Fans of King of the Hill know John Redcorn’s voice the way they know a distant relative’s: warm, patient, slightly amused, and always somewhere in the background. The man behind it, Jonathan Joss, spent years giving Native American characters a grounded presence on television before he was fatally shot in San Antonio at age 59 on June 1, 2025, according to NBC News — with police and family accounts diverging on the motive.

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Born: December 22, 1965 · Died: June 1, 2025 · Age at death: 59 · Ethnicity: Native American · Notable role: John Redcorn (voice)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • The motive for the shooting (Associated Press)
  • Whether hate-crime charges will be filed
  • Exact details of the argument before the shooting
3Timeline signal
  • Police found Joss near the roadway; EMS pronounced him dead (ABC13 Houston)
  • Death and shooting occurred the same day, June 1, 2025 (ABC13 Houston)
4What’s next

Six facts, one pattern: Joss’s biography is short on scandal and long on steady, character-driven work.

Label Value
Full Name Jonathan Joss Gonzales
Born December 22, 1965, San Antonio, Texas
Died June 1, 2025, age 59
Ethnicity Native American
Known for Voicing John Redcorn in King of the Hill
Other notable role Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation

What was Jonathan Joss’s ethnicity?

Joss was Native American — a heritage that ran straight through his résumé, from the animated character John Redcorn to the tribal chief Ken Hotate. ABC News’s obituary coverage treats that identity as central to his career (ABC News (national broadcaster)).

In an industry where Native characters have often been voiced by non-Native actors, Joss’s casting said something quietly. He wasn’t a guest star doing a stereotype; he was a Native actor bringing lived context to Native characters.

The context

Native characters have frequently been voiced by non-Native performers in American animation; Joss’s work as John Redcorn was a visible exception, and his casting gave the character an authenticity that stood out.

The implication: for Joss, ethnicity wasn’t a checkbox — it was the through-line connecting nearly every role he took.

Who voiced John Redcorn?

The voice behind King of the Hill’s most memorable Native character belonged to Jonathan Joss. NBC News reports that Joss voiced John Redcorn from King of the Hill seasons 2 through 13, and describes the character as a Native American associated with the fictional Hares Indians (NBC News).

Did Jonathan Joss voice John Redcorn in King of the Hill?

  • Yes — season 2 through season 13, per NBC News.
  • Character: John Redcorn, a Native American figure tied to the fictional Hares Indians.

He later brought that same grounded warmth to live-action TV, playing Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation (ABC News).

The paradox

Joss became a beloved voice as a cartoon, yet most death coverage led with live-action credits like Parks and Recreation — proof that animation roles rarely get the obituary weight they deserve.

What this means: for a generation of viewers, Joss’s unhurried, warm delivery was the sound of Native presence in American animation — and it didn’t happen by accident.

Who played Bad Face in Tulsa King?

Joss was also connected in news coverage to Bad Face, a character in the crime series Tulsa King (ABC13 Houston). The role was reportedly part of his live-action work in the 2020s and introduced him to viewers who had never watched King of the Hill.

Coverage of his death leaned heavily on the King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation credits, which made the Tulsa King role easy to miss. But it mattered: it kept Joss working in front of the camera, not just behind a microphone.

The pattern: even in a supporting role, Joss extended his run of Native and outsider characters — the kind of parts that rarely make headlines but build a career.

How did Jonathan Joss die?

Joss was shot in San Antonio on June 1, 2025. Police found him near the roadway and attempted life-saving measures before emergency medical services pronounced him dead (ABC13 Houston).

What was Jonathan Joss’s cause of death?

  • Gunshot wound, San Antonio, June 1, 2025.
  • Suspect: Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, 56, also reported as Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, booked on a murder charge.

His husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, told the Associated Press the couple was checking mail at their former home when the shooter allegedly used homophobic slurs and opened fire (Associated Press). Kern de Gonzales also said Joss pushed him out of the way before being struck (ABC News).

The police account diverges. San Antonio police initially stated they found no evidence connecting the killing to Joss’s sexual orientation; Chief William McManus later called that statement premature and retracted it, saying it was issued too early (WOAI/KABB News 4 San Antonio).

Why this matters

A police statement that initially dismissed a hate-crime link was withdrawn as premature, so any confident claim about motive — from any direction — outruns what investigators have actually said.

Bottom line: Joss’s death is a confirmed homicide with a suspect in custody, but the family’s account and police statements diverge on motive. For readers, the safest position is to treat the investigation as open — and any certainty as premature.

Why this matters: the public record is still settling, and the gap between the husband’s account and the police statement is exactly where fair reporting has to pause.

What is Jonathan Joss’s real name?

His legal name was Jonathan Joss Gonzales, according to NBC News (NBC News). The “Jonathan Joss” that appeared in credits and headlines is the shorter version that stuck.

Which religion did Jonathan follow?

  • No verified public record of religious affiliation exists in available coverage.

Online discussions speculate, but neither Joss nor his family made faith a public matter. Treat any specific claim as unverified.

Why is Jonathan famous in Korea?

  • The Jonathan popular in South Korea is a different celebrity — not Jonathan Joss.

Search “Jonathan” on Korean platforms and you’ll find a separate entertainer with the same first name. He is not Joss, was not a Korean citizen, and had no known connection to South Korea. The collision has confused fans searching for obituary details.

The catch: “Jonathan” is a crowded name online, and the Korean celebrity mix-up shows how quickly a search can slide from one person to another.

Jonathan Joss: key dates

One career, five dates — the arc runs from a San Antonio childhood to cable animation to a streaming crime drama, and back to San Antonio in the end.

  • — Born in San Antonio, Texas. (NBC News)
  • – — Voiced John Redcorn in King of the Hill. (NBC News)
  • – — Played Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation. (ABC News)
  • – — Played Bad Face in Tulsa King. (ABC13 Houston)
  • — Died after being shot in San Antonio, age 59. (NBC News)

The trade-off: an obituary can compress 59 years into five dates, but the dates that matter most to fans are the ones with Joss’s voice attached.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

In the hours after a sudden celebrity death, the internet fills every gap with speculation. Here’s the line between what’s documented and what isn’t.

Confirmed facts

  • Born December 22, 1965, in San Antonio, Texas. (NBC News)
  • Voiced John Redcorn on King of the Hill. (NBC News)
  • Died June 1, 2025, of a gunshot wound. (ABC13 Houston)
  • A 56-year-old suspect was arrested and booked on a murder charge. (Associated Press)

What’s unclear

  • The motive for the shooting. (Associated Press)
  • Whether hate-crime charges will apply. (WOAI/KABB News 4 San Antonio)
  • Earlier claims of harassment in the area, reported by Joss’s husband but not confirmed by police. (ABC News)
  • Religious affiliation and net worth — no verified public record.

The upshot: confirmed facts anchor this story; the unresolved details should stay unresolved until investigators and prosecutors finish their work.

In their own words

The couple was checking mail at their former home when the shooter allegedly used homophobic slurs and opened fire. Joss pushed his husband out of the way before being struck.

— Tristan Kern de Gonzales, Joss’s husband, as reported by the Associated Press

The initial police statement dismissing a possible hate crime was premature — the department issued it before investigators had sufficient information.

— San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, via WOAI/KABB News 4 San Antonio

What to watch: prosecutors’ charging decision — it will determine whether this death is officially treated as a hate crime or as an ordinary murder, and that distinction carries real legal weight.

Joss is gone, but the work remains easy to find: 13 seasons of John Redcorn, a tribal chief in Parks and Recreation, and a streaming-era crime role that introduced him to a new audience. For Hollywood casting directors, the lesson is concrete: Native roles need Native voices — because when the door opens, actors like Jonathan Joss make characters unforgettable.

Related reading

Additional sources

nbcnews.com, nbcnewyork.com, globalnews.ca

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Frequently asked questions

What is Jonathan Joss’s net worth?

No reliable public figure exists. Celebrity-net-worth sites publish estimates without documentation, so any specific number should be treated as unverified.

Was Jonathan Joss married?

Yes. He was married to Tristan Kern de Gonzales, who survived the shooting and gave police a detailed account of the attack.

Who is Jonathan Joss’s husband?

Tristan Kern de Gonzales. He told investigators the couple was checking mail outside a former home when the shooting occurred, and that Joss pushed him out of the way.

What other TV shows did Jonathan Joss appear in?

He played Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation and was linked to the role of Bad Face in Tulsa King. King of the Hill remained his most prominent credit.

Did Jonathan Joss win any awards?

No major industry awards appear in the available obituary coverage or in his public filmography.

How old was Jonathan Joss when he died?

He was 59. He was born December 22, 1965, and died June 1, 2025.

Is Jonathan Joss related to the Korean celebrity Jonathan?

No. The Jonathan who is well known in South Korea is a different entertainer. The shared first name has caused online confusion, but there is no relation.