Schizophrenia diagnosis and missed medication preceded James Handy's fatal stabbing

Michael Gledhill, the son of actor James Handy's girlfriend, has been formally charged with one count of murder following the fatal stabbing of the Top Gun: Maverick star on Wednesday. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman addressed the case in a press release issued on Friday.

"This is not how anyone's life should end, stabbed in the chest and left dying in the front yard of a home," Hochman said in the statement.

"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. Like all murder victims, his life mattered and the person who inexplicably and violently took it must be held accountable for his actions."

The attack and its aftermath

Handy was discovered unconscious and bleeding after he was repeatedly stabbed in the chest at the Tarzana, California home of his girlfriend, Wendy Gledhill, on Wednesday morning, according to a police report. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

Audio from a 911 call revealed that Gledhill contacted emergency services himself following the attack, telling the dispatcher: "I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin." When officers arrived at the scene, police say Gledhill flagged them down and confessed to having stabbed Handy. He had been seen walking through the neighbourhood away from the property before being taken into custody.

Arraignment and bail

Gledhill is expected to be arraigned at the Van Nuys Courthouse and is currently being held at the Van Nuys Jail with bail set at $2 million. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 26 years to life in state prison.

Girlfriend breaks her silence

Speaking to The California Post on Friday outside her home in Tarzana, Wendy Gledhill, 76, said she was struggling to come to terms with what had allegedly happened. "I'm just trying to make it through one day at a time, a minute at a time," she said. Wendy added that she "loved James and my son" and "can't believe" that Michael had allegedly murdered Handy.

Mental health concerns and missed medication

In a separate interview with TMZ on the same day, Wendy disclosed that her son had been experiencing serious mental health difficulties. Michael was diagnosed with schizophrenia in July 2025 and had been prescribed medication as a result.

However, Wendy said she discovered he had stopped taking his medication approximately one week before Handy's murder.

Wendy also noted that whilst Michael and Handy "didn't always see eye to eye," the two maintained a "generally cordial" relationship overall.