A medical report has revealed the horrific final moments of Top Gun: Maverick actor James Handy.
The 81-year-old star died on 4 June, with initial reports suggesting that he had been stabbed by his girlfriend’s son.
Now the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s report has shed more light on the shocking murder, revealing that Handy got into a verbal altercation with Michael Gledhill on the porch outside the actor’s girlfriend’s home.
Things then turned physical, according to the paperwork, with Michael mounting Handy before dragging him around to the side of the house, at which point he went inside the house and returned wielding what “appeared to be a knife”.
It’s at this point he is alleged to have stabbed James, after which he apparently called 911 and said: “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin."
As police arrived at the scene, Michael is said to have confessed to the crime.
And while James was rushed to hospital, he couldn’t be saved, and was pronounced dead at 10.48am.
The report states that “paramedics responded to the scene, initiated life-saving efforts, and transported [Handy] to the hospital, where, despite these efforts, death was pronounced”.
As well as a fatal stab wound, Handy suffered multiple rib fractures and “neck compression”.
Following Handy’s death, Gledhill was charged with one count of murder, with the use of a deadly weapon, a knife.
The 44-year-old appeared before Judge Maria Cavalluzzi at the LA County Mental Health Court in Hollywood for a hearing on Tuesday (14.07.26), where the judge ordered that Gledhill is committed to the California Department of State Hospitals until his mental competence is restored.
Gledhill will remain at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles until a suitable facility has been identified for him - which will happen by 11 August.
The involuntary medical order on Gledhill will remain in place up until a maximum commitment date of July 14, 2028.
Bail was set for Gledhill at $2 million, and, if convicted of murder, he could face up to 26 years to life in prison.
Playing the bartender in Top Gun: Maverick marked James' last appearance on screen.
Over the years, he also played the exterminator in 1995's Jumanji, and had roles in various TV shows including Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, ER, The West Wing, The Practice, Alias and The Young and the Restless.
James also featured in several crime dramas over the years, including Castle, CSI: NY, NCIS: Los Angeles, 9-1-1, NYPD Blue, Criminal Minds, Law Order, Profiler and The X-Files.
