Michael Gledhill has been in custody since his arrest on June 3, the day that Handy was fatally stabbed in Tarzana, Calif.

Accused killer of Top Gun: Maverick actor James Handy deemed not competent for trial, ordered medicated

Michael Gledhill has been in custody since his arrest on June 3, the day that Handy was fatally stabbed in Tarzana, Calif.

By Kathleen Perricone

June 23, 2026 12:44 a.m. ET

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James Handy in 'Alias' season 1 (2002). Credit:

- Michael Gledhill, the accused killer of *Top Gun: Maverick* actor James Handy, has been deemed not competent to stand trial by a judge.

- "Psychotropic medication is granted and can be injected as the psychiatric sees fit," Judge Anthony J. Mohr ruled.

- Gledhill is the son of Handy's girlfriend and allegedly stabbed the 81-year-old actor to death at their Tarzana, Calif. home on June 3.

Weeks after the fatal stabbing of 81-year-old veteran actor James Handy, a judge has ruled his accused killer is not competent to stand trial.

Michael Gledhill, the adult son of Handy's girlfriend, was charged with murder and held on $2 million bail following the June 3 incident that occurred in the front yard of the Gledhill family home in Tarzana, Calif.

Gledhill, 44, was reportedly not in court on Monday because he "apparently declined transportation" from jail, one of his two public defenders told Judge Anthony J. Mohr.

James Handy in 'Jumanji' with Kirsten Dunst.

Despite his absence, the hearing went ahead. And after reviewing a psychiatrist’s report assessing Gledhill, Judge Mohr reportedly decided "he is not presently competent to stand trial. Psychotropic medication is granted and can be injected as the psychiatric sees fit."

The judge's ruling aligned with a request by Gledhill's attorney for competency restoration, "a legal process in which defendants deemed mentally unfit to stand trial receive treatment aimed at restoring their ability to understand court proceedings and assist in their defense," according to PEOPLE.

Gledhill's father and stepmother were in court on Monday, but not his mother Wendy Gledhill, the girlfriend of Handy.

New details in Jumanji actor James Handy's fatal stabbing revealed as cause of death is confirmed

James Handy's girlfriend, Wendy Gledhill, reveals 'Jumanji' actor's final moments before fatal stabbing

The *Jumanji* and *Top Gun: Maverick* actor was discovered in Wendy's front yard "unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest," according to the Los Angeles Police Department. They were summoned to the area after allegedly receiving a 911 call from someone claiming, "I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin."

LAPD later identified Michael Gledhill as the suspect and took him into custody the same day after the murder after police alleged he "flagged down nearby responding officers, telling them he was the one they were looking for."

Wendy later spoke to reporters and tearfully revealed what led to the tragic incident involving her son and boyfriend.

As she explained to TMZ, Michael was diagnosed with schizophrenia in July 2025 and had been taking his prescribed medication, but stopped about a week before Handy was fatally stabbed on June 3.

James Handy in a 1995 episode of 'NYPD Blue' on ABC.

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

"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."

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The morning of June 3 had started like any other, Wendy told the *Daily Mail*.

"James had gotten up to get the newspaper at about 9 o'clock, but he didn't make the coffee like he usually does," she recalled. "I just heard the door open because he was getting the paper."

"I can only assume my son was already out there and they started to argue, from my understanding, on the front yard," she continued. "I didn't know what was going on. The first time I heard something was happening was when the police showed up."

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