RismadarVoice Reporters, May 23, 2026
A U.S. federal court has convicted the estranged husband of a prominent New York art dealer for orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot that led to the killing of his spouse in Brazil, bringing a dramatic legal chapter in a high-profile international case closer to conclusion.
Daniel Sikkema, 55, was found guilty on Friday in a federal court in Manhattan on charges including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death. He now faces a mandatory life sentence.
The conviction stems from the January 2024 killing of renowned art dealer Brent Sikkema, 75, who was found stabbed to death inside his townhouse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Daniel Sikkema, a dual U.S.-Cuban citizen who lived in New York, was arrested in April 2024 after investigators linked him to the alleged murder arrangement.
According to prosecutors, the killing took place amid contentious divorce proceedings between the couple.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said investigators found evidence that Daniel Sikkema had used a burner phone and coordinated plans that ultimately led to Brent’s death.
“Amid contentious divorce proceedings with his then-husband, Daniel Sikkema used a burner phone line to callously order the killing of his husband,” Clayton said following the verdict.
He described the killing as a “senseless, cold-blooded murder,” adding that the verdict delivered “a meaningful measure of justice.”
Authorities said the alleged hired killer was arrested in Brazil shortly after the crime and remains in custody there.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Daniel Sikkema maintained repeated communication with the suspected hitman before and after the killing and transferred more than $10,000 as part of the arrangement, while allegedly promising additional payments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Pavlis told the court that the defendant believed he stood to gain financially from his spouse’s death.
“At the same time, Daniel Sikkema bragged to others that he would get more money from his spouse’s death than from a divorce settlement,” prosecutors argued.
Investigators also alleged that after Brent Sikkema’s death, efforts were made to conceal evidence and benefit from his estate.
Brent Sikkema was a respected figure in the international art community and built a multimillion-dollar business through his Manhattan-based gallery, Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, which represented several internationally recognised artists over nearly three decades.
The couple also shared a teenage son.
Daniel Sikkema’s lawyer, Florian Miedel, criticised the verdict and said an appeal would be filed.
“We are disappointed in the verdict,” Miedel said. “Daniel is staying strong and hopes to be vindicated in the end.”
During the trial, the defence argued that the prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and failed to present direct proof linking Daniel Sikkema to the crime.
“Life is messy. The truth is not always obvious,” Miedel told jurors.
