Michael Gledhill Charged With Fatally Stabbing Actor James Handy

James Handy Death: Michael Gledhill, Son of Actor’s Girlfriend, Charged in Fatal Stabbing

New information has emerged regarding the death of actor James Handy.

Two days after the 81-year-old was killed, his girlfriend’s son Michael Gledhill was charged with fatally stabbing the actor outside his mother’s home in Tarzana, Calif., on June 3, according to a June 5 press release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

Gledhill, 44, was charged with one count of murder “with a special allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon, a knife.”

L.A. County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman reflected on Handy’s death in the press release, saying, “This is not how anyone’s life should end, stabbed in the chest and left dying in the front yard of a home.”

“The victim, James Handy, deserved to live out his later years enjoying what he had worked so hard for and enjoying it with those he loved and cared about,” he continued. “Like all murder victims, his life mattered and the person who inexplicably and violently took it must be held accountable for his actions.”

If convicted of the murder charge, Gledhill faces up to 26 years to life in state prison. The district attorney noted that prosecutors recommended his bail be set at $2.02 million.

Los Angeles Police Department officers had responded to a 911 call on June 3, with the LAPD sharing in a statement, per the Los Angeles Times, the caller told the operator, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”

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Upon arrival at the home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Tarzana, they found Handy stabbed and lying in the front yard.

Gledhill allegedly flagged down police officers, according to the L.A. Times, and told them he was the person they were looking for. He had been living at the home with his mother, Handy’s girlfriend.

While Gledhill was arrested, Handy was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Handy was best known for his roles in films like Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji. He was also a prolific television actor, appearing on several popular TV shows throughout his career, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, ER, The West Wing, The Practice, Alias and The Young and the Restless.

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