James Handy's accused killer 'too mentally unstable' to face court after chilling confession, judge told

By JOSH BOSWELL, CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Published: 00:21, 6 June 2026 | Updated: 00:26, 6 June 2026 The man charged with stabbing to death Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji actor James Handy is too mentally unstable to appear in normal court, his public defender told a Los Angeles court on Friday. Michael Gledhill, 44, the son of Handy’s girlfriend, is accused of murdering the 81-year-old prolific bit-part actor in Tarzana on Wednesday. Gledhill was kept in lockup by the Sheriff’s Department at the Van Nuys courthouse and did not appear in court, while public defender Javier Trincado told Judge John Reid his client was ‘unable to assist counsel at this time.' ‘We’re asking the court to declare a doubt,' Trincado said, using legal terminology meaning he believed Gledhill was mentally unfit to stand trial. Gledhill, who was once Pepperdine University's volleyball player-of-the-year, is facing one count of murder, with the special allegation of using a deadly weapon. Judge Reid rescheduled the hearing to June 22 in Hollywood Mental Health Court, and reset Gledhill’s bail at $2,020,000. Police say they received a chilling call around 9.30am saying ‘I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.’ West Valley Patrol officers rushed to the 19200 block of Erwin Street, Tarzana and found Handy ‘in the front yard of the residence, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest.’ Police say they received a chilling call around 9.30am saying ‘I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin' Surveillance footage from the scene captured suspect Michael Gledhill casually walking past the suburban home before he was seen returning with police Handy as the exterminator in the film, Jumanji, where he starred alongside Kirsten Dunst James Handy's distressed girlfriend Wendy Gledhill is seen on Friday, two days after the Top Gun: Maverick star was stabbed to death at his home in Tarzana, California. Her son Michael has been arrested over the crime ‘The victim was transported to local hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics, where he was pronounced deceased,’ a police statement said. ‘The suspect flagged down nearby responding officers, telling them he was the one they were looking for. The suspect resides at the location with his mother, who is the victim’s girlfriend.’ Gledhill was held on $2 million bail at Van Nuys Jail. His mother, Wendy Gledhill, told TMZ on Friday that her son had been diagnosed with schizophrenia but had stopped taking his medication.  ‘They know I loved him so much. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry this happened. I'm still in shock. I still can't comprehend it,’ she told the Hollywood news site. Wendy said her son had become increasingly paranoid since his diagnosis in July last year – and spiraled after he stopped taking his meds a week ago, TMZ reported.  Photographs that emerged Friday afternoon showed Michael Gledhill being handcuffed by Los Angeles Police Department officers after the crime. Handy was fatally knifed at his home on Wednesday morning and was found bleeding to death in the front yard. Bloody clothes laid on the pavement outside Handy's house following his death Handy's neighbor was seen stopping by the home to pay his respects by dropping off flowers and lighting a candle following the news of the actor's death Handy in an episode of ABC's hit show Castle, one of his many on-screen credits over his five-decade career The actor most recently appeared alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick The actor starred as Capt. Jim Haverill on NYPD Blue from 1993 to 1995 The veteran actor was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.   Authorities claim Michael, who lived at the home with his mother and Handy, called 911 at around 9.30am to alert police to the horror. Security footage from a house next door obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles showed Gledhill ambling down the sidewalk, as bloody clothes lay nearby. The suspect then returned to the house a short time later, at which point police say he had flagged down the responding officers - and told them he was the one they were looking for. A motive for the attack remains unclear, but neighbors claimed Michael and Handy had been arguing overnight.  Handy appeared in the 2022 Top Gun sequel as a bartender, and had a role as the exterminator in 1995 classic Jumanji. He was the doctor who treated Hugh Jackman’s character in 2017 movie Logan, played Milton Briggs in Arachnaphobia, and had roles in The Rocketeer, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Verdict and K-9. He has appeared in dozens of TV shows too, according to his IMDB page. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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