Late actor James Handy’s partner, Wendy Gledhill, is looking back at the final moments before he was allegedly stabbed by her son, Michael Gledhill.
“James had gotten up to get the newspaper at about 9 o’clock, but he didn’t make the coffee like he usually does,” Wendy told the Daily Mail in an interview published on Tuesday, June 9. “I just heard the door open because he was getting the paper.”
Wendy “can only assume” what happened next because she stayed in bed.
She speculated that Michael, 44, was “already” outside of their shared Los Angeles home.
“They started to argue, from my understanding, on the front yard,” Wendy continued, referring to Handy and Michael.
Los Angeles police confirmed that they responded to a call at Handy’s home on June 3. Michael allegedly “flagged down nearby responding officers” and told them that “he was the one they were looking for” after the stabbing.
“The suspect resides at the location with his mother, who is the victim’s girlfriend,” the LAPD’s statement continued. “Detectives believe this is an isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time.”
Handy was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The actor was 81.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Wendy told the Daily Mail on Tuesday. “The first time I heard something was happening was when the police showed up.”
She continued, “They said someone had called 911 and they told me someone was wrapped in a blanket outside the house. At first, I didn’t know who they were talking about. Then they told me to get away from the door because they thought there was still someone dangerous outside.”
Wendy previously told TMZ that Michael battles schizophrenia but had apparently stopped taking his medication. However, she told the Daily Mail that she doesn’t know “for sure” if he stopped the mental health treatment.
Wendy got emotional while telling the publication that she is “beyond devastated” by the entire situation.
“I was with James for 31 years and of course I loved him dearly,” she added. “’This is so difficult.”
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed on Friday, June 5, that Michael was charged with Handy’s murder. He is facing 26 years in state prison if convicted and bail is set at $2 million.
Michael is expected to appear in mental health court on Monday, June 22.
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