Brazilian police investigating the murder of Brent Sikkema, a prominent New York art dealer who was found stabbed to death last month in his Rio de Janeiro apartment, are now seeking the arrest of his husband, Daniel Sikkema.
It was a shocking twist in a case that has taken the art world by storm. Brent Sikkema has represented a number of leading contemporary artists, and his gallery was preparing to help one of them, Jeffrey Gibson, represent the United States this spring at the Venice Biennale, the world’s most prestigious exhibition.
Daniel Sikkema’s lawyer, Fabiana Marques, said he was innocent and remained in New York, where he was “shocked” by the latest development.
When Brent Sikkema was found dead in Rio, investigators said at least $40,000 had been stolen. After recovering surveillance video they said showed his former bodyguard, a 30-year-old man named Alejandro Triana Prevez, going in and out of the house, they arrested Mr. Prevez about 600 miles northwest of the city. (Police initially identified Mr. Prevez by his last name Trevez.)
Mr. Prevez’s lawyer, Gregorio Andrade, said that Mr. Prevez claims that Daniel Sickema had offered him $200,000 to carry out the murder. “It reduced my client,” Mr. Andrade said.
The Sikkemas were married for nearly 15 years but have been locked in divorce proceedings since 2022, which included a dispute over custody of their son, who is now 13.
Daniel Sikkema’s lawyer, Ms Marques, said her client was innocent of murder. “It is important to note that Daniel did not have the opportunity to be interviewed by the police, despite the fact that he proactively offered to be interviewed via email,” he said.
He disputed Mr. Prevez’s account. “Alejandro’s strategy of accusing someone of being the mastermind behind the crime, especially while flanked by his lawyers, is clearly aimed at securing a more lenient sentence,” he argued.
It was rare to see Daniel Sikkema at the openings and closings of his husband’s exhibitions, according to friends of the art dealer. He immigrated to the United States after a difficult childhood in Cuba and an early adulthood working as an escort in Spain. He recounted that journey in a 2006 autobiography titled “Ticket to Paradise,” which described how he escaped the island and made a living.
One night shortly after Brent Sikkema was found dead, Daniel Sikkema posted a photo of a black rose on social media bearing his birth name, Daniel García Carrera. He later wrote a short post in Spanish to express his grief. “Our son and I cry for you without tears, we cry for you in the way that hurts the most,” he said.
Friends of the art dealer continued to mourn his death.
“His heart was in art,” said Arlene Shechet, an artist represented by Brent Sikkema’s gallery, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., for several years. “Being a businessman was never his inspiration.”
Former Artforum editor-in-chief David Velasco had become close to Brent Sikkema and planned to visit the dealer in Rio when he learned of the murder.
“He was a friend and a father figure in a way,” Mr. Velasco said. “I remember seeing him and Daniel after their son was born. He was over the moon.”
“Every part of it,” Mr. Velasco said, “is so heartbreaking.”
Ana Ionova contributed reporting from Rio de Janeiro.
