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Actor James Handy stabbed to death aged 81

By AAP Newswire

Jun 5, 2026

Police crime scene tape in Los Angeles — Police arrested the son of James Handy's girlfriend after the actor was found stabbed in a yard. -AP

Police have arrested the son of actor James Handy's girlfriend in his death after he was found stabbed in the chest in Los Angeles.

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Officers responded to a home on Wednesday morning after an emergency caller said: "I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin," according to the The Los Angeles Police Department.

They found the 81-year-old who appeared in films such as Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick in the front yard stabbed in the chest and unconscious, according to police.

He was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

Michael Gledhill, 44, who is the son of Handy's girlfriend and lives at the home with his mother, told officers he was the person they were looking for, according to police.

Gledhill was booked on suspicion of one count of murder, according to police.

His bail was set at $US2 million ($A2.8 million), according to jail records.

Handy has been appearing in films and TV for decades and 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.