‘Top Gun: Maverick’ actor found stabbed to death after strange 911 call

A veteran actor who appeared in over 150 movies and TV shows was found stabbed to death last week, allegedly at the hands of his girlfriend’s son. Police were alerted to the killing by a 911 caller who announced, “I am the son of man. I just killed the man of sin.”

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James Handy, 81, a character actor known for roles in “Arachnophobia,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Logan,” was found unconscious in the front yard of a home in the 19200 block of Erwin Street in Tarzana on the morning of June 3 after the 911 call was received, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He had been stabbed in the chest.

Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. As officers responded to the scene, a man flagged them down and told them he was the one they were looking for, police said. The suspect, identified as Michael Gledhill, 44, of Tarzana, lived at the address with his mother, who is Handy’s girlfriend. Authorities said they believe the killing was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing danger to the public.

A neighbor in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood said she unwittingly crossed paths with Gledhill on the street shortly after the killing. “He was scary-looking,” Jade Carlson told the New York Times. “He kind of reminded me of Charles Manson.” Carlson said she had asked the man if he knew why police cars were in the neighborhood. She later realized she had been speaking to Gledhill, who was arrested several houses down from hers about 10 minutes later.

Gledhill’s mother, Wendy Gledhill, told TMZ that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2025 and was prescribed medication, but she learned he had stopped taking it about a week before Handy’s death. She said her son and Handy “didn’t always see eye to eye” but that their relationship was “generally cordial,” the outlet reported.

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Born in New York City, Handy made his screen debut in 1977 and made over 100 TV and film appearances, largely in supporting roles. He played the exterminator in “Jumanji” and also appeared in “Unbreakable,” “The Rocketeer” and “The Verdict.” On television, Handy appeared in dozens of TV staples, including “The West Wing,” “CSI: NY” and “Criminal Minds.”

Gledhill was booked at the Van Nuys Jail on one count of murder, with his bail set at $2 million. He is due in court on June 22.