Shocking New Details Emerge in ‘Murder’ of TV Star

The tragic shooting of beloved King of the Hill voice actor Jonathan Joss has taken a new turn, with police now contradicting claims made by his grieving husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, about ignored threats and a possible hate crime motive.

Joss, 59, was shot and killed Sunday in San Antonio during a confrontation with his neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez. According to Kern de Gonzales, the couple had endured years of harassment from homophobic individuals in their neighborhood. He called the murder a hate crime and said they had filed “multiple” reports about threats to police — including claims that their house had been burned after being repeatedly targeted.

But the San Antonio Police Department says there’s no record of those threats ever being reported.

“Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” the department said in a statement posted June 2.

A police source told the Daily Beast that officers had responded to Joss’s home more than 70 times over the past two years — but none of those calls involved reports of threats or harassment.

Still, the backlash was swift. In a press conference Thursday, Police Chief William P. McManus admitted the department may have spoken too soon. “It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to have been issued,” McManus said, calling the earlier release “way, way, way premature.”

He also clarified that Texas doesn’t treat hate crimes as standalone charges but considers them sentencing enhancements if supported by evidence.

Kern de Gonzales remains adamant that Joss’s death was fueled by hate. In a passionate Facebook post, he claimed the shooter hurled homophobic slurs before opening fire. “We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done,” he wrote. “I have no faith in the criminal justice system.”

Alvarez, who police say confessed to the shooting, has been charged with murder and is currently under house arrest on a $200,000 bond. A pre-trial hearing is set for August 19.

On TikTok, Kern de Gonzales vowed to keep fighting for justice. “I’m not going to let the SAPD or anyone else silence the fact that this was a hate crime,” he said. “I just won’t be silenced.”

Chief McManus is expected to attend a neighborhood forum Thursday night in partnership with San Antonio Pride. The police department says it is continuing the investigation and will update its findings if any new evidence emerges.