According to CNN.com, in Houston, grand jury has indicted a man for the murder of the King of the Hill voice actor Jonathan Joss (Feathers of Faith, Storm Drain). Joss was the voice of John Redcorn, the Native American character on the show. It is unclear whether or not Joss’s killing was a part of a hate crime that could be related to Joss’s sexual orientation. The San Antonio Police did not return an email for comment about the incident. Nor did the Bexter County District Attorney’s Office.
CNN.com notes that 57-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez allegedly confronted Joss and his husband on June 1 at their San Antonio home while they were checking their mail. According to the San Antonio Police, the actor’s home was burned down in January. Tristan Kern De Gonzales, Joss’s husband, alleged Alvarez yelled “violent homophobic slurs” at them before he allegedly fired his gun. Gonzales claims Joss shielded him from the bullets. Alvarez’s attorney, Alfonso Otero, did not respond to emails to comment immediately, but did post a comment saying that his client was innocent and denied any homophobic statements that he was allegedly accused of making.
CNN.com reported that Joss’s 59-year-old neighbor stated that the two men allegedly had many disagreements in teh past. William McManus, San Antonio chief of police, at first indicated that there was not enough evidence to relate the murder to Joss’s secual orientation. Then later, McManus took back this statement ans said that it was “premature”.
The original King of the Hill ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. The reboot of the show premiered in August, in which Joss appeared. It has been renewed for three additional seasons.
This summer, mxdwn reported about Joss’s surprise appearance at the ATX TV Festival in Austin, where the cast and creators of the reboot held a special panel. This public appearance was only days before the ill-fated shooting in San Antonio.
CNN reports Alvarez is currently free on $200,000 bond