LAPD arrest girlfriend's son in stabbing death of actor James Handy

Saturday, 6 June 2026

James Handy, a character actor who appeared in Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick, was stabbed to death, and Los Angeles police arrested his girlfriend’s son in the killing.

Officers found the 81-year-old stabbed in the chest and unconscious outside his home on Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Police Department said. He was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

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 Gledhill was arrested after he told officers he was the person they were looking for, the department said.

The 44-year-old, who lives at home with his mother, was booked on suspicion of one count of murder, according to police. His bail was set at US$2 million (NZ$3.45 million), according to jail records.

It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. Jail records did not show a lawyer for him and messages left with the county public defender’s office were not immediately returned.

Born in New York, Handy appeared in films and TV shows for decades.

He was known for his role as an exterminator in the 1995 film Jumanji and more recently as the bartender Jimmy in the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick, according to IMDB.

He’s also appeared in some of the top TV crime dramas, including NCIS: Los Angeles, The Closer and Cold Case.

“I could not have asked for a more talented, humble or gracious client and friend than James Handy,” Pam Ellis-Evenas, from the Ellis Talent Group, said in an email to AP.