Jonathan Joss, Voice Behind ‘King of the Hill’s’ John Redcorn, Tragically Killed in Shooting at 59

NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JONATHAN JOSS:

• Jonathan Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, issued a statement on June 2, saying the person who shot and killed Joss was “homophobic” and hurling “violent” obscenities.
• Gonzales also said that he and Joss had been “harassed regularly” before leaving the area after their house burned down.
• Joss was pronounced dead on the scene at his property in San Antonio, Texas, on June 1. He was shot following a confrontation with a neighbor.

According to San Antonio police, a gunman shot and killed Jonathan Joss the actor who played John Redcorn on “King of the Hill,” on Sunday. He was 59. San Antonio officers responded to a home around 7 p.m. on Sunday due to a gunshot incident. When they arrived at the scene, they discovered Joss near the road, having been shot several times

Officers attempted life-saving measures until medics came, but Joss was pronounced dead on the scene. The shooter escaped in a vehicle but was apprehended by authorities a block away and charged with murder. The probe is still ongoing. According to TMZ, a neighbor shot Joss during an argument.

In a message on Jonathan Joss Facebook page, the actor’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed that Joss and he were the subjects of homophobic abuse and that their house was burned down “after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire.” De Gonzales claimed Joss was “murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.”

“While checking the mail at our former house, my husband, Jonathan Joss, and I sustained gunshot wounds.” Neighbors constantly threatened to set that home on fire for more than two years before it burned down. “We reported these threats to law enforcement several times, but nothing was done,” de Gonzales stated” “Throughout that time, we were often hounded by people who made it apparent that they did not accept our relationship”. Much of the harassment was clearly homophobic.

When we returned to the location to check our mail, we noticed one of our dogs’ skulls and harnesses in full display. The scene caused great emotional distress for both of us. We began yelling and crying in response to the anguish we witnessed. As we were doing this, a man approached. He began hurling violent homophobic obscenities toward us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.

Jonathan and I didn’t have any weapons. We weren’t threatening anybody. We were grieving. We stood side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan moved me out of the way. “He saved my life.” Joss voiced John Redcorn on “King of the Hill” from Season 2 to Season 13 and has already recorded lines for the iconic animated series’ forthcoming comeback. He will appear in Episode 2 of the show’s forthcoming Season 14, as well as maybe future episodes.(Joss replaced the original actor, Victor Aaron, who died in a vehicle accident in 1996.)

(Joss replaced the original actor, Victor Aaron, who died in a vehicle accident in 1996.) “Jonathan Joss brought ‘King of the Hill’s’ ‘John Redcorn’ to life for over a dozen seasons, including in the upcoming revival,” said “King of the Hill” creators Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Saladin Patterson in a press release. “His voice will be missed at ‘King of the Hill,’ and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan’s friends and family.” Joss was last seen in public on Friday, during a “King of the Hill” reunion/revival event at the ATX Television Festival in Austin.

Midway through the panel, as producers Judge and Daniels lamented the death of original actor and writer Johnny Hardwick, Joss approached an audience microphone unannounced and acknowledged Hardwick before expressing disappointment at not being called on stage. He also told the audience that he had recently lost his San Antonio home to a fire. After a little pause, he returned to his seat, and the panel resumed.

Judge and Daniels produced “King of the Hill” in 1997 for Fox. It ran until 2009 and featured almost 250 episodes. Last week, Hulu announced a resurrection of the show, which will air on August 4. Joss also had a recurring role as Chief Ken Hotate on “Parks and Recreation” and starred in films and shows such as “Tulsa King,” “Ray Donovan,” “True Grit,” “The Magnificent Seven,” and others.