Brandon Sykes was a petty thief who according to Anthony DiNozzo was suspected of causing a homicide over an iPod. At the time of his death, Sykes was engaged to secretary Jessica Shore. Sykes later met Kevin Nelson on the rooftop of a warehouse and the two got into a fight which ended with Sykes being thrown off the roof and landing onto the ground just as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Timothy McGee, Ziva David and DiNozzo were approaching the warehouse, startling the team.