Michael Gledhill faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted as charged
June 6, 2026 – TARZANA, CA – A 44-year-old man was charged on Friday with fatally stabbing his mother’s elderly boyfriend, actor James Handy, 
outside a Tarzana home earlier this week.
“This is not how anyone’s life should end, stabbed in the chest and left dying in the front yard of a home,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “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.”
Michael Gledhill (44) was charged in case 26VWCF01097 with one count of murder with a special allegation that he personally used a deadly weapon, a knife. He is expected to be arraigned today in Department 100 of the Van Nuys Courthouse.
On June 3, at about 9:30 a.m., police responded to a 911 call in the 19200 block of Erwin Street. When officers arrived, they found James Handy, 81, had been stabbed and was lying in the front yard of a home. Handy was taken to a nearby hospital where he died.
Related: 81-Year-Old Actor James Handy Fatally Killed in Tarzana Stabbing by Girlfriend's Son
Police arrested Gledhill who lived at the home with his mother who had been dating Handy.
If convicted as charged, Gledhill faces up to 26 years to life in state prison. Prosecutors are recommending bail be set at $2.02 million.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney George Morris of the Family Violence Division and remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.
The charges filed in this case are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office