The San Antonio Police Department is sharing an update on Jonathan Joss’ ongoing murder investigation.
Days after the Parks and Recreation actor was fatally shot in a San Antonio, Texas, neighborhood, police chief William P. McManus explained why officials have yet to charge the murder suspect with an alleged hate crime.
“One of the most common questions that we’ve received is why this case isn’t being charged as a hate crime at this point,” McManus shared during a press conference on Thursday, June 5. “Why didn’t SAPD charge him with the murder and a hate crime? In Texas, hate crimes are not separate charges. Instead, they are addressed through sentencing enhancements.”
McManus continued, “We don’t charge with hate crimes. 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, but we don’t charge hate crime.”
In recent days, Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has shared his belief that the actor was a victim of a hate crime after experiencing “openly homophobic” harassment from his husband’s alleged killer.
Police, however, previously released a statement saying there was no proof to suggest a hate crime occurred.
“Our investigation has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” the San Antonio Police Department told People on Tuesday, June 3. “We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly.”
During San Antonio Police’s latest press conference, McManus admitted that the statement was released too soon.
“We issued a statement the day after Jonathan Joss’ murder that was way, way, way premature. We shouldn’t have done it,” he told reporters. “It was way too soon before we had any real information. I will own that. We simply shouldn’t have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued.”
McManus also reiterated to the community that 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.”
“We’re committed to delivering a thorough and complete investigation to file with the district attorney’s office for prosecution,” he added.
In a recent TikTok, Kern de Gonzales said he will continue to stay active on social media and declared that he’s “not going to let the SAPD or anyone else silence the fact that this was a hate crime, and I just won’t be silenced.”
“I may not be as loud as my husband, but I carry his strength with me,’ he continued. “I won’t stop fighting for what I know is right and for my love.”
