Renowned American baritone and Grammy-nominated singer Jubilant Sykes was identified as the man fatally stabbed at a home in Santa Monica, California, with his 31-year-old son now in custody in connection with the killing.
Police said officers responded around 9:20 pm on Monday to a 911 call reporting an assault in progress at a residence on Delaware Avenue, where they found the 71-year-old singer with critical stab wounds. Paramedics from the Santa Monica Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to Santa Monica police, Sykes’ son, identified as 31-year-old Micah Sykes, was found inside the home and was detained without incident before being booked on suspicion of homicide.
Investigators recovered a weapon believed to have been used in the attack, and forensic specialists continued to process the scene through the night and into Tuesday morning.
Authorities said the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration, and the circumstances leading up to the stabbing remain under investigation.
Police officials said Sykes’ wife, Cecelia, was the one who called 911 and met officers at the door before directing them inside the home.
Investigators have said the suspect has a history of mental health struggles, although they have not determined whether he played any role in the incident. Officers believe only Sykes, his wife, and Micah were inside the residence at the time, and there were no prior recent domestic disturbance calls linked to the home.
Sykes was widely respected in the classical and gospel music worlds and performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, and the Barbican Center in London.
He earned a Grammy nomination for best classical album for his role as the Celebrant in a 2009 recording of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass.” Colleagues and fans have begun paying tribute to the singer on social media, remembering his voice and stage presence as distinctive and deeply emotive.
The Santa Monica Police Department has appealed for anyone with additional information about the case to contact its detectives as the homicide investigation continues.
