Overview
- Police responded to a 911 call and found 81-year-old actor James Handy unconscious in his Tarzana garden with a stab wound to the chest; he was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.
- Authorities say the 911 caller admitted the killing and that 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, the son of Handy’s partner who lived in the house, was arrested at the scene after identifying himself to officers.
- Public custody records show Gledhill was booked on a homicide charge and held with bail set at $2 million, and prosecutors are expected to pursue formal charging and arraignment next.
- LAPD investigators have characterized the case as an isolated domestic incident and have told the public there is no ongoing danger to the community.
- Handy’s talent agency confirmed his death and offered condolences, noting his long career in film and television with credits including Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, and observers say the next developments to watch are the formal charges and court proceedings.