Jonathan Joss, the 59-year-old voice actor best known for portraying John Redcorn on “King of the Hill,” was fatally shot outside his former home in San Antonio, Texas, on June 1, 2025. Police arrested his neighbor, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, 56, who was charged with first-degree murder after confessing to the shooting.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. on the 200 block of Dorsey Drive when Joss was checking his mail at his former burned-down residence. According to police reports, Ceja pulled up to the property and began arguing with Joss before pulling out a rifle and fatally shooting him. Officers detained Ceja without incident, and he immediately told them he had shot Joss.
Joss’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, who was present during the shooting, provided a different account of the events. He alleged that Ceja approached the couple and yelled violent homophobic slurs before opening fire. Kern de Gonzales claimed that Joss pushed him out of the way when the gunman fired, saving his life. The couple had married on Valentine’s Day 2025 in Houston after their home was destroyed in a fire in January.
The relationship between Joss and Ceja had been contentious for years. Police records show officers responded to Joss’ address on Dorsey Drive more than 50 times since January 2024, with calls related to mental health disturbances, neighbor disputes, welfare checks, and the fire that destroyed Joss’ home. The San Antonio Police Department’s SAFFE unit had been mediating disputes between the two men for over a year.
In June 2024, Ceja reported to police that Joss approached his house with a crossbow and hurled racial slurs at him. Joss confirmed he went to Ceja’s house to discuss their dogs fighting with each other. Authorities searched Joss’ home and retrieved a crossbow from his living room. In January 2025, Joss accused Ceja of burning down their house, though the fire was classified as undetermined in nature.
Initially, the San Antonio Police Department released a statement one day after the shooting, denying allegations of a hate crime, stating they found no evidence the murder was related to Joss’ sexual orientation. However, Police Chief William McManus later acknowledged this statement was premature. During a news conference on June 5, McManus stated, “We issued a statement the day after Jonathan Joss’ murder that was way, way, way premature.”
McManus explained that Texas does not have separate hate crime charges, but rather addresses them through sentencing enhancements. Police gather facts and provide them to the district attorney’s office, with hate crime designations determined at sentencing. A Change.org petition calling for hate crime charges has reached approximately 9,000 signatures.
Ceja posted bail on his $200,000 bond and was released under house arrest. His defense attorney, Alfonso Otero, issued a statement indicating that his client maintains his innocence and categorically denies accusations made against him. Otero urged the public to withhold judgment until all evidence is disclosed by the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Joss was a San Antonio native of Apache and Comanche descent who began his acting career in 1994. He took over the voice role of John Redcorn on “King of the Hill” in the show’s second season after the original actor, Victor Aaron, died in a car accident in 1996. Joss voiced the character for over a dozen seasons and had already recorded episodes for the upcoming revival series set to premiere on Hulu in August 2025.
In addition to “King of the Hill,” Joss played Chief Ken Hotate on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” from 2011 to 2015. He also appeared in westerns including “True Grit” and “The Magnificent Seven,” and had roles in television series such as “ER,” “Charmed,” and “Friday Night Lights.”
Just one day before his death, Joss revealed in a podcast interview that he was working on an original graphic novel called “Two Sides to Every Coin” with his husband. The western-themed project was planned to become a three-part series before being developed into a feature film, with assistance from a “King of the Hill” writer who had reached out to help.
On June 8, approximately 100 people attended a vigil at Crockett Park in San Antonio to honor Joss’ memory. The event was hosted by Pride Center San Antonio and included fans, friends, and Kern de Gonzales, who spoke about the legacy Joss left behind.
Fellow actors paid tribute to Joss following news of his death. “Parks and Recreation” co-star Nick Offerman described him as a sweet person, while the creators of “King of the Hill” – Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Saladin Patterson – issued a statement acknowledging his contributions to the show and extending condolences to his friends and family.