We are sorry to report that actor Jonathan Joss has passed away. Joss was probably best known for voicing John Redcorn on the animated series “King of the Hill.”
According to the San Antonio police department, on June 1st, officers were dispatched to Joss’ home after reports of a shooting. TMZ reports eyewitnesses told officers that Joss got into a heated argument with his neighbor. The disagreement turned deadly when the neighbor, now identified as Sigfredo Alvarez-Cega, allegedly pulled out a gun and shot him several times before fleeing in a vehicle.
Police found Joss near the road and desperately tried to revive him until medics arrived. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the scene. San Antonio PD was able to locate Alvarez-Cega just a block away from the shooting. He has been arrested and charged with murder, with a bond set at $200,000.
Tristan Kern de Gonzales, Joss’ husband, has since posted a lengthy statement on Facebook, which details a truly horrific occurrence. The Joss family home had recently been lost in a fire, and the couple, who just wed on Valentine’s Day, stopped by the location to check the mail. de Gonzales claims neighbors had previously threatened to “burn their home,” which they reported to authorities, more than once. He goes on to describe what happened the day Joss was killed.
When the couple returned the site of their former home to check the mail they found “the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view.” Obviously this upset both of them and they began to yell in greif.
“While we were doing this a man approached us,” de Gonzales writes. “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.”
According to his husband, Jonathan Joss’ life was lost in a senseless killing spurned on by homphobia. And his last act on this earth was protecting the man that he loved.
“He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” says de Gonzales.
Joss was involved in the upcoming “King of the Hill” revival and had already recorded his lines for the series. The actor also had a recurring role on “Parks and Recreation” as Chief Ken Hotate. He also had notable parts in shows like “Tulsa King,” “Ray Donovan,” and films like “True Grit,” and “The Magnificent Seven.”
Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and loved ones at this unimaginably difficult time.
Joss was 59 years old.
You can read the rest of de Gonzales’ post below:
