Michael Gledhill has been charged with the murder of ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ actor James Handy.Michael Gledhill, 81-year-old Handy was found stabbed in the chest and unconscious outside his Los Angeles home, police said. Handy was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
A judge will decide if Michael Gledhill is fit to stand trial
Gledhill did not appear in Los Angeles Superior Court Friday afternoon and no plea was entered. Superior Court Judge John H. Reid ordered him to be sent to a mental health court and undergo psychological evaluations. Another judge will then decide whether he has jurisdiction over the trial.Gledhill’s attorney, Javier Trincado, told the judge the sheriff’s department decided Gledhill should not be brought to court, but did not give a reason. Trincado remained in court in other cases and was not immediately available for comment.
The accused murderer had schizophrenia
According to TMZ, Wendy Gledhill said on the front page that her son has been struggling with “severe mental health issues” and that he was also diagnosed with schizophrenia. According to Wendy, her 44-year-old son Michael became increasingly paranoid and was prescribed medication for his condition after being diagnosed in July 2025. However, he says he only recently learned he had stopped taking the medication about a week before police found James stabbed to death outside his home.
Wendy Gledhill apologizes to the Handy family
In a statement to TMZ, Wendy offered a message to James’ family, saying: “They know I loved him so much. I’m sorry. I’m sorry this happened. I’m still in shock. I still can’t get over it.”When asked if Michael should spend the rest of his life in prison, he told TMZ he shouldn’t be “in a place where he can hurt anybody else.”
Police reveal the horrific 911 call
Authorities say Gledhill was arrested after police were told he was the person they were looking for. Police responded to the home after a 911 caller said, “I’m the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” according to the department.Michael, who is the son of Handy’s girlfriend and lives at home with his mother, told officers he was the person police were looking for, according to police. According to the police, he was arrested on a charge of murder. His bond was set at $2 million, according to jail records.
About James Handy
Born in New York, Handy appeared in movies and TV shows for decades. He was a character actor in film and television for decades, starring in a variety of television crime procedurals.He starred in 1995’s “Jumanji” and most recently as bartender Jimmy in 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” according to IMDB. He has also appeared in a number of major TV crime dramas, including “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “The Closer,” and “Cold Case.”
