Daniel Sikkema was sentenced to life in prison for arranging the 2024 murder of his former husband, art dealer Brent Sikkema. (Foto: Instagram)
Daniel Sikkema, 56, was sentenced to life in prison for arranging and paying for the murder of his former husband, American art dealer Brent Sikkema, 75. A federal court in Manhattan, New York, issued the sentence Wednesday, Nov. 4. Brent was killed in his Rio de Janeiro home in January 2024.
Daniel was found guilty in May, after a two-week trial, on three charges: murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country. In addition to life in prison, he received five years of supervised release to be served after his prison term, according to U.S. authorities.
Brent was killed on Jan. 14, 2024, at his home in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood in Rio’s South Zone. He was found with 18 stab wounds. Investigators and evidence presented at trial indicated that Daniel began arranging the killing in 2023, during a contentious divorce. The couple had been married for about 15 years and had one child.
Investigators said Daniel hired Cuban national Alejandro Triana Prevez to carry out the killing. To finance the plan, Daniel made 11 transfers to Prevez and Prevez’s partner, who was in Cuba. Prosecutors said Daniel used the identities of friends, relatives and employees to conceal where the money came from. He also allegedly arranged for a secret phone to communicate with Prevez as the plan was prepared.
On the night of the killing, Prevez entered Brent’s home and stabbed him 18 times. He then called Daniel several times using a number they had agreed on in advance. Daniel sent Prevez $5,000 after the killing and promised additional payments, according to the account presented in the case. Brazilian authorities arrested Prevez on Jan. 18, 2024, four days after the murder. His case is still pending in Brazil.
The investigation involved Brazilian and U.S. authorities, including Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police and the FBI. Cooperation between the two countries helped advance the investigation and led to Daniel’s prosecution in the United States. After sentencing, Jamie McDonald, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the conviction held Daniel accountable for a murder planned and carried out for payment. McDonald said Daniel had manipulated people close to him to enable the crime.
Brent was a prominent American art dealer and owned a well-known gallery in Manhattan. During his career, he helped promote contemporary artists, including American artist Kara Walker and Brazilian artist Vik Muniz. He founded Sikkema Jenkins & Co., later renamed Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, and also maintained a home in Rio de Janeiro, a city he was said to greatly enjoy. His killing drew international attention and prompted a cross-border investigation.
