Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja was named the primary suspect in the fatal shooting of actor Jonathan Joss, who is recognized for voicing the character John Redcorn in King of the Hill and playing Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation. The 59-year-old’s murder has ignited a nationwide debate over whether or not Joss’ murder was connected to homophobia, which his husband, Tristan Kern De Gonzales, alleged. San Antonio police stated that there is currently no evidence pointing to a hate crime.
Below, learn more about Alvarez Ceja and his alleged connection to the shooting of Joss.
Who Was Jonathan Joss?
Joss was known for voicing John Redcorn in King of the Hill, including in its upcoming revival, and he played Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation.
Jonathan’s IMDb profile lists numerous other roles he had, including minor ones in Walker, Texas Ranger, The Wild Thornberrys, Charmed, ER, In Plain Sight, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Recreation and Tulsa King.
Did Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja Kill Jonathan Joss?
Alvarez Ceja was identified as the suspect behind Joss’ murder. According to The Independent, he was arrested a block away from where the shooting took place, 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 to take place in August 2025, per the outlet.
Why Was Jonathan Joss Shot?
Joss’ husband, claimed that the late actor was a victim of a homophobic shooting. In a Facebook post, Kern De Gonzales wrote, “[Jonathan] was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other. … 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.”
Joss’ spouse continued in his public 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 the hate crime allegation in a statement, which read, “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.”
