James Handy stabbing latest: Eerie 911 call revealed after son of Top Gun star’s girlfriend arrested

“I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” the caller said.

Police said Handy was found unconscious in the yard of a Los Angeles home Wednesday, suffering from a stab wound to his chest. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Although investigators have yet to disclose a motive for the attack on Handy, neighbors have reportedly told local TV station Fox 11 that he and Gledhill had been overheard arguing overnight Tuesday and one resident claimed the latter had been suffering from “delusions” prior to Wednesday’s incident.

The network has also broadcast doorbell camera footage that it said showed the suspect calmly pacing the pavement as he waited for the police to arrive Wednesday morning, before returning to the scene in the company of officers.

Police have arrested Michael Gledhill, 44, following Handy’s death.

Investigators said Gledhill lived at the property with his mother, whom they described as the actor’s girlfriend.

Police said he approached officers responding to the scene and “told them he was the one they were looking for.”

Gledhill was arrested and booked at the Van Nuys jail on suspicion of murder, with his bail set at $2m, according to law enforcement records.

It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. Jail records did not list legal representation for him and messages left with the county public defender’s office were not immediately returned.

Investigators said they believed the stabbing was “an isolated incident” and that there was “no danger to the public at this time”.

No motive for the stabbing was disclosed and police requested anyone with additional information about the incident to get in touch.

In a chilling detail released by the LAPD, the person who first called 911, possibly Gledhill himself, told the dispatcher: “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”

If you’re just joining us, we’re covering the death of James Handy, the actor known for roles in films such as Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick, who was stabbed to death at his Los Angeles home Wednesday, police said.

The LAPD said officers from its West Valley division responded to a 911 call indicating “unknown trouble” at a property in Tarzana, in San Fernando Valley, at around 9:30 a.m. local time.

They found Handy, 81, unconscious in the front yard with a stab wound to his chest. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Shahana Yasmin has a full report.

More tributes have been paid to James Handy, with writer Don Winslow and entertainment journalist Jay Bobbin paying their respects.

Winslow recalls his “terrific” work on UC: Undercover and Bobbin his “unforgettable” turn in Sidney Lumet’s The Verdict opposite Paul Newman in 1982.

The deceased played many parts in which he made an impact, adding authenticity to everything from The X Files to Logan and Top Gun: Maverick, which proved to be his final appearance.

Here’s Lauren Moody on the life of a dependable character player who had many small but memorable roles in TV and film across a four-decades career in entertainment.

Scott Alan Smith, professor of Performing Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design, who directed James Handy in a play in 2018, has paid tribute to the actor in a post on Facebook.

“Jim was not only a truly great actor, he was also a prince of a man – kind and generous and giving to his cast and audience,” Smith wrote.

Actress Nancy Lipner recalled working with Handy when he was cast as her father in a play in New York City.

“He was only two or three years older than I, but somehow he brought it off, in large part because he was a terrific character actor and even though, as he told me, not particularly at home in anything resembling classic theatre,” she wrote.

Fans have also been taking to forums like Reddit’s r/movies to remember Handy from his many screen appearances, with one calling him “one of those ‘that guy’ actors I always appreciated.”

Another noted that his “voice was so recognizable that you could pick him out even if you didn’t know his name.”

On the Disney fan site, Days Gone Disney, Handy was remembered as “one of those familiar faces you may not always know by name – but you instantly recognized on screen… He brought authenticity and depth to every performance.

“James Handy helped bring so many stories to life, often in quiet but memorable ways that stayed with audiences long after the credits rolled.”

Comments under the post included one fan saying: “Great actor! Watch his performance in The Verdict, he holds his own in scenes with Paul Newman. Rest in Peace.”

Another wrote: “Such a wonderful man and an iconic actor! Heaven definitely gained an angel.”