Conflicting Stories Surround Jonathan Joss’s Death — What Happened to the 'King of the Hill' Star?
"My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home."
Published June 2 2025, 4:20 p.m. ET
Just days after the King of the Hill reboot release date was announced, fans were hit with heartbreaking news — the passing of Jonathan Joss, best known for voicing John Redcorn on the series. The actor was killed on June 1, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas, per NBC News. What makes it even more surreal is that he was just seen in public on May 30 at the King of the Hill panel at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, according to a MySA Instagram post.
Jonathan was only 59 years old and remained an active member of the King of the Hill cast. He voiced John Redcorn from Seasons 2 through 13 and, according to Variety, had already recorded lines for the upcoming revival, which drops on Aug. 4, 2025. His character reportedly appears in Episode 2, and possibly more, of the new season.
His death is undoubtedly a shock to everyone. So, what exactly happened? Well, authorities are already throwing around the word murder.
What happened to Jonathan Joss, the 'King of the Hill' actor?
Jonathan Joss, best known for voicing the character John Redcorn on the comedy series King of the Hill, was killed on June 1, 2025, in a shooting in San Antonio, Texas. Police were called to the scene around 7 p.m., where they found Jonathan near the roadway, shot multiple times. Although they attempted life-saving measures, they were unsuccessful. Sadly, the actor was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities already have a suspect in custody, 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez-Ceja, who was booked for murder, per TMZ. Reports indicate that Alvarez-Ceja also ran over Jonathan and attempted to flee the scene, but police eventually caught up with him and took him into custody.
Actor Jonathan Joss was reportedly shot following a dispute with a neighbor.
According to TMZ, it appears Jonathan was shot after a dispute unfolded between him and Sigfredo Alvarez-Ceja, who also happens to be his neighbor, living just two doors down from where his house once stood. Tension had reportedly been building between the two for years, and the outlet claims they had several unpleasant encounters, some of which escalated into verbal or even physical altercations.
This time, it seems Alvarez-Ceja, the alleged shooter, had enough. Jonathan had returned to the neighborhood on June 1 to collect a fire victim relief check, according to TMZ. His home had burned down back in February after he allegedly tried to use a BBQ pit to heat the place after the city reportedly shut off his power due to the home being deemed uninhabitable.
When Jonathan returned to the area, he reportedly saw the remains of a dog that had died in the fire, which triggered an emotional reaction. He began lashing out at those nearby, including Alvarez-Ceja. According to TMZ, outbursts like that weren’t exactly uncommon for Jonathan.
While this is the picture currently being painted, there’s apparently another side to the story.
On June 2, Jonathan’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, released a statement on Facebook, claiming that the two had returned to the site where their home once stood to check the mail. He described it as an emotional trip, especially after seeing the remains of their dog.
According to Tristan, they were approached by a man, presumably Alvarez-Ceja, who began yelling "violent homophobic slurs at us." He added, "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other."
Given the conflicting accounts, a full investigation will likely be conducted.