Man Charged With Killing Opera Singer in Santa Monica Pleads Not Guilty
The son of Grammy-nominated opera singer Jubilant Sykes pleaded not guilty on Thursday to murdering his father at the family’s Santa Monica, California home, months after the renowned baritone was found fatally stabbed following a 911 call last December.
Micah Curtis Sykes, 31, was arraigned on one felony count of murder, with prosecutors including a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon in the commission of the crime and a further allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury on a victim aged 60 or older. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors allege that at approximately 9:20 p.m. on December 8, 2025, Micah Sykes attacked his 71-year-old father at the family’s home using a dagger, garden shears, and a barbell. The victim’s wife, who is also the defendant’s mother, was home at the time and called emergency services. Jubilant Sykes was pronounced dead at the scene.
The case was originally filed on December 11, 2025, with the defendant’s arraignment continued multiple times before he formally entered his not guilty plea this week. He remains held without bail, as requested by prosecutors, and is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on September 2 for a preliminary hearing to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial. If convicted as charged, Sykes faces a potential sentence of up to life in state prison.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the community continues to mourn the loss of Jubilant Sykes, describing the killing as a painful reminder of how older adults remain vulnerable to violence, even from those closest to them. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Cesar Rodriguez and Julia Cohn of the DA’s Elder Abuse Section and remains under investigation by the Santa Monica Police Department.
At an earlier court appearance shortly after his arrest, prosecutors told the court that the defendant had previously been diagnosed with a mental health condition and was reportedly not consistently taking prescribed medication at the time of the incident, according to statements made by the deputy district attorney in requesting he be held without bail. The defendant was also described as homeless at the time, with only his parents’ home available to him. A protective order was subsequently issued barring him from contacting his mother.
Jubilant Sykes grew up in Los Angeles, where he began singing as a child before building a decades-long career as a celebrated baritone, performing at venues including the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican Centre, the Apollo Theater, and the Hollywood Bowl. In 2010, he received a Grammy nomination for his recording of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass.” He is survived by his wife of 37 years and their three children.
The District Attorney’s Office has urged anyone concerned about the safety of an older adult to speak up and seek appropriate support.
About the Author
