Jonathan Joss made headlines for his murder in June 2025. Right at the start of the month, the late 59-year-old King of the Hill voice actor was fatally shot, allegedly by a neighbor, in San Antonio, Texas. Shortly thereafter, his husband, Tristan Kern De Gonzales, claimed that Joss’ killing was a hate crime and that the newlyweds had been victims of prior homophobic attacks in the area. However, police stated that there was no evidence pointing to a homophobic motive. So, why was Joss killed?
Below, get updates on Joss’ murder investigation.
Jonathan Joss’ Acting Roles
Two of Joss’ most well-known roles were John Redcorn in King of the Hill and its upcoming revival and Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation. He had also appeared in Walker, Texas Ranger, The Wild Thornberrys, Charmed, ER, In Plain Sight, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Recreation and Tulsa King, according to his IMDb profile.
Why Was Jonathan Joss Killed?
Joss’ husband, Kern De Gonzales, claimed in a Facebook post that the late actor was a victim of a homophobic shooting.
“[Jonathan] was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” Joss husband alleged. “My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times, and nothing was done. Throughout that time, we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship. Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.”
Kern De Gonzales continued in his Facebook statement, “When we returned to the site to check our mail, we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw. 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. Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”
The San Antonio Police Department responded to his allegations, saying, “Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation.”
Who Shot Jonathan Joss?
Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja was named the suspect in Joss’ murder. According to The Independent, he was arrested about a block away from the crime scene, and he was charged with felony first-degree murder. Alvarez Ceja’s bond was set at $200,000, and his first court date is scheduled for August 2025, the outlet reported.
