After actor James Handyâs stabbing death, his girlfriendâs son is charged with murder
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Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share LOS ANGELES (AP) â A man was charged with murder Friday in the stabbing of âJumanjiâ and âTop Gun: Maverickâ actor James Handy, who was in a relationship with the suspectâs mother. Michael Gledhill, 44, was charged after police say officers found the 81-year-old Handy stabbed in the chest and lying unconscious outside a home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Handy was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Gledhill did not appear at an arraignment Friday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court and no plea was entered for him. Javier Trincado, Gledhillâs lawyer, said his client is âunable to assistâ in his defense and told the judge that the sheriffâs department did not bring Gledhill to the courtroom, but did not provide a reason. Superior Court Judge John H. Reid ordered that Gledhill be sent to mental health court and undergo psychological evaluations.
Another judge will decide whether he is competent for trial. Authorities say Gledhill was arrested after telling police he was the person they were looking for. Police had responded to the home after a 911 caller stated: âI am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,â according to the department. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said Handy deserved to enjoy his later years with his loved ones and that the person who took his life should be held accountable. âThis is not how anyoneâs life should end, stabbed in the chest and left dying in the front yard of a home,â he said in a statement. Read More Handy was a character actor in films and on TV for decades, including appearances in a variety of television crime procedurals. Actor Brian Delate knew Handy for more than four decades after meeting him at a Vietnam veterans theater company in New York. Delate described him as someone with a great sense of humor who was always curious.
Delate told The Associated Press that a few times over the past couple of years, Handy mentioned in passing that his girlfriendâs son had mental health problems. âI didnât think much of it, because he just kind of mentioned it casually,â he said. Handyâs girlfriend had fixed up the garage so her son could live there, Delate said. Handy had his own home. Bail was set at $2 million for Gledhill, according to authorities. If convicted, Gledhill faces up to 26 years to life in prison, according to the district attorneyâs office. Emails sent to Trincado and officials from the Los Angeles County Public Defenderâs Office were not immediately answered. Born in New York, Handy appeared in films and TV shows for decades. He was known for his role as an exterminator in the 1995 film âJumanjiâ and more recently as the bartender Jimmy in the 2022 film âTop Gun: Maverick,â according to IMDB. Heâs also appeared in some of the top TV crime dramas, including âNCIS: Los Angeles,â âThe Closerâ and âCold Case.â âI could not have asked for a more talented, humble or gracious client and friend than James Handy,â Pam Ellis-Evenas, from the Ellis Talent Group, said in an email to The Associated Press.
