What to Know About Jubilant Sykes’ Family and Son Accused of Stabbing Him

Jubilant Sykes was a Grammy-nominated opera singer who was stabbed to death on Dec. 8, 2025.

The baritone was found dead in his Santa Monica, Calif., home after suffering several stab wounds, according to a press release shared by the Santa Monica Police Department on Dec. 9. He was 71 years old.

At the time of the assault, his 31-year-old son, Micah, was arrested on suspicion of homicide. Police referred to him as “the suspect” who “was found inside the residence and taken into custody without incident.”

Jubilant was married to his wife, Cecelia Sykes, and together, the couple had welcomed three sons together.

Here’s everything to know about Jubilant Sykes’ family, including his son Micah, who was booked on suspicion of his homicide.

He was married to his childhood love, Cecelia Sykes, for 37 years

Jubilant had been married to his wife, Cecelia, who went by Cece, since March 1988, per his Instagram. In March 2020, he celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary by posting a picture of the two of them smiling and hugging each other on a couch overlooking the beach.

“A walk on the beach… Celebrating 32 years today,” he captioned the post.

Although Jubilant kept details of their relationship private, he previously said that he had known and loved her since they were children.

“I’ve known this woman since I was 3. Truth be told- I’ve always loved her,” he wrote under a picture of them hugging in December 2019.

Throughout his musical career, Jubilant had the support of his wife. He frequently shared photos of Cecelia going on tour with him, attending his concerts and joining him for various celebrations and events.

Sykes was the father of three sons

In the first decade of Jubilant and Cecelia’s marriage, they welcomed three sons. The couple mostly kept their children out of the spotlight and didn’t publicly disclose their birthdays, but they are all grown adults as of 2025.

When Jubilant was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times ahead of the 1997 New Year, he told the publication that he was hoping to spend “even greater quality time” with his family — including “just hanging out with the kids in the backyard.”

Prior to his death, Jubilant had described Micah as an “artist” in 2020. Meanwhile, his son Madison previously lived in New York City and was pursuing a career in film as of 2019.

In June 2020, Jubilant reflected on being a father of three Black men amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Seeing these photos of my sons as young boys and young adult men, moves me now to tears,” he captioned a photo of his kids as children and as adults. “Knowing how blessed we’ve been to still be here and to experience a LOVE that transcends all.”

He added, “Yet who would ever think that all of these young men as well as myself would at some point in our adult lives experience being hand cuffed, put in a police car, stripped search from the waist down in front of your peers and taken to a downtown precinct. All at different times in our lives.”

Jubilant ended his post by expressing his gratitude towards “God’s amazing love that has filled us and keeps us, persuades us to keep fighting, trusting, hoping and loving to the bitter end.”

He raised his family in Southern California

Jubilant was born and raised in Los Angeles and continued raising his three sons in Southern California, per his website’s biography.

The family of five used to go on walks together and enjoyed time on the beach. Jubilant and Cecelia frequently spent quality time on scenic walks, and the singer even noted that walks along the beach were when Cecelia was “in her element.”

Sykes was stabbed to death in his Los Angeles home in December 2025

Jubilant was fatally stabbed in his Santa Monica home on Dec. 8, 2025, the Santa Monica Police Department shared in a statement the following day. Authorities said that Cecelia called 911 around 9:20 p.m. that night to report an assault in their home, per The New York Times.

Shortly after authorities responded to the call, they found Jubilant with “critical injuries consistent with a stabbing.” He was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was 71 years old.

Police later called the stabbing an “isolated incident occurring within a private residence” that didn’t pose an “ongoing threat to the community.”

Jubilant’s management company, ACM 360 Artists, later released a statement to USA Today where they reflected on the “tragic passing” of the “Grammy-nominated baritone, actor, husband, father, and beloved friend.”

“Jubilant’s remarkable artistry touched millions, and his voice was rightly described as ‘art at its highest expression.’ Jubilant’s deep Christian faith perspective was the foundation of all that he was, and he will be greatly missed,” the company’s president told the outlet.

Micah was arrested on suspicion of homicide following his father’s death

At the same time that police announced Jubilant’s death, they also revealed that his son, Micah, was arrested on suspicion of the homicide. The 31-year-old was taken into custody after he was found inside the home where the attack took place.

Police are still investigating the crime and set Micah’s bail at $2 million, per Los Angeles County jail records.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation,” authorities wrote in a statement. “The suspect will be booked for homicide, and the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.”

In addition to detectives from the Santa Monica Police Department responding, officers from the Investigations Division and forensic specialists also searched the home. A weapon was recovered at the scene.

Micah reportedly has a history with “mental instability”

After Micah was arrested on suspicion of attacking his dad, the Sykes family told authorities that he had a history of mental illness, Lt. Lewis Gilmour said in a statement shared with The New York Times. Neither the police nor the family has elaborated on Micah’s reported mental illness.

Years before Micah was arrested for allegedly stabbing his father, he received a restraining order from a woman who accused him of threatening behavior, per a 2017 petition obtained by Rolling Stone.

“Micah shows signs of mental instability. His behavior is unpredictable,” the petition read. “Micah poses a real threat … and he has been violent with his own family members.”

The Southern California woman alleged that Micah approached her outside of a church and professed his love for her. She claimed that he believed she also loved him, and the confrontation turned heated when a man intervened.

Micah allegedly asked the person who broke up the altercation, “Do you have a sharp object in your back pocket?”

As a result of the alleged altercation, Micah allegedly tried to break into the man’s father’s home. He was subsequently placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, while the woman was granted the restraining order in October 2017.