Judge finds man accused in James Handy killing incompetent for trial

A Los Angeles judge has halted the murder case against Michael Gledhill after finding the 44-year-old not mentally competent to stand trial in the stabbing death of actor James Handy. The ruling means the court cannot move forward with a criminal trial unless Gledhill is later found able to understand the case and help his lawyer defend him.

Competency is a threshold issue in the U.S. justice system. A defendant must be able to grasp the nature of the proceedings and assist counsel in a rational way; when that standard is not met, the case pauses while the court focuses on treatment and evaluation rather than trial. In Gledhill’s case, the matter had already been sent to Hollywood Mental Health Court after defense concerns were raised, and the June 22 decision followed earlier court-ordered psychiatric evaluations.

Handy, 81, was stabbed on June 3 in Tarzana, in the 19200 block of Erwin Street, and later died at a hospital. Police said officers responded to a 911 call around 9:30 a.m. and found him with stab wounds in the front yard of a home he shared with his girlfriend, Wendy Gledhill, and her son, Michael Gledhill. Investigators said Michael Gledhill was arrested at the scene after allegedly flagging down officers and telling them he was the person they were looking for. Dispatchers also received a call in which the caller allegedly said, "I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin."

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Gledhill with murder and a special allegation that he personally used a knife. Prosecutors said he faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted as charged. His bail was set at about $2 million.

Wendy Gledhill has said her son had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had recently stopped taking prescribed medication, with his condition worsening in recent months. Those details, along with the family connection between the victim and the accused, have made the case especially wrenching for Handy’s relatives and complicated for prosecutors seeking accountability.

Handy was widely known for roles in Jumanji, Top Gun: Maverick and Logan, along with television credits including The X-Files and NYPD Blue. For now, the competency ruling puts the criminal case on hold, leaving the court to decide whether treatment can restore Gledhill to a point where a trial is legally possible.