According to a recent report from the Times of India, Michael Gledhill has been charged with the murder of Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick actor James Handy.
Michael Gledhill was charged after police say officers found the 81-year-old Handy stabbed in the chest and unconscious outside his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Handy was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
Gledhill did not appear at an arraignment Friday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court, and no plea was entered for him. Superior Court Judge John H. Reid ordered that he be sent to mental health court and to undergo psychological evaluations. Another judge will then decide whether he is competent for trial.
Gledhill’s lawyer, Javier Trincado, told the judge that the sheriff’s department decided Gledhill should not be brought to the courtroom, but did not provide a reason. Trincado remained in court on other cases and was not immediately able to comment.
As per TMZ, Wendy Gledhill told the portal that her son has been struggling with ‘serious mental health issues’ and claimed that he was also diagnosed with schizophrenia. According to Wendy, her 44-year-old son Michael had become increasingly paranoid and had been prescribed medication for his condition after his July 2025 diagnosis.
However, she says she recently learned he had stopped taking his meds about a week before cops found James stabbed to death outside her home.
In a statement to TMZ, Wendy offered a message to James’ family, saying, “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.”
When asked if Michael should spend the rest of his life in prison, she reportedly told TMZ that he should not be ‘where he can hurt anyone else.’
Authorities say Gledhill was arrested after telling police he was the person they were looking for. Police had responded to the home after a 911 caller stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” according to the department.
Michael, who is Handy’s girlfriend’s son and lives at the home with his mother, told officers that he was the person they were looking for, according to police. He was booked on suspicion of one count of murder, according to police. His bail was set at $2 million, according to jail records.
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