San Antonio authorities are reassessing whether the shooting death of Jonathan Joss, the voiced actor best known for voicing John Red Corn in “King of the Hill,” was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias.
Joss, 59, was fatally shot Sunday evening outside a former home that had previously been destroyed by fire.
The initial statement from police argued that there was no evidence linking Joss’ sexual orientation to his murder. However, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus went back to the allegations Thursday, calling the previous statement “premature.” He confirmed that investigators were considering whether homophobia plays a role.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Caen de Gonzales, said the couple returned to their burned-out home and checked the mail as their neighbors approached. Joss reportedly kicked her husband out of the fire line before he was fatally shot.
“King of the Hill” actor was killed in shooting
“Jonathan saved my life,” De Gonzalez wrote in a Facebook post.
The defendant’s gunman, Sigred Seja Alvarez, 56, was arrested and charged with murder. He was later released on a $200,000 bond.
San Antonio police confirmed that Seja Alvarez is his neighbour and that officers have answered about 70 calls related to local disability over the past two years. Several calls were made by Joss, while others came from neighbors. Authorities also said the department’s Community Crime Prevention Unit had “broad involvement” with Joss.
Texas does not allow separate hate crime accusations, but if the ju apprentice determines homophobia is the motive, strengthening the sentence could apply under state law.
Actor Jonathan Joss was shot dead in San Antonio, Texas on June 1, 2025, San Antonio Police told KTLA 5 (Facebook: Jonathan Joss)
Joss’s house was destroyed in a fire in January. The flames have killed his three dogs, and arson investigators are still reviewing the cause. His husband said the fire followed years of threats from his neighbors. Some of them were “openly homophobic.”
Since the actor’s death, tributes have been poured in. “King of the Hill” creators Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson said in a statement:
In addition to “King of the Hill,” Joss appeared in “Parks and Recreation,” “Raidnovan,” “Tulsa King,” and “The Magnificent Seven.”
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