What To Know
- James Handy, 81, was fatally stabbed during a physical altercation with his girlfriend’s son, Michael Gledhill.
- The alleged attack happened after a “verbal altercation,” according to an autopsy report.
- Handy was a veteran actor known for roles in Top Gun: Maverick, The Rocketeer, and Jumanji.
James Handy was allegedly stabbed to death in early June — and new details have emerged about his final moments.
On July 14, a County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner’s autopsy report revealed that Handy, 81, and his girlfriend Wendy Gledhill’s son, Michael Gledhill, 44, had been in an argument outside his home in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles.
“The verbal altercation turned physical, and the subject dragged him to the side of the house,” the report noted, per multiple outlets, including USA Today and the New York Post.
It continued, “9-1-1 was called and paramedics responded to the scene, initiated life-saving efforts, and transported him to the hospital, where, despite these efforts, death was pronounced on the same date.”
Ultimately, Handy’s cause of death was determined to be a stab wound to the torso and neck compression, per People.
Michael was allegedly the one who called 911, telling the dispatcher, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” according to police. He turned himself in to officers a short while later; video footage showed Michael walking around the neighborhood before police arrived. He was arrested, charged with murder, and held on a $2 million bond.
On June 22, a Los Angeles judge ruled that Michael was not mentally competent for criminal proceedings,” per USA Today. He was ordered to undergo mental health treatment to “restore his competency.”
Meanwhile, Wendy said her son had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in July 2025, TMZ reported. He was reportedly prescribed medication but stopped taking it roughly one week before Handy’s death.
“They know I loved him so much,” Wendy said in a message to Handy’s family. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry this happened. I’m still in shock. I still can’t comprehend it.”
Handy played a bartender named Jimmy in the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick. Among his more than 100 acting credits were Arachnophobia (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), and Jumanji (1995).
