Daniel Sikkema Sentenced to Life for Murder of Art Dealer Brent Sikkema

Daniel Sikkema has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the murder of his estranged husband, New York art dealer Brent Sikkema. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York announced the sentence on Wednesday.

Sikkema was convicted in May on three charges: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country. The two-week trial in New York preceded the conviction. The charges stemmed from the January 2024 killing of Brent Sikkema in Rio de Janeiro.

According to court proceedings, Brent Sikkema was stabbed 18 times on January 14, 2024, at age 75. Prosecutors argued the killing was planned amid a bitter divorce and a custody dispute involving the couple’s son.

The life sentence underscores the severity of a premeditated murder-for-hire plot that the court found was driven by greed and resulted in the loss of a prominent art dealer’s life.

Brent Sikkema founded his gallery in 1991, which was known for its early support of artists including Kara Walker, Vik Muniz, Jeffrey Gibson, and Sheila Hicks. Following his death, the gallery was renamed Sikkema Malloy Jenkins.

To orchestrate the murder, Daniel Sikkema hired Alejandro Prevez to carry out the act, promising to send Prevez and a romantic interest money. Daniel sent 11 payments in total. Shortly after Brent’s murder, Daniel “secretly sent a $5,000 payment to Prevez for the murder,” according to court files.

Prevez was arrested by Brazilian law enforcement on January 18, 2024, and his criminal case remains pending in Brazilian courts.

US Attorney Jamie McDonald said in a statement that the life sentence holds Daniel Sikkema accountable for a “cold, calculated murder-for-hire plot” and that for months he had “manipulated friends, family, and employees to execute a killing driven by greed.” McDonald added that the actions demonstrated a “profound disregard for human life and the rule of law.”