Authorities are backtracking on their initial statement about Jonathan Joss’ murder.
During a press conference on Thursday, June 5, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus provided an update on the case and addressed public outrage following the department’s statement that their “investigation has found no evidence whatsoever” that Joss’ June 1 shooting death was a hate crime.
“That was way, way, way premature,” he admitted. “Should not have done it. It was far too soon before we had any real information, and I will accept responsibility and simply state that we should not have done so. “It was far too early in the process to issue such a statement.”
“We understand that many in the LGBTQ+ community are feeling anxious and concerned,” she said. “A lot of it has to do with that premature statement that we issued, and I admit that I should not have done it. The LGBTQ+ community was devastated by Jonathan Joss’s death.
On June 3, just two days after the Parks and Recreation alum was killed, the SAPD stated that they had “thoroughly reviewed all available information” and found no reason to believe his death “was related to his sexual orientation.”
However, Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed in a Facebook post that there was a history of “harassment” from neighbors, and that the shooter was “yelling violent homophobic slurs” on the scene.
Acknowledging the specific allegations, McManus stated that “hate crimes are not separate charges” in Texas, but rather “enhancements” of existing charges.
“We gather the facts and we give those facts to the District Attorney’s office, and then that hate crime designation is determined at sentencing,” he told me. “Our homicide detectives are continuing to pursue every lead in this case to ensure that we understand the full picture of what led up to the senseless murder of Mr. Joss.”
In honor of the LGBTQ+ community and Pride Month, McManus announced that the SAPD will hold a community forum that night at a local center. “Please know that your safety and trust matter deeply to us,” he said.
He also addressed Gonzales’ claims that the fire that destroyed the house he and Joss lived in on the property where the shooting occurred was intentionally started. McManus stated that “the investigation is still active” and that law enforcement is “working closely” with the fire department’s arson investigators to look into a potential link between the cases.
McManus also confirmed that police have received “approximately 70 calls over the past two years” from Joss and his neighbors, “involving various neighborhood-type disturbances.”
“Our safe unit, our mental health units, had extensive engagements with Mr. Joss, making repeated efforts to mediate conflicts and connect him with services that he may have needed at the time,” he said. But he was still “cautious” by “releasing too much information that could negatively affect the upcoming legal process.”
PEOPLE previously reported that officers responded to a shooting in progress on San Antonio’s Southside around 7 p.m. on June 1. When they arrived, they discovered Joss lying “near the roadway” with gunshot wounds from a rifle; he was pronounced dead on the scene.
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 56, a neighbor of the King of the Hill star, allegedly admitted to “intentionally and knowingly discharged a weapon” at Joss, stating, “I shot him,” while detained.
He was charged with first-degree murder and released from police custody on June 2 under full house arrest with a $200,000 bond.
