San Antonio police are backing off their original claim that there is "no evidence" of a hate crime in the shooting death of Jonathan Joss, at least for now.
In a press conference on June 5, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that the department's earlier statement saying there was "no evidence" Joss' murder was "related to his sexual orientation" was "way premature" and "before we had any real information."
McManus said San Antonio homicide detectives and San Antonio Fire Department arson investigators are actively investigating the murder of Joss, best known as the voice actor of John Redcorn on "King of the Hill," as well as a January fire that burned down Joss and husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales' home, which could be related.
The police chief also noted a high volume of calls between Joss and neighbors, amounting to nearly 70 calls to and from Joss' phone, "involving various neighborhood-type disturbances."
San Antonio police confirmed to USA TODAY that officers were dispatched to the location of a shooting in progress on June 1, and found Joss, 59, near a roadway upon arrival. The officers "attempted life saving measures" until EMS arrived and pronounced him dead.
