Gallerist’s Husband Faces Murder-for-Hire Indictment, DOJ Reveals Disturbing Plot
Daniel Sikkema faces charges that could lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty for allegedly orchestrating the murder of his estranged husband, Brent Sikkema, in Rio de Janeiro.
The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed a superseding indictment against Daniel Sikkema, a 54-year-old New Yorker accused of orchestrating the murder of his estranged husband, an American art dealer, in Rio de Janeiro last year. This announcement, made public on Tuesday, provides the most detailed account yet of how Sikkema allegedly hired a contract killer to eliminate his husband amid their bitter divorce proceedings—an assassination that has shaken the international art world.
Federal authorities state that Sikkema, starting in 2023, arranged payments for another individual, referred to in the indictment as “CC-1,” to kill his estranged husband. According to U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon for the Southern District of New York, this was a “cold-blooded plot” to remove a spouse with a “multi-million-dollar estate.” Investigators say that Sikkema funneled money through stolen identities and intermediaries to hide his involvement. The victim was ultimately found stabbed to death on Jan. 14, 2024, in his Rio apartment.
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The Department of Justice notes that Sikkema faces four charges, including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to murder a person in a foreign country. These charges carry a possible sentence of life imprisonment or even the death penalty—a measure the DOJ says reflects the severity of a premeditated killing that targeted a U.S. citizen overseas. The victim, a well-known gallerist, had built a distinguished reputation representing prominent contemporary artists, and his brutal murder quickly became a grim scandal connecting the art world’s glamour to a lurid murder-for-hire scheme.
Before this indictment, Sikkema had already faced charges of passport fraud in New York earlier this year. Brazilian authorities have also pushed for his extradition, alleging he directly ordered the murder. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York appear prepared to demonstrate how Sikkema transferred money to CC-1 both before and after the killing, masking payments to appear unrelated. Investigators have gathered evidence such as text messages, bank transfers, and the victim’s own warnings to friends about escalating tensions within his divorce.
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Sikkema’s legal team insists that he is “completely innocent” and intends to prove that in court. Still, the Department of Justice underscores that an indictment is not a conviction; Sikkema is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Even so, the potential for a mandatory life sentence or capital punishment underscores how high the stakes have become. For the art world, which has been mourning the loss of a major figure, these developments serve as a somber reminder of how personal conflicts can spiral into deadly violence. With the case now moving forward in a federal courtroom, observers worldwide are watching for justice—and for an unsettling commentary on the intersection of wealth, marital discord, and murder.
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