Members of the LGBTQ+ community voiced concerns to Police Chief McManus after SAPD retracted a statement on the murder of actor Jonathon Joss.
SAN ANTONIO — Members of the LGBTQ+ community had a chance to address Police Chief William McManus on Thursday night following the murder of actor Jonathon Joss.
The community forum, hosted by Pride San Antonio and SAPD at Woodlawn Pointe, was meant to foster transparency and trust. Gilbert Lopez, with the community center, said conversations like these are crucial for healing and understanding.
“We have got to work together. We can’t divide ourselves,” Lopez said. “It’s not going to help us in the long run.”
Outrage from the LGBTQ+ community followed an SAPD statement claiming there was no evidence to suggest Joss’ murder was a hate crime. That statement was issued in response to claims made by Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, in a Facebook post on Monday, where he called the murder a hate crime.
Hours before the forum, McManus walked back the department’s statement in comments to news media. He echoed that regret again Thursday night.
“It never should have gone out, saying that we didn’t have any evidence that it was a hate crime—because we didn’t know that,” McManus told the crowd.
Joss, 59, was killed on Sunday while checking his mail outside a home previously destroyed by fire. According to a police report, the suspect, 59-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, told officers “I shot him” as they took him into custody near the scene.
While McManus said he couldn’t share many details about the investigation, he opened the floor for questions.
“I’m here tonight to listen to you,” he said.
One woman who spoke up pointed out that Joss’ case is not the only potential hate crime in Bexar County.
“My brother is Zachary Leard, he’s right here on my pin,” said Joslin Leard, addressing the crowd. “He was a gay man who was murdered February 21, 2023.”
Joslin Leard believes her brother may have been targeted because of his sexuality. He was found shot in an apartment complex parking lot, and no arrests have been made.
“I’ve gone two years without justice for my family, and there have been so many other victims who need justice,” she said.
Leard said she was disappointed in how her brother’s case was handled. She said a detective asked whether her brother was promiscuous because he used a dating app.
“I think that at the rate things are going — the violence, the harassment, especially in this political climate — words are not enough,” she said. “There need to be actions set in place to protect vulnerable populations like the LGBTQIA+ community, but also other minorities.”
Bexar County Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez also spoke Thursday, sharing her own experiences with harassment. She said her case is being handled by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
“It was important for me to relay to my community that this type of behavior doesn’t only happen to those who feel nameless or voiceless. It happens to people in the highest office,” Gonzalez said.
She said she hopes Chief McManus is setting an example for his department by showing up and listening.
“We have to accept each other’s apologies, accept each other’s plans and solutions—and give it a shot,” she said.
McManus also clarified that SAPD cannot add a hate crime charge themselves. That decision lies with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, which could decide to pursue them as “enhancements.”
DA Joe Gonzales took questions about the Joss case during a separate press conference where he announced he will not seek reelection in 2026.
Gonzales said hate crime cases are rare in Bexar County but added that doesn’t mean they’re off the table.
“It’s too early to make that determination,” he said. “I’m not closing the door on the possibility of alleging hate crime as an enhancement in this case, but we know right now he’s already facing maximum punishment.”