NEED TO KNOW
New details are emerging in Jonathan Joss’ death investigation.
When the Parks and Recreation alum was shot and killed at just 59 years old during a dispute with his neighbor on Sunday, June 1, his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed the act of violence was a hate crime. Now, the San Antonio Police Department is telling PEOPLE that they have not established a connection between the incident and Joss’ sexuality.
“Our investigation has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” a public information officer for the SAPD said on Tuesday, June 3. “We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly.”
PEOPLE previously reported that officers responded to a call of a shooting in progress in the Southside of San Antonio at around 7 p.m. on June 1, where they found Joss lying “near the roadway” after being shot. They attempted to perform “life saving measures,” but paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Derek Storm/Everett
Suspect Sigfredo Alvarez Cejam, 56, was detained after fleeing the scene in a vehicle and was booked for murder. The investigation is still ongoing, per police, but PEOPLE can confirm that the suspect was a neighbor of Joss.
Gonzales, who was allegedly present at the time of the incident, shared a post on Joss’ Facebook page on June 2 to reveal his side of the story.
“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home,” the statement began. “That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.”
NBC
“Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship,” he went on to share. “Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.”
According to Gonzales, he and the King of the Hill star allegedly found the skull of one of their deceased dogs seemingly left out for them to see when they arrived at the property, causing “severe emotional distress.”
Jonathan Joss/Facebook
“We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,” he explained. “While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.”
He continued: “Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”
Jonathan Joss/Facebook
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The couple wed on Valentine’s Day this year, and Gonzales noted that they were “newlyweds” who were “planning our future.” He also praised Joss for giving him “more love in our time together than most people ever get.”
“He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” Gonzales wrote. “I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved. To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family. My focus now is on protecting Jonathan’s legacy and honoring the life we built together.”
“Jonathan saved my life,” the post concluded. “I will carry that forward. I will protect what he built.”
