Man accused of killing ‘King of the Hill’ voice actor Jonathan Joss ‘maintains his innocence’ lawyer says
The man accused of killing King of the Hill voice actor Jonathan Joss, 59, “maintains his innocence,” his lawyer said in a statement Friday.
Police arrested Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 56, in connection with the murder of Joss, who was shot dead last Sunday in front of his San Antonio home following a neighborhood argument, police say.
Alfonso Otero, Alvarez’s lawyer, said his client “categorically denies any accusations and statements made against him by individuals and the media.”
In a statement obtained by The Independent on Friday, Otero added, “We urge the public to withhold judgment until all the evidence is disclosed.”
“We have confidence and trust that the judicial process will be fair to all parties involved and request everyone to respect Mr. Ceja and his family’s right to privacy and his constitutional right to a fair trial,” the statement continued.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales , 23, said he and the Parks and Recreation actor were visiting their burned-down home last Sunday to check the mail, The Independent previously reported.
They were stunned when they arrived to find the charred skull of one of their three dogs that had died in a January house fire, Kern de Gonzales said.
Kern de Gonzales said the charred skull was placed on the ground “in clear view.n He said that he and Joss began crying and screaming, which led to the deadly confrontation with Alvarez.
In a social media post announcing Joss’ death, Kern de Gonzales claimed it was a hate crime.
The San Antonio Police Department previously said there was “no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” but officials have since walked that back.
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“We shouldn’t have done it,” SAPD Chief William McManus said Thursday at a press conference. “It was way too soon, before we had any real information, and I will own that,” he added.
Kern de Gonzales told The Independent that he “appreciate[s] all the efforts of everybody that got the SAPD to retract their statement.”
“At the same time, there is really nothing the SAPD can do for me that would remedy anything,” he added.
