James Handy's longtime partner has finally opened up about the actor's tragic final moments before getting fatally stabbed. She believes her son's schizophrenia may have played a role.
Veteran Hollywood actor James Handy was stabbed to death at his own property on the morning of June 3, 2026. The actor, best known for appearing in Top Gun: Maverick, Jumanji, The West Wing, and Logan, was allegedly stabbed to death outside his Los Angeles home, allegedly at the hands of his live-in girlfriend's son. Now, Handy's partner of more than 30 years, Wendy Gledhill, has opened up about how the actor's final moments looked that tragic morning. She believes her son's worsening mental health from schizophrenia might have led to the fatal stabbing.
In a new interview with the Daily Mail, Wendy Gledhill opened up about the morning of June 2, 2026, moments before the fatal stabbing. According to Wendy, it looked like an ordinary morning, and James followed the same morning routine as he did every day. He would wake up, make coffee, collect the newspaper, and start his day quietly at home. However, that morning, she noticed something was different. Wendy recalled:
"James had gotten up to get the newspaper at about 9 o'clock, but he didn't make the coffee like he usually does...I just heard the door open because he was getting the paper."
Regarding whether she noticed anything unusual that morning, Wendy says she was still in bed and didn't see anything peculiar other than her partner not returning for coffee. She recalled hearing the front door open and assuming everything was normal. It was only after the police officers arrived at her door about 30 minutes later that she realised something was terribly wrong.
Even when the first responders arrived, Wendy had no idea that they were there for James, or that her son had already wreaked havoc with his bizarre 911 call. She only heard people talking about someone who was found wrapped in a blanket outside the house that she and James shared. In her words:
"I didn't know what was going on. The first time I heard something was happening was when the police showed up. They said someone had called 911, and they told me someone was wrapped in a blanket outside the house. At first, I didn't know who they were talking about. Then they told me to get away from the door because they thought there was still someone dangerous outside."
Authorities allege that it was Wendy's 44-year-old son, Michael Gledhill, who had stabbed Handy during a confrontation outside the Tarzana home in the 19200 block of Erwin Street that they all shared. When the police arrived, they found the 81-year-old actor lying unconscious in the front yard with a stab wound to the chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries. Regarding a possible fallout between James and Michael, Wendy says:
"I can only assume my son was already out there and they started to argue, from my understanding, on the front yard."
Investigators say Michael himself made a rather unsettling 911 call around 9:30 a.m., allegedly telling dispatchers, "I am the son of man. I just killed a man of sin." Interestingly, the suspect reportedly handed himself over to the nearby responding officers.
Wendy said her son had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and believes he may have stopped taking his medication about a week before the incident. However, she still has no idea what could have triggered the argument between the two men. Neighbours told local media that they could hear Handy and Gledhill arguing loudly the night before the fatal incident. Other locals described Michael as getting increasingly paranoid in recent months.
Wendy remains devastated by the loss of the man she loved for 31 years. Meanwhile, Michael remains at the Van Nuys Jail on one count of murder with a USD 2 million bail.
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