Wendy Gledhill has shared what she knows about the morning her longtime partner, actor James Handy, was fatally stabbed outside their Los Angeles home.
Handy, a veteran character actor known for appearances in films including Top Gun: Maverick, Jumanji and Arachnophobia, as well as TV credits such as CSI, died after suffering a single stab wound to the chest on Wednesday, June 3, in Tarzana, Los Angeles. He was 81.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers from its West Valley division responded to a radio call of “unknown trouble” at about 9:30am in the 19200 block of Erwin Street. When they arrived, they found Handy unconscious in the front yard and he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Police later arrested Wendy’s son, Michael Gledhill, in connection with the killing. Authorities said he approached responding officers at the scene and indicated that he was the person they were seeking.
LAPD said Gledhill, 44, was booked on one count of murder under California Penal Code 187(a). Police said his bail was set at $2 million and described the case as an isolated incident with no ongoing danger to the public.
In the aftermath of Handy’s death, Wendy said Michael has schizophrenia and may have been experiencing a mental health episode after reportedly stopping his medication in the days before the incident.
She has since clarified that she did not actually see the alleged attack take place. Instead, she was still in bed while James followed what was usually a familiar morning routine at the house.
That routine, however, did not unfold as it normally would.
“James had gotten up to get the newspaper at about 9 o’clock, but he didn’t make the coffee like he usually does,” Wendy told the Daily Mail. “I just heard the door open because he was getting the paper.”
She said she initially did not suspect anything was wrong, but now believes her son may already have been outside when James stepped into the yard, where the two are thought to have argued.
At the time, she did not realize James had been critically injured.
Wendy said it was roughly 30 minutes later that officers from the Los Angeles Police Department came to the door, which was the first sign to her that something serious had happened.
“The first time I heard something was happening was when the police showed up,” she told the outlet. “They said someone had called 911 and they told me someone was wrapped in a blanket outside the house.”
Police later revealed that the 911 caller allegedly told dispatchers: “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” Investigators said the suspect lived at the home with his mother, who they identified as the victim’s girlfriend.
She said police gave her little information at first and instructed her to remain inside because they believed there could still be a threat outside the property.
Michael, 44, had been living at the home with Wendy and James. Wendy said she is struggling to come to terms with both the loss of her partner and the accusations against her son.
“I was with James for 31 years and of course I loved him dearly,” she said. “This is so difficult.”
Handy built a long screen career across film and television, with credits also including The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Alias and many other guest roles over several decades.
“I’m just trying to make it through one day at a time, a minute at a time,” Wendy, 76, told the California Post. “I loved James and my son. I still can’t believe it… I can’t believe my son did it.”
As with all criminal cases, the charge against Gledhill remains an allegation unless and until it is proven in court.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Section, Detective Simonyan or Detective Lopez, at (818) 374-9550. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to (310) 726-7700 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.