Actor James Handy fatally stabbed in Los Angeles, police say

Police say James Handy, the veteran actor whose credits stretched from Top Gun: Maverick to multiple television dramas, was found stabbed in the chest in a Tarzana front yard and later died at a hospital. Officers responded around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to a report of unknown trouble in the 19200 block of Erwin Street, about three blocks south of Victory Boulevard.

Handy was 81. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics took him from the residence to a hospital after officers found him in the front yard with a stab wound to the chest. His talent agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, confirmed his death.

Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, the son of Handy’s girlfriend. Investigators said Gledhill lived at the home with his mother. Authorities said the 911 caller told dispatchers, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” Gledhill then flagged down responding officers and told them he was the person they were looking for.

Police arrested Gledhill on suspicion of murder, booked him into Van Nuys Jail and held him in lieu of $2 million bail. The Los Angeles Police Department said the stabbing appears isolated and there is no danger to the public. The case remains under investigation.

Handy had more than 100 acting credits across film and television. His film roles included Top Gun: Maverick, where he played bartender Jimmy, Jumanji, Arachnophobia, The Rocketeer and Logan. His television work included appearances on NYPD Blue, Law & Order, CSI: New York, NCIS: Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, 90210, Profiler, The Young and the Restless and 9-1-1.