James Handy, 81, a seasoned character actor, was found stabbed almost to death outside his home in Los Angeles on the morning of March 6, 2024. He was pronounced dead at the scene after being brought in for treatment.
The actor, born in New York, spent decades in film and television, appearing in such movies as the 1995 classic Jumanji where he played an exterminator, and the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick in which he played bartender Jimmy. He also had recurring roles in television crime dramas like NCIS: Los Angeles, Cold Case and The Closer.
After a 911 call from an unknown voice who claimed “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” officers were dispatched to the address. They returned to find Handy wounded and unresponsive and arrested 44‑year‑old Michael Gledhill, who lives with his mother at the same residence. Hired as a key suspect, Gledhill was booked on a single count of murder and faced bail set at $2 million.
No legal counsel was listed in the inmate’s record, and attempts to reach the county public defender office about whether Gledhill had an attorney were delayed. The case remains under investigation.
“I could not have asked for a more talented, humble or gracious client and friend than James Handy,” former talent manager Pam Ellis‑Evenas of Ellis Talent Group said in a heartfelt message to the press.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the death and the suspect’s arrest. The wider acting community is mourning the loss of a prolific performer who contributed to generations of both cinema and television.
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