests to sing along, including Adam Lambert. In her opening comments, she singled out first-time nominees Louis McCartney, Sadie Sink, Cole Escola and 'an up-and-comer that I think you're going to really be hearing quite a bit about -- George Clooney.' She noted that the 2024-2025 season took in $1.9 billion, making it the highest-grossing season ever and signaling that Broadway has finally emerged from the COVID-19 blues. 'Broadway is officially back,' Erivo said. 'Provided we don't run out of cast members from `Succession,'' a nod to appearances this season by former co-stars Snook and Kieran Culkin and last season by Jeremy Strong. Pre-show results 'Buena Vista Social Club' and 'Maybe Happy Ending' built up early heads of steam at the pre-show, well before the main event had even started. The best book and best score awards went to 'Maybe Happy Ending,' with lyrics written by Hue Park and music composed by Will Aronson. The show was one of the favorites to win the best new musical crown, also picking up best scenic design of a musical. Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado won for choreographing 'Buena Vista Social Club' and Peck noted a song from the renowned album was played at their wedding. The musical takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders' 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary on the making of the Cuban album. Marco Paguia, winning best orchestrations for 'Buena Vista Social Club,' thanked Broadway for welcoming Cuban music. Best costumes in a play went to Marg Hornwell for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' while 'Death Becomes Her' won the musical counterpart, a win for Paul Tazewell in a year where he also became the first Black man to win an Oscar for designing costumes, for 'Wicked.' 'I have dressed so many of you out there,' he said from the podium. This season on Broadway Broadway buzz is usually reserved for musicals but this year the plays -- powered by A-list talent like Snook and Clooney -- have driven the conversation. There were two Pulitzer winners -- 2024 awardee 'English' and 'Purpose' from 2025 -- but perhaps one of the season's biggest surprises was 'Oh, Mary!,' Escola's irreverent, raunchy, gleefully deranged revisionist history centered on Mary Todd Lincoln. It was empty-handed as the Tonys reached the midpoint. On the musical side, three options seem to be in the mix for the top prize: 'Maybe Happy Ending,' the rom-com about a pair of androids; 'Dead Outlaw,' about an alcoholic drifter whose embalmed body becomes a prized possession for half a century; and 'Death Becomes Her,' the musical satire about longtime frenemies who drink a magic potion for eternal youth and beauty. 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Death Becomes Her' and fellow musical nominee, 'Buena Vista Social Club,' led nominations going into the night with 10 apiece. History on the line Audra McDonald, the most recognized performer in the theater awards' history, could possibly extend her Tony lead. Already the record holder for most acting wins with six Tonys, McDonald could add to that thanks to her leading turn in an acclaimed revival of 'Gypsy.' She has to get past Nicole Scherzinger, who has been wowing audiences in 'Sunset Blvd.' Other possible firsts include Daniel Dae Kim, who could become the first Asian winner in the category of best leading actor in a play for his work in a revival of 'Yellow Face.' Broadway this season saw a burst in alt-rock and the emergence of stories of young people for young people, including 'John Proctor is the Villain' and a 'Romeo + Juliet' pitched to Generation Z and millennials. Sunday's telecast, as usual, has a musical number for each of the shows vying for the best new musical crown, as well as some that didn't make the cut, like 'Just in Time,' a musical about Bobby Darin, and 'Real Women Have Curves.' This year, there's also room for 'Hamilton,' celebrating its 10th year on Broadway. But the musicals 'BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical' and 'SMASH' didn't get slots. Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Sarah Snook wins best actress in a play Tony Award while Kara Young makes history
Sarah Snook poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play for "The Picture of Dorian Gray" during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) NEW YORK — 'Succession' star Sarah Snook took home the Tony Award trophy for leading actress in a play Sunday for her tireless work in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' while Kara Young became became the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively. 'This means so much for a little Australian girl,' Snook, who plays all 26 roles in her play, said. Young -- already the first Black female actor to be nominated for a Tony in four consecutive years -- made history after nabbing the featured actress in a play trophy for her work in 'Purpose.' She also won last year for 'Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch.' Young thanked her parents, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, her cast and director Phylicia Rashad. She called the theater 'a sacred space and it makes us united.' Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for his work in a revival of 'Yellow Face.' He said he was gifted the tux he was wearing from another Asian actor who wanted him to wear it to the Tonys. 'I'm only here because of the encouragement and inspiration of generations of wonderful deserving Asian artists who came before me,' he said. 'To those who don't feel seen,' he added. 'I see you.' Jak Malone won best actor in a featured role in a musical for the British import 'Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical,' playing a woman every performance. He hoped his win could be a powerful advocacy for trans rights. The host with the most First-time host Cynthia Erivo kicked off the show from her dressing room in Radio City Music Hall, urged by the stage manager to get to the stage. He asked if she had an opening number and she replied she hadn't figured it out yet. As she made her way through the backstage warren, she ran into various people offering advice until she reached Oprah Winfrey, who advised, 'The only thing you need to do is just be yourself.' Erivo then appeared at the Radio City stage in a red, spangly gown with white accents, hip cocked, as she launched into the slow-burning original song 'Sometimes All You Need Is a Song,' written by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Alone onstage with just a pianist, Erivo's soaring voice was soon joined by dozens of members of the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir, all dressed in white, making her look like a powerful strawberry in a bowl of whipped cream. She went into the audience and got front-row guests to sing along, including Adam Lambert. 'So I took in all the voices that told me what to do/And I looked through all the choices and I found one thing is true/It's really very simple/It's the thing that makes you sing, that makes you soar/Sometimes, sometimes all you need is a song.' In her opening comments, she singled out first-time nominees Louis McCartney, Sadie Sink, Cole Escola and 'an up-and-comer that I think you're going to really be hearing quite a bit about -- George Clooney.' She noted that the 2024-2025 season took in $1.9 billion, making it the highest-grossing season ever and signaling that Broadway has finally emerged from the COVID-19 blues. 'Broadway is officially back,' Erivo said. 'Provided we don't run out of cast members from `Succession,'' a nod to appearances this season by former co-stars Snook and Kieran Culkin and last season by Jeremy Strong. Pre-show results 'Buena Vista Social Club' and 'Maybe Happy Ending' built up early heads of steam at the pre-show, well before the main event had even started. The best book and best score awards went to 'Maybe Happy Ending,' with lyrics written by Hue Park and music composed by Will Aronson. The show was one of the favorites to win the best new musical crown, also picking up best scenic design of a musical. Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado won for choreographing 'Buena Vista Social Club' and Peck noted a song from the renowned album was played at their wedding. The musical takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders' 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary on the making of the Cuban album. Marco Paguia, winning best orchestrations for 'Buena Vista Social Club,' thanked Broadway for welcoming Cuban music. Best costumes in a play went to Marg Hornwell for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' while 'Death Becomes Her' won the musical counterpart, a win for Paul Tazewell in a year where he also became the first Black man to win an Oscar for designing costumes, for 'Wicked.' 'I have dressed so many of you out there,' he said from the podium. This season on Broadway Broadway buzz is usually reserved for musicals but this year the plays -- powered by A-list talent like Snook and Clooney -- have driven the conversation. There were two Pulitzer winners -- 2024 awardee 'English' and 'Purpose' from 2025 -- but perhaps one of the season's biggest surprises was 'Oh, Mary!,' Escola's irreverent, raunchy, gleefully deranged revisionist history centered on Mary Todd Lincoln. All three are nominated for best play, along with 'John Proctor is the Villain' and 'The Hills of California.' On the musical side, three options seem to be in the mix for the top prize: 'Maybe Happy Ending,' the rom-com about a pair of androids; 'Dead Outlaw,' about an alcoholic drifter whose embalmed body becomes a prized possession for half a century; and 'Death Becomes Her,' the musical satire about longtime frenemies who drink a magic potion for eternal youth and beauty. 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Death Becomes Her' and fellow musical nominee, 'Buena Vista Social Club,' led nominations going into the night with 10 apiece. History on the line Audra McDonald, the most recognized performer in the theater awards' history, could possibly extend her Tony lead. Already the record holder for most acting wins with six Tonys, McDonald could add to that thanks to her leading turn in an acclaimed revival of 'Gypsy.' She has to get past Nicole Scherzinger, who has been wowing audiences in 'Sunset Blvd.' Other possible back-to-back winners include director Danya Taymor, hoping to follow up her 2024 win with 'The Outsiders' with another for 'John Proctor Is the Villain,' and Jacobs-Jenkins, who won last year with 'Appropriate.' Other possible firsts include Daniel Dae Kim, who could become the first Asian winner in the category of best leading actor in a play for his work in a revival of 'Yellow Face.' Playwright Sanaz Toossi could be the first Iranian-born play winner, for 'English.' Broadway this season saw a burst in alt-rock and the emergence of stories of young people for young people, including 'John Proctor is the Villain' and a 'Romeo + Juliet' pitched to Generation Z and millennials. Sunday's telecast, as usual, has a musical number for each of the shows vying for the best new musical crown, as well as some that didn't make the cut, like 'Just in Time,' a musical about Bobby Darin, and 'Real Women Have Curves.' This year, there's also room for 'Hamilton,' celebrating its 10th year on Broadway. But the musicals 'BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical' and 'SMASH' didn't get slots. Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys hundreds of National Guard troops
A protester vandalizes a Waymo taxi as another burns near the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) LOS ANGELES — Tensions in Los Angeles escalated Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major freeway and setting autonomous vehicles on fire as local law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to control the crowd. Some police patrolled the streets on horseback while others with riot gear lined up behind Guard troops deployed to protect federal facilities including a detention center where some immigrants were taken in recent days. The clashes came on the third day of demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 federal troops spurred anger and fear among some residents. By midday, hundreds had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where people were detained after earlier immigration raids. Protesters directed chants of 'shame' and 'go home' at members of the National Guard, who stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields. After some protesters closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until California Highway Patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon. The presence of the Guard was 'inflaming tensions' in the city, according to a letter sent to Trump by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday afternoon. He formerly requested Trump remove the guard members, which he called a 'serious breach of state sovereignty.' 'What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,' said Mayor Karen Bass in an afternoon press conference. 'This is about another agenda, this isn't about public safety.' Immigration Raids Los Angeles Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Jae C. Hong/AP) Trump has said the National Guard was necessary because Newsom and other Democrats have failed to stanch recent protests targeting immigration agents. Their deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's national guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. Deployment follows days of protest The arrival of the National Guard followed two days of protests that began Friday in downtown Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a heavily Latino city south of the city, and neighboring Compton. As federal agents set up a staging area Saturday near a Home Depot in Paramount, demonstrators attempted to block Border Patrol vehicles, with some hurling rocks and chunks of cement. In response, agents in riot gear unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls. Tensions were high after a series of sweeps by immigration authorities the previous day, as the weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the city climbed above 100. A prominent union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement. The recent protests remain far smaller than past events that have brought the National Guard to Los Angeles, including the Watts and Rodney King riots, and the 2020 protests against police violence, in which Newsom requested the assistance of federal troops. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Trump says there will be `very strong law and order' In a directive Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' Immigration Raids Los Angeles Protesters confront a line of police in downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) (Eric Thayer/AP) He said he had authorized the deployment of 2,000 members of the National Guard. Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Sunday that there were 'violent people' in Los Angeles 'and they're not gonna get away with it.' Asked if he planned to send U.S. troops to Los Angeles, Trump replied: 'We're gonna have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.' He didn't elaborate. Trump also said that California officials who stand in the way of the deportations could face charges. A Wisconsin judge was arrested last month on accusations she helped a man evade immigration authorities. 'If officials stay in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face charges,' Trump said. Newsom called Trump on Friday night and they spoke for about 40 minutes, according to the governor's office. It was not clear if they spoke Saturday or Sunday. There was some confusion surrounding the exact timing of the guard's arrival. Shortly before midnight local time, Trump congratulated the National Guard on a 'job well done.' But less than an hour later, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said troops had yet to arrive in the city. Defense secretary threatens to deploy active-duty Marines `if violence continues' In a statement Sunday, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused California's politicians and protesters of 'defending heinous illegal alien criminals at the expense of Americans' safety.' 'Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer,' McLaughlin added. The troops included members of the California Army National Guard's 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, according to a social media post from the Department of Defense. In a signal of the administration's aggressive approach, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also threatened to deploy active-duty Marines 'if violence continues' in the region. Protesters confront a line of U.S. National Guard in the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Protesters confront a line of U.S. National Guard in the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) About 500 Marines stationed at Twentynine Palms, about 125 miles (200 kilometres) east of Los Angeles were in a 'prepared to deploy status' Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Northern Command. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said the order by Trump reflected 'a president moving this country rapidly into authoritarianism' and 'usurping the powers of the United States Congress.' Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, said the immigration arrests and Guard deployment were designed as part of a 'cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.' She said she supports those 'standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms.' House Speaker Mike Johnson, a staunch Trump ally, endorsed the president's move, doubling down on Republicans' criticisms of California Democrats. 'Gavin Newsom has shown an inability or an unwillingness to do what is necessary, so the president stepped in,' Johnson said. Eric Thayer and Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press Offenhartz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Michelle Price contributed to this report from Bridgewater, New Jersey.
