Daniel Sikkema, the estranged husband of New York City art dealer Brent Sikkema, was convicted Friday in federal court in Manhattan after jurors found him guilty of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death in the killing of Brent Sikkema in Brazil, according to the Associated Press. The conviction carries a mandatory life sentence, prosecutors said.
Brent Sikkema, 75, was found stabbed to death in his Rio de Janeiro townhouse in January 2024, the AP reported. Daniel Sikkema, 55, was later arrested in April 2024, and prosecutors brought the case in federal court in Manhattan. The AP said jurors heard testimony and evidence tied to Daniel Sikkema’s alleged efforts to arrange the killing.
Prosecutors said Daniel Sikkema used a burner phone line to order the killing during divorce proceedings. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the case showed Daniel Sikkema used that phone line “to callously order the killing of his husband,” according to AP’s report. Clayton described the killing as a “senseless, cold-blooded murder” and said the verdict brings a “meaningful measure of justice.”
The AP reported that Clayton’s office said an alleged hitman was arrested in Brazil and remained jailed there. The prosecution also described communications and payments, telling the jury in opening statements that Daniel Sikkema funneled “over $10,000” to the man and promised more money, according to AP.
In addition to payments, prosecutors said Daniel Sikkema bragged to others about profiting from his spouse’s death. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Pavlis told the jury that Daniel Sikkema said he would get more money from Brent Sikkema’s death than from a divorce, AP reported. Prosecutors also said Daniel Sikkema and Brent Sikkema had a teenage son.
Daniel Sikkema’s lawyer, Florian Miedel, told jurors in opening statements that the case relied on circumstantial evidence. Miedel said there was no evidence proving Daniel Sikkema’s guilt, according to the AP report. After the verdict, Miedel said they were disappointed and planned to appeal.
“Daniel is staying strong and hopes to be vindicated in the end,” Miedel said, AP reported. The AP also described Brent Sikkema’s professional background, saying he had amassed a multimillion-dollar estate and owned a Manhattan contemporary art gallery that became Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, which says it represented international artists including Kara Walker, Vik Muniz and Arturo Herrera for nearly 30 years.