Veteran character actor James Handy, 81, was stabbed to death at his home in Tarzana, Los Angeles on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, with his girlfriend’s son Michael Gledhill, 44, subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
Handy spent decades working steadily through Hollywood, racking up guest appearances on dozens of television series alongside supporting roles in major film releases.
He is perhaps most widely recognised internationally for his role as a bartender in Top Gun: Maverick and as an exterminator in the original Jumanji. His death, as reported by NBC News, sent shockwaves through the acting community, where he was known as a consummate professional who worked consistently into his eighties.
What happened to James Handy
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley division responded to a 911 call at approximately 09:30 on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, from an address on the 19200 block of Erwin Street in Tarzana.
When they arrived, they found Handy unconscious in the front yard of the property with a stab wound to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gledhill flagged down responding officers near the scene. The 911 caller had stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”
Wendy Gledhill, 76, is Handy’s girlfriend and the mother of the suspect. No further details about the circumstances immediately preceding the attack have been confirmed by the LAPD.
Michael Gledhill charged with murder in James Handy stabbing
Gledhill was charged with one count of murder, with a special allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon, identified as a knife. If convicted on both the primary charge and the special allegation, he faces up to 26 years in prison.
Prosecutors have not publicly indicated whether they intend to seek any further sentencing enhancements.
Handy’s extensive screen career stretched back several decades. Beyond Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, he appeared in Arachnophobia and accumulated credits across US crime procedurals, dramas and comedies that made him one of the most reliably employed character actors of his generation.
Tributes from former co-stars and crew members began circulating on social media in the days following his death, though none could be verified at the time of publishing.
What happens next
Gledhill’s case is expected to proceed through the Los Angeles County court system in the coming months, with a preliminary hearing to be scheduled following the formal filing of charges.
No trial date has been set.
The LAPD has indicated the investigation is ongoing and has not ruled out additional charges.
