By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- • Veteran actor James Handy, 81, was fatally stabbed on the morning of June 5, 2026, at a residence in the West Valley area of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
- • The suspect, identified as Michael Gledhill, 44, called 911 following the stabbing and told the dispatcher he had killed the victim; he subsequently flagged down responding officers and identified himself as the person responsible.
- • Gledhill is the son of Handy’s girlfriend and resided at the home where the stabbing occurred.
- • Gledhill is currently held in Los Angeles County jail on $2 million bail, charged with one count of murder.
- • Handy had a career spanning nearly five decades in film and television, with his final credited role appearing in the 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick.”
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Veteran actor James Handy, 81, was fatally stabbed at a residential property in the West Valley area of Los Angeles on the morning of June 5, 2026, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspect — identified as Michael Gledhill, 44 — called 911 after the attack to report the killing, then approached arriving officers and identified himself as responsible for the stabbing.
Officers responding to the scene found Handy unconscious in the front yard of the home with a stab wound to the chest. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Gledhill resides at the property with his mother, who is Handy’s girlfriend. He was taken into custody without incident.
Gledhill is being held at a Los Angeles County jail facility on $2 million bail on one count of murder. No additional details regarding the circumstances or motive behind the attack were publicly released by the LAPD as of the time of publication.
Handy began his acting career in 1977 and built an extensive body of work in film and television over the following decades. His film credits included roles in “Taps” (1981), alongside George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, and Tom Cruise, as well as the 2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick,” which served as his final credited screen appearance. His television work included recurring or guest appearances on programs including “Cagney & Lacey,” “Matlock,” “Quantum Leap,” “NYPD Blue,” and “ER.”