Gay Actor Jonathan Joss, of ‘King of the Hill,’ Shot Dead in Texas
Joss, who voiced John Redcorn, was allegedly shot by a neighbor after years of threats and anti-gay harassment, according to his husband.
Jonathan Joss, who voiced the character of John Redcorn in the animated comedy series King of the Hill, was shot and killed by a neighbor with whom he had allegedly clashed.
In addition to his role on King of the Hill, Joss was also known for a recurring part as Chief Hen Hotate in Parks and Recreation, as well as appearances in Tulsa King, Ray Donovan, True Grit, and The Magnificent Seven.
According to TMZ, the 59-year-old was shot on his property in San Antonio, Texas, allegedly by his neighbor, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, who was arrested and remains in police custody.
Tristan Kern de Gonzales, Joss’ husband, noted in a Facebook post that he and Joss returned to their home, which burned down in February, on June 1 to check their mail. He noted that the couple had previously faced anti-gay harassment due to their sexual orientation.
“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,” de Gonzales wrote. “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.”
When de Gonzales and Joss returned to their home, they discovered the skull of one of their dogs and its harness placed in clear view. They became emotionally distraught and began yelling and crying. While this was happening, they were approached by a man screaming violent homophobic slurs at them.
The man raised a gun and fired it at the couple.
“Jonathan and I had no weapons,” de Gonzales wrote. “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. He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.”
Thanking fans of his late husband, de Gonzales vowed to protect the actor’s legacy. He also lashed out at those who might criticize him for speaking out or attempt to justify his husband’s killing.
“If your concern is how someone coped with trauma or how loudly they speak when recounting injustice and being ignored by authorities then you never truly cared about my husband,” he wrote.
According to TMZ, Ceja, who lives two doors down from the couple, took offense at Joss’ outrage over seeing his dog’s skeleton, sparking a confrontation between the two men. After shooting Joss, Ceja allegedly attempted to flee in his vehicle, running over Joss’ body in the process.
Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, finding the actor lying “near the roadway.” They attempted to save Joss but were unsuccessful.
Neighbors of the couple told TMZ that Ceja and Joss had previously clashed, getting into verbal and physical fights. They claim police had been called several times to respond to those altercations well before Joss and de Gonzales’ house burned down.
Police later arrested Ceja and booked him on a charge of murder. The investigation remains ongoing. According to a Facebook post from the San Antonio Police Department, police do not have any evidence to indicate that the shooting was motivated by anti-gay animus.
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“Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” the post reads. “SAPD investigators handle these allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, the suspect will be charged accordingly.”
Joss was set to revive his role as John Redcorn in the upcoming reboot of King of the Hill, which will premiere on Hulu in August. Hours before his death, Joss posted a video to Instagram talking about how the “reboot is up and moving.”
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