A murder trial in the killing of Jonathan Joss, the San Antonio native best known for voicing John Redcorn on “King of the Hill,” has been reset after attorneys told a judge they are still reviewing discovery.
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 57, is charged with first-degree felony murder in connection with Joss’ death on June 1, 2025, at the actor’s South Side residence. Ceja Alvarez was arrested at the scene and later indicted by a Bexar County grand jury in November.
The case had been scheduled to begin Tuesday in the 437th District Court, but a judge ordered it reset during a brief hearing after both prosecutors and defense attorneys said they were still reviewing discovery and had not yet filed substantive pretrial motions. A new trial date has been set for May 13.
What we know
Last summer on June 1, police responded to a call of a shooting in progress near Joss’ home. Officers found Joss wounded near the roadway and attempted life-saving measures until emergency responders arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police detained Alvarez at the location and later booked him on a murder charge. Ceja Alvarez was released from the Bexar County Jail after posting bond, court records show. He was initially held on a $200,000 bond and released under conditions that included house arrest with GPS monitoring, a no-contact order and a prohibition on possessing firearms.
Those conditions were later modified by a judge. Court filings show Ceja Alvarez was allowed to leave his residence for limited work-related purposes and was later placed on GPS monitoring without full house arrest. He remains free ahead of trial.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has publicly said the couple faced harassment and threats before the shooting and believed the killing was motivated by homophobia. Those claims have not been addressed in court filings.
In a public statement issued the day after the shooting, the San Antonio Police Department said investigators had found no evidence indicating the killing was related to Joss’ sexual orientation. Police Chief William McManus later walked back that characterization in a June 5, press conference, calling it “premature” and saying whether sexual orientation played a role remained a part of the investigation.
Under Texas law, a hate crime is not a separate charge but a sentencing enhancement that can be considered after a conviction.
McManus also acknowledged repeated calls for service involving Joss in the neighborhood. He said officers had responded roughly 70 times over the two years before the shooting for what he described as “neighborhood-type disturbances,” with some calls made by Joss and others by neighbors.
A closer review of police records by KSAT found at least 60 calls tied to Joss’ address since September 2023, the calls included 13 neighbor disturbance complaints, 10 mental health-related calls and four welfare checks. Other calls were labeled by police as patrol checks or miscellaneous incidents. At least three calls referenced weapons, including one involving a gun and another involving a knife.
KSAT also reported on a documented June 8, 2024 incident involving both Joss and Ceja Alvarez. Police responded to a disturbance-with-a-knife call that day and discovered Joss had an active warrant on an unrelated criminal mischief charge. Joss was arrested and booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
Police reports from that day show officers separately spoke with Joss and Ceja Alvarez, who lived a few houses apart. Ceja Alvarez told police he had filed multiple complaints accusing Joss of harassment and said he feared for his family’s safety. Joss acknowledged disputes involving their dogs but denied the harassment allegations, according to the reports reviewed by KSAT.
KSAT also reported that in October of 2023 there was a mental health call, in which police confiscated multiple firearms from Joss’ home and transported him to a hospital for evaluation, citing concerns for his safety and the safety of the public.
Defense attorneys for Ceja Alvarez have said their client acted in self-defense. Court records show the defense has subpoenaed the San Antonio Police Department’s records unit for incident and investigative reports involving Joss. SAPD records department is the only witness subpoenaed as of publication.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
