Jubilant Sykes’s autopsy report reveals Grammy-nominated singer was stabbed 78 times in brutal 2025 slaying as his SON sits in jail on murder charges

A newly released autopsy report on the late opera singer Jubilant Sykes reveals disturbing new details about his brutal murder.

The Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner’s report reveals that Sykes died at 71 as the result of ‘multiple stab wounds,’ according to Us Weekly, which obtained the records on Tuesday.

Sykes’s death – which occurred in his home in Santa Monica, California, on December 8, 2025 – was ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner.

The singer’s son, 32-year-old Micah Sykes, was subsequently arrested for his killing.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for comment on the report’s release but has not yet received a response.

An attorney representing Micah Sykes could not immediately be established.

According to Us Weekly, the Medical Examiner’s report includes details about Sykes’s wife, Cecelia Sykes, who witnessed his murder. 

She alleged in a call to the Santa Monica Police Department that ‘her son, who has a documented history of mental illness, had stabbed and killed’ his father

According to the report, ‘The wife was in the shower when she heard the decedent yell out for her to call 9-1-1. When she came out of the shower, she saw their adult son standing over [Sykes] stabbing him with an apparent artifactual sharp edge weapon.’

According to the documents, Sykes suffered a minimum of 73 wounds in the course of the brutal assault before he was declared dead at the scene.

Of those wounds, the report determined that 68 were ‘sharp force’ injuries, while five were ‘blunt force’ injuries.

The report indicated that police discovered two weapons at the scene responsible for the injuries: ‘a curved knife with the blade measuring approximately 9 inches long and 2 inches wide’ and ‘a 10-pound dumbbell containing apparent blood stains.’

Toxicology tests performed reportedly did not indicate the presence of any illicit or prescribed drugs in Sykes’s system.

Sykes’s son Micah was arrested shortly after the killing.

In February, Micah Sykes appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom, where he interrupted prosecutors and asked for his mother as a judge ordered him held without bail as he faces a murder charge.

During the hearing, Micah interjected while Deputy District Attorney Cesar Rodriguez was speaking, saying, ‘I don’t see my mother here… This person’s not telling the truth whatsoever.’ 

The outburst came as prosecutors argued that he should be held on $2 million bail, a request Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa R. McGonigle granted. 

His arraignment was delayed until February 11 at the defense’s request.

Rodriguez told the court that Micah’s mother witnessed the fatal attack and is now protected under a court-issued no-contact order barring Micah from communicating with her.

The prosecutor also cited concerns about Micah’s mental health, telling the judge the defendant had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was supposed to be medicated but was either under-medicated or not following doctors’ orders.

Rodriguez said Micah is homeless and has nowhere to stay other than his parents’ home. 

He also told the court that other family members were present and wanted it communicated that they love the defendant.

Police say Sykes was killed on Monday night after officers responded to an assault call at a home in the 1700 block of Delaware Avenue around 9.20pm.

According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers arrived to find Sykes suffering from ‘critical injuries consistent with a stabbing.’ 

He was pronounced dead at the scene. A weapon was recovered inside the home.

Micah Sykes was found inside the residence and taken into custody without incident, police said. 

Authorities described the killing as a domestic incident and said there was no ongoing threat to the community.

Prosecutors told the court that Jubilant’s wife was inside the home at the time of the attack and was the one who called 911. The court later ordered that Micah have no contact with her.

In the days since the killing, troubling allegations from Micah’s past have resurfaced.

According to a restraining order obtained by TMZ, Micah was accused years earlier of violent and erratic behavior.

In 2017, a woman named Sarah Bennett sought a restraining order against him on behalf of herself and several friends following an alleged break-in attempt at a friend’s family home.

In the filing, Bennett alleged Micah had become fixated on her, claiming she was his ‘true love’ and repeatedly contacting her. 

She also alleged that Micah had tried to force his way into a home weeks later and had previously been violent with his own family.

Though the restraining order dates back more than eight years, its claims have drawn renewed scrutiny following Jubilant Sykes’ death.

A neighborhood insider previously told TMZ that Micah was not living with his father at the time of the killing and had been seen wandering the area, ‘rambling in public and shouting nonsensical things,’ amid ongoing mental health struggles.

The source added that Jubilant ‘loved Micah’ and had recently expressed hope that his son was ‘doing really well.’

Jubilant Sykes was a celebrated baritone whose career spanned decades and continents. 

He earned a Grammy nomination for his performance in a 2009 recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Hollywood Bowl and London’s Barbican Centre.

He also collaborated with an eclectic range of artists, including Julie Andrews, Josh Groban, Carlos Santana and Brian Wilson.

Despite his success, those who knew him described Sykes as deeply committed to his community and his family. 

He shared three sons with his wife, Cecelia.