Texas man indicted on murder charge in shooting of ‘King of the Hill’ voice actor Jonathan Joss
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas grand jury indicted man accused of killing “King of the Hill” voice actor Jonathan Joss on murder charges.
However, it is unclear whether Joss’s killing will be considered a hate crime. San Antonio police did not immediately return an email seeking comment Wednesday on whether the investigation had identified Joss. sexual orientation played a role in the shooting, and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
Police say 57-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez confronted Joss and her husband check the mail on June 1 at their home in San Antonio, which burned down in January.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed that the man who killed the actor shouted “violent homophobic slurs” before opening fire.
Lawyers for Ceja Alvarez did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday.
In June, Alfonso Otero, one of Ceja Alvarez’s lawyers, said his client was innocent and denied making homophobic statements.
A grand jury returned the indictment Monday and Ceja Alvarez was released on $200,000 bail.
A friend of Joss, 59, said Joss and Ceja Alvarez were neighbors and the two had been arguing for years.
Initially, San Antonio police said there was no evidence the attack was related to Joss’ sexual orientation. However, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus later walked back that statement, saying it was “premature” and that whether Joss’ sexual orientation played a role in the shooting was “part of the investigation.”
The district attorney’s office said in a statement Wednesday that Ceja Alvarez “has been charged with murder, the most serious charge applicable to this crime under Texas law. Because the case is still pending, no additional details or information can be released at this time.” he said.
Under Texas law, a hate crime (if there is a conviction) will be treated as an enhancement at sentencing and not as a separate charge.
Joss voiced Native American character John Redcorn on the popular animated series “King of the Hill”, which ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. The reboot of the series, which Joss had previously worked on, premiered in August.
Joss also played Chief Ken Hotate on the television show “Parks and Recreation.” In 2022, he appeared in two episodes of the TV series “Tulsa King”.
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