Jubilant Sykes, a 71-year-old Grammy-nominated baritone opera singer, was fatally stabbed in his Santa Monica, California, home on Monday evening, December 8, 2025.​
Santa Monica Police responded to a 911 call reporting an assault in progress around 9:20 p.m., finding Sykes with critical stab wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. His 31-year-old son, Micah Sykes, was located inside the residence, taken into custody without incident, and booked on suspicion of homicide with $2 million bail.​
Authorities described the incident as a domestic matter with no ongoing threat to the community; a weapon was recovered, and the case is under investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.​
Career Highlights
Sykes earned a Grammy nomination in 2010 for his role as the Celebrant in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, recorded with the Morgan State University Choir. He performed at prestigious venues like the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, and Barbican Center, collaborating with artists such as Julie Andrews, Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, and Brian Wilson.​
Sykes and his wife, Cecilia—who made the 911 call—had three sons together; family reports noted Micah’s history of mental illness, though its role remains undetermined.
