James Handy's final public appearance before fatal stabbing

James Handy made his last public appearance on Sept. 24, 2017, sitting with the cast of the mockumentary Senior Entourage at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. The group included David Lockhart, Ed Asner, Mark Rydell, Helen Reddy and director Brian Connors; the event was an early production concept for the film, which was released in 2021.

Handy wore a button-down shirt, black pants and black shoes and played Father MacGuffin in the movie. He was killed in Los Angeles on Wednesday at age 81 after being stabbed in the chest, police said. Authorities responded to the 19200 block of Erwin Street in Tarzana after a caller said, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” Officers found Handy unconscious in the front yard with multiple stab wounds; he was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Police named 44-year-old Michael Gledhill as the suspect. Gledhill, who was living with his mother, Handy’s girlfriend, allegedly waved down officers shortly after the attack and told them he was the attacker.

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