Los Angeles — A judge ruled Monday that a man accused of murdering actor James Handy in a fatal stabbing is not mentally competent to move forward in criminal court.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi determined that Michael Gledhill, 44, is unable to understand the proceedings against him or meaningfully help his attorney prepare a defense.
Handy, 81, whose acting credits included “Jumanji” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” had been in a relationship with Gledhill’s mother. Police and prosecutors said he was found June 3 outside her home, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to the chest. He was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
“This is not how anyone’s life should end, stabbed in the chest and left dying in the front yard of a home,” L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at the time. “The victim, James Handy, deserved to live out his later years enjoying what he had worked so hard for and enjoying it with those he loved and cared about.”
Gledhill was taken into custody after telling police he was the person they were looking for. Authorities said officers had been called to the home after a 911 caller stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”
Gledhill has not yet entered a plea and has not appeared in court for the case. During his scheduled arraignment on June 5, a judge suspended the criminal proceedings and transferred the matter to a court focused on mental health assessments.
Following psychiatric evaluations, that court quickly concluded that Gledhill was not competent. At Monday’s hearing, Cavalluzzi also found that he is unable to make appropriate decisions about medication. She issued an order allowing him to be involuntarily medicated for one year, based on a psychiatrist’s opinion that proper treatment could significantly improve his mental health.
Cavalluzzi ordered Gledhill to return to court July 14 for a hearing addressing his long-term placement. If he is later found competent, the case could proceed to trial.
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Emails seeking comment from attorneys for both sides were not immediately answered.
Handy, a ubiquitous character actor, 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.” He also appeared in many of TV’s top crime dramas, including “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “The Closer” and “Cold Case.”
