King of the Hill Star Jonathan Joss’ Neighbor Charged In Actor’s Murder

The neighbor accused of fatally shooting King of the Hill actor Jonathan Joss has been indicted on a murder charge.

Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 57, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of murder on Monday, Nov. 17, according to Bexar County court records. He was originally arrested in June on a charge of first-degree murder, local outlet KTBC reported, and later released after posting a $200,000 bond.

Jonathan Joss, whose legal name was Jonathan Joss Gonzales, died at age 59 on June 1 after he was shot at his home in San Antonio, Texas. The actor, who was of Native American descent, was best known for voicing John Redcorn on the animated series King of the Hill, which aired in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Authorities said Joss was found lying “near the roadway” after officers responded to reports of a shooting in progress around 7 p.m.

Alvarez was identified as his neighbor. Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, told police he witnessed the shooting and said it followed “years of threats” tied to Joss’ sexuality.

Gonzales later shared a statement on Joss’ Facebook page describing what the couple had endured.

“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home,” he wrote. “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.”

He said those who targeted them were “openly homophobic.”

According to police, Alvarez fled the scene in a vehicle after the shooting but later confessed to killing Joss “immediately” upon being detained by authorities. He also admitted that he “intentionally and knowingly discharged a weapon” at the actor, according to a police report. The report states that the weapon used was a rifle.

In addition to Gonzales’ account, another witness told investigators she saw Alvarez and Joss arguing before the shooting took place.

Just two days before his death, Joss made an appearance at the ATX TV Festival during a panel on the then-upcoming King of the Hill revival. A showrunner on stage said Joss was expected to return for the reboot.

“I’m an actor,” Joss told the crowd. “I see a mic, I use it. I see a wrong, I make it right,” he said, as he spoke about his experiences with discrimination.

He went on to reveal: “My house burned down three months ago because I’m gay.”

A public information officer for the San Antonio Police Department said in June that investigators found “no evidence whatsoever” to classify Joss’ death as a hate crime.

In a June 24 interview, Alvarez’s attorney told KSAT that his client acted in self-defense.

“This was leading up, unfortunately,” the attorney said. “And, as you know, people in Texas have a right not to be a victim. You have a right to self-defense. You have a right to the defense of third persons legally and under the law, and we believe that applies here.”

Beyond his work on King of the Hill, Joss was known for his recurring role as Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation. He also appeared in Tulsa King, Ray Donovan, True Grit, The Magnificent Seven, and other film and television projects.

An attorney for Alvarez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.