SAN ANTONIO – The new season of “King of the Hill” honored actor Jonathan Joss with an onscreen tribute.
Joss, who died two months ago and voiced the character John Redcorn, was shown at the end of the animated series’ new season.
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The tribute showed a picture of Redcorn and Joss with his dog positioned side-by-side. On the screen, it said “In Loving Memory...Jonathan Joss.”
Joss was also known for playing Chief Ken Hotate in “Parks and Recreation” and appeared in the 2010 Coen Brothers film “True Grit.”
When he was not acting on screen, Joss performed Native American folk rock.
Joss, a San Antonio native, attended McCollum High School and graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University.
The new season of “King of the Hill” began streaming on Aug. 4 on Hulu.
BACKGROUND
Joss was shot and killed outside of his property in the 200 block of Dorsey Drive near Pleasanton Road just after 7 p.m. on June 1, 2025.
According to San Antonio police, the shooting happened during a feud with Joss’ neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez.
Alvarez was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Joss’ death, police said.
Joss was 59 years old at the time of his death. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear, but there were ongoing issues tied to Joss’ home, as suggested by police reports and neighbor reactions.
Officers were called to Joss’ property over 60 times in less than two years, SAPD records show.
Police statements
While SAPD initially said Joss’ death was not motivated by his sexual orientation, they later amended their statement.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, issued a public statement on social media describing how he and Joss were approached by a man “yelling homophobic slurs” at Joss before firing a weapon.
SAPD Chief William McManus held a community forum on June 5 with Pride San Antonio. Several hours before the forum, McManus told reporters that the department’s initial statement was “way, way, way premature.”
“Shouldn’t have done it,” McManus said. “It was way too soon before we had any real information. I will own that, and simply say again that we simply shouldn’t have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued.”
However, due to Texas law, police have not labeled Joss’ murder as a hate crime.
Alvarez in custody
Alvarez’s attorney, Nico LaHood, has denied that his client committed a hate crime. He said that Alvarez was acting in self-defense.
“This accusation of a hate crime is completely antithetical to his character,” LaHood said. “This has nothing to do with sexual orientation. This has to do with a very long time of torment in that neighborhood.”
According to an SAPD report obtained by KSAT, Alvarez told officers, “I shot him,” immediately after he was taken into custody.
The report said a woman drove Joss and another person from Austin to his Dorsey Street property to check the mail.
The driver pulled into the driveway and parked while she waited for Joss and the other passenger, the report stated.
Alvarez drove up and parked directly behind the woman’s car. According to the report, the woman watched as an argument ensued between Joss and Alvarez. She told police that Alvarez threatened to shoot Joss before firing a rifle.
Joss was pronounced dead at the scene. The report did not indicate a motive.
Alvarez was released from the Bexar County jail on Wednesday, June 3, one day after posting a $200,000 bail. His bond conditions include full house arrest, random drug testing and no possession of firearms.
A pre-indictment hearing is set for Aug. 19, according to court records.
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