Actor Jonathan Joss murdered in homophobic attack
June 2, 2025 5:39 PM Subscribe
Gay Native American actor Jonathan Joss, known from Parks and Rec and as the voice actor of John Redcorn on King of the Hill, was shot dead by a neighbor outside of his home in San Antonio, in what his husband has stated was the culmination of a campaign of homophobic harrassment and violence that had also involved the burning down their house and the killing of their dog. San Antonio police apparently did nothing about the numerous complaints received.
wanderlost: "Thank you for not mincing words in the title. Some outlets reported it in passive voice, since the facts were still murky. Now that further details have emerged, it's important that we be absolutely clear what this was."
Thank you, but I actually had an "apparent" in there when I first wrote the title, then luckily caught myself in time. We're all conditioned to hedge and try to be "objective" about even the most heinous of acts.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:54 PM on June 2 [18 favorites]
Thank you, but I actually had an "apparent" in there when I first wrote the title, then luckily caught myself in time. We're all conditioned to hedge and try to be "objective" about even the most heinous of acts.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:54 PM on June 2 [18 favorites]
God damn that's sick
posted by Keith Talent at 6:41 PM on June 2 [1 favorite]
posted by Keith Talent at 6:41 PM on June 2 [1 favorite]
The home he grew up in. He lived in that neighborhood and was connected to it for far longer than his murderer, yet his killer treated him like an unwanted outsider.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:49 PM on June 2 [23 favorites]
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:49 PM on June 2 [23 favorites]
This is so awful. My heart breaks for Jonathan's: spouse and loved ones.
posted by supermedusa at 7:06 PM on June 2 [7 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 7:06 PM on June 2 [7 favorites]
Oh I'm glad this is getting its' own post. I thought about posting it in the news roundup but I really didn't have the words. The worst part is the ongoing news/police campaign to cast Joss as the antagonist because of course.
posted by Seven Deadly Gins at 7:08 PM on June 2 [9 favorites]
posted by Seven Deadly Gins at 7:08 PM on June 2 [9 favorites]
It's probably bad form for me to link directly to Elon's Fun-Time Nazi Incel Bitcoin Fest, but the San Antonio police said a couple of hours ago:
SAPD Homicide is currently investigating the murder of Mr. Jonathan Joss. Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation.
The lawsuit is going to be wow, but that won't bring this poor guy back.
posted by outgrown_hobnail at 7:14 PM on June 2 [6 favorites]
SAPD Homicide is currently investigating the murder of Mr. Jonathan Joss. Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation.
The lawsuit is going to be wow, but that won't bring this poor guy back.
posted by outgrown_hobnail at 7:14 PM on June 2 [6 favorites]
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And my parents claim they just can’t understand why I refuse to visit them in San Antonio, they always exclaim about how it’s a liberal bastion, how could I feel unsafe, it’s not like it’s hill country, it’s where I was born, don’t you miss the enchiladas… yeah, I miss the enchiladas. But they also think hiring armed guards for Shabbat services is fine, so their perceptions are skewed.
It’s a great city, so many cultures, tons of interesting art, great food, vibrant celebrations, rapidly increasing in population but managing to still have some reasonably affordable places, and a strong current of hospitality. But that’s all a veneer. What was done to Joss and his family (those poor dogs) is unacceptable but sadly, unsurprising. I hope some kind of change can come of this but I’m not holding my breath.
posted by Mizu at 7:15 PM on June 2 [17 favorites]
And my parents claim they just can’t understand why I refuse to visit them in San Antonio, they always exclaim about how it’s a liberal bastion, how could I feel unsafe, it’s not like it’s hill country, it’s where I was born, don’t you miss the enchiladas… yeah, I miss the enchiladas. But they also think hiring armed guards for Shabbat services is fine, so their perceptions are skewed.
It’s a great city, so many cultures, tons of interesting art, great food, vibrant celebrations, rapidly increasing in population but managing to still have some reasonably affordable places, and a strong current of hospitality. But that’s all a veneer. What was done to Joss and his family (those poor dogs) is unacceptable but sadly, unsurprising. I hope some kind of change can come of this but I’m not holding my breath.
posted by Mizu at 7:15 PM on June 2 [17 favorites]
SAPD Homicide is currently investigating the murder of Mr. Jonathan Joss. Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation.
This is the most ACAB thing I have ever seen.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 7:19 PM on June 2 [31 favorites]
This is the most ACAB thing I have ever seen.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 7:19 PM on June 2 [31 favorites]
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posted by Token Meme at 7:41 PM on June 2
posted by Token Meme at 7:41 PM on June 2
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posted by librosegretti at 7:58 PM on June 2
posted by librosegretti at 7:58 PM on June 2
Oh is it time for the late may/early june protests again?
posted by wafehling at 8:26 PM on June 2 [1 favorite]
posted by wafehling at 8:26 PM on June 2 [1 favorite]
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posted by Joey Michaels at 9:49 PM on June 2
posted by Joey Michaels at 9:49 PM on June 2
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posted by mollymillions at 9:57 PM on June 2
posted by mollymillions at 9:57 PM on June 2
His thoughts were red thoughts: "This is the most ACAB thing I have ever seen."
It's very bad but unfortunately not even the most ACAB thing i've seen this week. This is basically business as usual for the cops.
posted by adrienneleigh at 10:57 PM on June 2 [10 favorites]
It's very bad but unfortunately not even the most ACAB thing i've seen this week. This is basically business as usual for the cops.
posted by adrienneleigh at 10:57 PM on June 2 [10 favorites]
I hope San Antonio taxpayers get hit as hard as possible, so hard in the wallet that they have to rethink passive support for just another hate crime in Texas.
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posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:35 PM on June 2 [2 favorites]
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posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:35 PM on June 2 [2 favorites]
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I recall a time when I eagerly latched onto rumors that actors and other famous folks were queer. I wondered and worried about them.
I don't know when I stopped. When openly queer actors became just part of normal American life to me. When did I start thinking anyone was safe?
I've seen this man in media. I'm sad that I didn't know he was queer. I'm bitterly furious at his murder.
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posted by Vigilant at 12:58 AM on June 3 [9 favorites]
I recall a time when I eagerly latched onto rumors that actors and other famous folks were queer. I wondered and worried about them.
I don't know when I stopped. When openly queer actors became just part of normal American life to me. When did I start thinking anyone was safe?
I've seen this man in media. I'm sad that I didn't know he was queer. I'm bitterly furious at his murder.
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posted by Vigilant at 12:58 AM on June 3 [9 favorites]
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posted by eternalhedgehog at 1:08 AM on June 3
posted by eternalhedgehog at 1:08 AM on June 3
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posted by Lesser Spotted Potoroo at 1:53 AM on June 3
posted by Lesser Spotted Potoroo at 1:53 AM on June 3
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posted by Jade Dragon at 3:37 AM on June 3
posted by Jade Dragon at 3:37 AM on June 3
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posted by ourobouros at 3:52 AM on June 3
posted by ourobouros at 3:52 AM on June 3
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posted by hydropsyche at 4:24 AM on June 3
posted by hydropsyche at 4:24 AM on June 3
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posted by throwitawayurthegarbageman at 5:31 AM on June 3
posted by throwitawayurthegarbageman at 5:31 AM on June 3
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posted by destructive cactus at 6:32 AM on June 3
posted by destructive cactus at 6:32 AM on June 3
I am so sorry for him and his family and everyone who loved them and everyone who has been made to feel less safe by this hate crime and by the uncaring reaction of police.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:37 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 6:37 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]
Yeah the reporting on this is bullshit. The first article I read said it was a dispute with a neighbor. I'd have a dispute with a neighbor too if they burned down my house and killed my dog.
posted by Toddles at 6:46 AM on June 3 [20 favorites]
posted by Toddles at 6:46 AM on June 3 [20 favorites]
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I want my nieces out of Texas so bad. But it's their home.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:40 AM on June 3
I want my nieces out of Texas so bad. But it's their home.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:40 AM on June 3
Yeah the reporting on this is bullshit.
bullshit (for me) doesn't even start to describe this. I honestly can't see where the hate crime begins and ends, Texas looks more and more like a hate crime. How the hell does this shit happen? I mean, I know the answer, and it takes time to get this bad, but this is fucking bad.
posted by Didymus at 7:43 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]
bullshit (for me) doesn't even start to describe this. I honestly can't see where the hate crime begins and ends, Texas looks more and more like a hate crime. How the hell does this shit happen? I mean, I know the answer, and it takes time to get this bad, but this is fucking bad.
posted by Didymus at 7:43 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]
So, in summary:
People threatened to burn down their house, referencing their sexuality. They reported these threats to police.
Shortly afterwards, their house burned down. Nobody was arrested for this coincidence.
They return to the ruin of their house, and find the dead body of their dog. It appear to have been arranged with the harness still attached so it is clear which dog it is.
Then someone approaches them with a gun on their property and yells homophobic insults at them.
The person yelling homophobic insults then shoots and kills one of them while they are both unarmed and at a distance.
Police: No evidence this is related to homophobia.
I guess the trick is to treat the testimony of a homosexual as "not evidence"?
posted by NotAYakk at 7:50 AM on June 3 [17 favorites]
People threatened to burn down their house, referencing their sexuality. They reported these threats to police.
Shortly afterwards, their house burned down. Nobody was arrested for this coincidence.
They return to the ruin of their house, and find the dead body of their dog. It appear to have been arranged with the harness still attached so it is clear which dog it is.
Then someone approaches them with a gun on their property and yells homophobic insults at them.
The person yelling homophobic insults then shoots and kills one of them while they are both unarmed and at a distance.
Police: No evidence this is related to homophobia.
I guess the trick is to treat the testimony of a homosexual as "not evidence"?
posted by NotAYakk at 7:50 AM on June 3 [17 favorites]
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posted by of strange foe at 8:58 AM on June 3
posted by of strange foe at 8:58 AM on June 3
My heart breaks for Jonathan's: spouse and loved ones.
They just got married this year, on Valentine's Day.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:19 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]
They just got married this year, on Valentine's Day.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:19 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:21 AM on June 3
posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:21 AM on June 3
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posted by dannyboybell at 9:28 AM on June 3
posted by dannyboybell at 9:28 AM on June 3
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posted by joannemerriam at 10:44 AM on June 3
posted by joannemerriam at 10:44 AM on June 3
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posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:41 AM on June 3
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:41 AM on June 3
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I said this elsewhere but I guess I can now tell prosecutors again that I can think of a situation where I would apply the death penalty. (I'm in Texas, but not in San Antonio.)
I get all the hate the San Antonio cops are getting and at the same time they have to be careful what they say not to prejudice any case. I hope they come around to the right answer during the investigation. And if not, I hope the prosecutors do.
Also while the shooter/harrasser owns what he did, all the people in this state and in this country who have been calling gay people "groomers" and all the other homophonic bullshit right back to the ones in the 80s who were saying "shoot the queers" as a mayoral candidate in my hometown of Houston once answered a question about how to deal with AIDS own their own pieces of this. Homophobic harassment and murder doesn't happen in a vacuum. I wish all the bigots who inspired the murderer what they deserve, which is the meanest thing I can think of.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:29 PM on June 3 [2 favorites]
I said this elsewhere but I guess I can now tell prosecutors again that I can think of a situation where I would apply the death penalty. (I'm in Texas, but not in San Antonio.)
I get all the hate the San Antonio cops are getting and at the same time they have to be careful what they say not to prejudice any case. I hope they come around to the right answer during the investigation. And if not, I hope the prosecutors do.
Also while the shooter/harrasser owns what he did, all the people in this state and in this country who have been calling gay people "groomers" and all the other homophonic bullshit right back to the ones in the 80s who were saying "shoot the queers" as a mayoral candidate in my hometown of Houston once answered a question about how to deal with AIDS own their own pieces of this. Homophobic harassment and murder doesn't happen in a vacuum. I wish all the bigots who inspired the murderer what they deserve, which is the meanest thing I can think of.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:29 PM on June 3 [2 favorites]
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posted by spinifex23 at 1:19 PM on June 3
posted by spinifex23 at 1:19 PM on June 3
In other homophobia news, SecDef Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the oiler USNS Harvey Milk. The timing is entirely coincidental, I’m sure.
posted by non canadian guy at 2:39 PM on June 3 [3 favorites]
The change was laid out in an internal memo that officials said defended the action as a move to align with President Donald Trump and Hegseth's objectives to “re-establish the warrior culture.”I hate these goddamned people so much.
posted by non canadian guy at 2:39 PM on June 3 [3 favorites]
The timing is entirely coincidental, I’m sure.
According to Military.com, the timing is absolutely intentional.
posted by dlugoczaj at 2:53 PM on June 3 [4 favorites]
According to Military.com, the timing is absolutely intentional.
posted by dlugoczaj at 2:53 PM on June 3 [4 favorites]
lol, renaming a ship (any ship) is going to cause so many more "culture" (and actual readiness!) problems than having one named after Harvey Milk. Sailors are really superstitious, and renaming ships is a huuuuuuuge taboo.
posted by adrienneleigh at 2:58 PM on June 3 [3 favorites]
posted by adrienneleigh at 2:58 PM on June 3 [3 favorites]
excerpt from the article shared by dlugoczaj:
While there are some rare examples of Navy ships being renamed following construction and christening, those instances are outliers and, broadly, Navy traditions consider renaming a ship to be taboo.
The most recent renaming occurred in 2023 when the Navy decided to rename the cruiser USS Chancellorsville and research ship USNS Maury -- two names with ties to the Confederacy -- to USS Robert Smalls and USNS Marie Tharp, respectively.
Unlike the decision to rename the Harvey Milk, which was done on the orders of Hegseth, the recommendation to rename the two ships came from a commission that was created by Congress to study names with ties to the Confederacy across the entire military.
The oiler was first named after Milk in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Milk came from a family that had a history of naval service and he was commissioned as an officer in 1951, according to USNI News. Milk then served as a diving officer on the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake during the Korean War. He left the service as a lieutenant junior grade in 1955 with a "less than honorable" discharge "after being officially questioned about his sexual orientation," according to his official biography.
posted by Didymus at 2:59 PM on June 3 [1 favorite]
While there are some rare examples of Navy ships being renamed following construction and christening, those instances are outliers and, broadly, Navy traditions consider renaming a ship to be taboo.
The most recent renaming occurred in 2023 when the Navy decided to rename the cruiser USS Chancellorsville and research ship USNS Maury -- two names with ties to the Confederacy -- to USS Robert Smalls and USNS Marie Tharp, respectively.
Unlike the decision to rename the Harvey Milk, which was done on the orders of Hegseth, the recommendation to rename the two ships came from a commission that was created by Congress to study names with ties to the Confederacy across the entire military.
The oiler was first named after Milk in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Milk came from a family that had a history of naval service and he was commissioned as an officer in 1951, according to USNI News. Milk then served as a diving officer on the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake during the Korean War. He left the service as a lieutenant junior grade in 1955 with a "less than honorable" discharge "after being officially questioned about his sexual orientation," according to his official biography.
posted by Didymus at 2:59 PM on June 3 [1 favorite]
That seems worth discussing but since there is a general LGBTQIA+ news collection FPP dating from June 1, I'm going to post my follow-up comments on the ship renaming there, so that this thread can remain devoted to the horrific murder of Jonathan Joss.
I respectfully suggest that others consider doing likewise.
posted by Nerd of the North at 3:13 PM on June 3 [1 favorite]
I respectfully suggest that others consider doing likewise.
posted by Nerd of the North at 3:13 PM on June 3 [1 favorite]
That’s a very good idea, Nerd of the North. Forgive me for hijacking, everyone.
posted by non canadian guy at 3:17 PM on June 3
posted by non canadian guy at 3:17 PM on June 3
As I said, I think the ship renaming is definitely deserving of consideration and I'm glad to have learned about it. As promised, I've made an attempt to move it to the LGBTQIA+ news general thread, and those who wish to jump straight there can do so with this link.
posted by Nerd of the North at 3:48 PM on June 3
posted by Nerd of the North at 3:48 PM on June 3
. Heartbreaking
posted by honey badger at 4:31 PM on June 3
posted by honey badger at 4:31 PM on June 3
Heartbreaking. Tragic. Enraging.
Somebody burned down his home. Killing his dog. Killing him.
I will keep being an ally, but I don't know how y'all cope.
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posted by theora55 at 5:08 PM on June 3
Somebody burned down his home. Killing his dog. Killing him.
I will keep being an ally, but I don't know how y'all cope.
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posted by theora55 at 5:08 PM on June 3
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