'King Of The Hill' Jonathan Joss' Killer Finally Meets His Doom In Swift Move For Justice

Five months after the tragic death of Jonathan Joss, justice is finally taking shape in the case against his accused killer, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez.

On June 1, 2025, Joss was fatally shot outside his South Side San Antonio home and was later pronounced dead. Alvarez, a long-time neighbour of the actor, was arrested at the scene but subsequently released.

Now, he has been formally indicted on a murder charge.

Records from the Bexar County, Texas, court showed that on Monday, November 17, Alvarez was officially charged with murder, according to the Daily Mail.

According to police reports, Alvarez confronted Joss and then gunned him down. When officers arrived at the scene, Alvarez allegedly confessed immediately, maintaining direct eye contact as he stated, "I shot him." 

Joss's husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, suggested the shooting was motivated by homophobia, claiming Alvarez "could not stand the sight of two men loving each other." 

Investigators noted a long history of conflict between the two men, including more than 50 police calls to Joss's residence since January 2024 for issues ranging from mental-health checks to neighbor disputes and a house fire earlier that year.

Despite Alvarez's admission, he was released shortly after his arrest on a $200,000 bond. His attorney, Nico LaHood, argued that the shooting was an act of self-defense under Texas law, insisting Alvarez believed he was in apparent danger.

The new development in the case followed after Alvarez had declared his innocence in the crime back in June. As The Blast reported, his lawyer, LaHood, explained that the accusations have taken a heavy emotional toll on Alvarez. 

LaHood emphasized that Alvarez has a gay family member and is distressed by claims that the killing was driven by homophobia. He maintains that any allegations suggesting a hate-motivated attack are untrue.

Police Chief William McManus publicly clarified that Joss's murder was not a hate crime and apologized for the department's rushed conclusion. 

Although Joss' husband initially described the killing as a hate crime, alleging that the gunman shouted homophobic slurs, neighbors have disputed this version of events. 

Per The Blast, they claimed they never heard any homophobic remarks and suggested the incident was instead the result of a long-standing feud. 

According to these witnesses, Joss had a history of disruptive behavior in the neighborhood, harassing people and acting angrily at random, which may have contributed to tensions between him and the alleged shooter.

In Gonzales’ statement, which The Blast reported, he recalled that he and Joss had returned to the site of their fire-destroyed home and discovered the skull of one of their dogs placed openly near their mail. When the confrontation with Alvarez occurred, Gonzales said Joss pushed him out of the way as the shots were fired, saving his life.

Before his tragic death, Joss had deep roots in San Antonio, where he was born in 1965 and attended local schools, including Gillette Elementary, McCollum High School, and Our Lady of the Lake University. 

He built a long career in entertainment beginning in the early 1990s, earning recognition for notable roles such as voicing characters such as Kicking Wolf in “Comanche Moon" and Ken Hotate on NBC's “Parks & Recreation.”

Beyond acting, he was also an entrepreneur with his own barbecue rub and spices brand called "King of the Grill." His life was also not without tragedy. After the fire destroyed his South Side home and killed his two dogs, fans rallied to support him, raising over $10,000 on GoFundMe to help him rebuild.

The Blast reported that following Joss's passing, the official “King of the Hill” Instagram page posted a tribute honoring his contributions and offering condolences.

However, fans viewed the tribute as insincere because just two days before Joss's death, he was excluded from the animated series revival panel at the ATX TV Festival. 

While his co-stars were onstage, Joss sat in the audience and later spoke emotionally about his recent hardships. He was soon escorted out of the event with security, a moment that fans saw as disrespectful.

One fan wrote, "He came to you all with his testimony, and you dismissed him. He is owed a very public apology."

Another asked, "Weren't you all just laughing at him and dismissing his claims of hate when he was standing in front of the cast panel? While not being invited on stage with the rest of the cast?" The details of the trial remain unknown.