Authorities in San Antonio are reevaluating whether the shooting death of voice actor Jonathan Joss, best known for voicing John Redcorn on “King of the Hill”, was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias.
Joss, 59, was fatally shot Sunday evening outside his former home, which had previously been destroyed in a fire.
Initial statements from police claimed there was no evidence linking Joss’ sexual orientation to his murder. But San Antonio Police Chief William McManus walked back that assertion Thursday, calling the earlier statement “premature.” He confirmed that investigators are now considering whether homophobia played a role.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said the couple had returned to their burned-out home to check the mail when a neighbor approached, shouted “violent homophobic slurs,” and opened fire. Joss reportedly pushed his husband out of the line of fire before being fatally shot.
“Jonathan saved my life,” de Gonzales wrote in a Facebook post.
The accused gunman, 56-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, was arrested and charged with murder. He has since been released on a $200,000 bond.
San Antonio police confirmed that Ceja Alvarez is a neighbor and that officers have responded to approximately 70 calls related to disturbances in the area over the past two years. While some calls were placed by Joss, others came from neighbors. Officials also said the department’s community crime prevention units had “extensive engagement” with Joss.
Texas does not allow separate hate crime charges, but if a jury finds that homophobia was a motive, sentencing enhancements could apply under state law.
Joss’s home was destroyed by fire in January. The blaze killed his three dogs, and arson investigators are still reviewing the cause. His husband said the fire followed years of threats from neighbors, some of which were “openly homophobic.”
Tributes have poured in since the actor’s death. “King of the Hill” creators Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Saladin Patterson said in a statement, “His voice will be missed… and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan’s friends and family.”
In addition to “King of the Hill,” Joss appeared in “Parks and Recreation,” “Ray Donovan,” “Tulsa King,” and “The Magnificent Seven.”
