‘Top Gun’ Star’s Disturbing Cause of Death Revealed

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment ConVeteran actor James Handy, known for roles in films such as Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, died from a stab wound to the torso along with neck compression, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner. The term “neck compression” refers to age-related changes in the cervical spine, where nerves in the neck become pinched or compressed due to gradual wear and degeneration. Handy, 81, was found unconscious with a stab wound in the front yard of a residence in Los Angeles’s Tarzana neighborhood on June 3. He was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. Michael Gledhill, 44—the son of Wendy Gledhill, who had been in a relationship with Handy for more than 30 years—has been charged with murder after admitting responsibility for the killing. Gledhill said her son had stopped taking his schizophrenia medication a week earlier, though she said she does not know what triggered the altercation. According to a police report, Michael called 911 and said, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” Michael had been living with his mother and Handy. “I was with James for 31 years and of course I loved him dearly,” Gledhill said. “This is so difficult.”Read it at TMZRead more at The Daily Beast.