Los Angeles police are investigating the fatal stabbing of actor James Handy, who was killed Wednesday at a home in Tarzana, according to authorities. Handy was 81. Police said the suspect was his girlfriend’s son, 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, who was arrested after making a strange 911 call and later flagging down officers at the scene.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. on an Erwin Street property in the West Valley area, where officers responded to an emergency call in a residential neighborhood. In the 911 call, the caller reportedly said, “I am the son of man. I just killed the man of sin.” When officers arrived, they found Handy unconscious in the front yard with a stab wound to the chest. Paramedics took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities said Gledhill lived at the Tarzana home with his mother, who was in a relationship with Handy. Detectives believe the killing was an isolated incident and said there does not appear to be any ongoing threat to the public. Gledhill was booked on suspicion of murder and held at Van Nuys Jail on $2 million bail.
Handy had more than 150 acting credits spanning film and television since the 1970s. He appeared in movies including “Logan,” “Jumanji,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Arachnophobia.” In “Top Gun: Maverick,” he played a bartender alongside Jennifer Connelly, while in “Logan” he appeared as a doctor in a scene with Hugh Jackman. He also had a role in the 2021 comedy “Senior Entourage” as Father MacGuffin.
Over the course of his career, Handy became a familiar character actor in television and crime dramas, with appearances in series such as “Alias,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “CSI: NY,” and “Cold Case.” His work earned praise from colleagues and filmmakers. Brian Connors, director of “Senior Entourage,” described Handy last year as one of the finest character actors he knew.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact the Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Section, Detectives Simonyan or Lopez, at (818) 374-9550.
