SANTA MONICA—An autopsy report for renowned Grammy-nominated opera singer Jubilant Sykes, 71, has been released to the public nearly seven months after his death.
Sykes was murdered on December 8, 2025, inside his family home in Santa Monica. Authorities responded to a 911 call from Jubilant’s wife, Cecelia, around 9.20 p.m. after she reported that their son stabbed her husband.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, Cecelia came out of the shower and saw their adult son Micah standing over Jubilant, stabbing him with what she described as a sharp-edged weapon. When officers arrived at the residence, Sykes was found suffering from critical injuries consistent with a stabbing.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the autopsy report from the Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner, the killing was ruled a homicide.
Sykes suffered 68 sharp force injuries and five blunt force injuries, for a total of at least 73 wounds. The report noted that Micah Sykes, 31, used a nine-inch curved blade and also struck his father with a 10-pound dumbbell.
Medical examiners concluded that multiple weapons were used in the attack. No motive has officially been released for why Micah allegedly killed his father.
Law enforcement and the victim’s family have made clear that Micah has a documented history of mental illness. He is currently being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in August 2026.
Jubilant Sykes has is a Grammy-nominated opera singer who has performed at venues including Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, The Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican Centre, Hollywood Bowl, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl to name a few.
He has collaborated with artists including Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, Julie Andrews and John Beasley to name a few. He was nominated for Best Classical Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards.
