HOUSTON (AP) 鈥� Investigators are looking into whether the sexual orientation of 鈥淜ing of the Hill鈥� voice actor played a role in his in Texas, authorities said Thursday, walking back a previous statement about the potential motive.
Joss鈥� husband has claimed the person who killed the actor yelled 鈥渧iolent homophobic slurs鈥� before opening fire outside his home in San Antonio on Sunday night. A day after the shooting, San Antonio police issued a statement saying they had found 鈥渘o evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss鈥� murder was related to his sexual orientation.鈥�
But during a news conference on Thursday, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the statement was 鈥減remature鈥� and that whether Joss鈥� sexual orientation played a role in the shooting 鈥渋s part of the investigation.鈥�
鈥淚 will own that and simply say again that we simply shouldn鈥檛 have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued,鈥� McManus said.
The police chief said many in the LGBTQ+ community 鈥渁re feeling anxious and concerned鈥� after Joss鈥� shooting and that 鈥渁 lot of it has to do with that premature statement."
鈥淭he loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ+ community,鈥� McManus said.
Texas does not have separate hate crimes charges. But if homophobia is found to have been a motive in the shooting, that could result in a harsher sentence at trial under the state's hate crimes law.
鈥淲e gather the facts, and we give those facts to the district attorney鈥檚 office. And then that hate crime designation is determined at sentencing,鈥� McManus said.
The actor's home burned down in January. Joss鈥� husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has said that they were checking mail there Sunday when a man approached them, pulled out a gun and opened fire.
In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it 鈥渙penly homophobic.鈥�
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, who is a neighbor of Joss, is charged with murder in the shooting. Ceja Alvarez has been released on a $200,000 bond.
Ceja Alvarez鈥檚 attorney, Alfonso Otero, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday.
McManus said police had been called to Joss鈥� home and his neighborhood about 70 times over the past two years related to 鈥渘eighborhood type disturbances.鈥�
鈥淪ometimes (Joss) was the caller. Other times, the neighbors were calling on him,鈥� McManus said.
The San Antonio Police Department鈥檚 mental health unit as well as a unit known as SAFFE that works with residents to help prevent crime 鈥渉ad extensive engagements with Mr. Joss, making repeated efforts to mediate conflicts and connect him with services that he may have needed,鈥� McManus said.
The January fire at Joss鈥� home is still being reviewed by arson investigators, McManus said.
Joss lost all his belongings in the blaze and his three dogs were killed.
Actors who worked with Joss, along with friends and fans have honored Joss鈥� memory with tributes.
鈥淗is voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan鈥檚 friends and family,鈥� the show鈥檚 creators and producers 鈥� Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson 鈥� said in a statement on the animated series鈥� Instagram page.
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