Federal Murder-for-Hire Trial Begins for Husband of Slain New York Art Dealer

Federal prosecutors opened a murder-for-hire trial in Manhattan on Tuesday against Daniel Sikkema , who is accused of orchestrating the January 2024 killing of his estranged husband, prominent art dealer Brent Sikkema . Brent Sikkema, 75, was found with 18 stab wounds in his townhouse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Daniel Sikkema, 55, faces federal charges for allegedly arranging the hit during a contentious divorce and remains held without bail.

The trial’s first witness, retired pharmacist Angela Liriano , testified that Daniel Sikkema expressed a desire for his husband's death a month before the killing occurred. Liriano told the jury that during a December 2023 phone call, the defendant said, “I truly hope that he’s dead, that he dies,” after learning Brent Sikkema was traveling to Brazil. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Pavlis told jurors that the government would present digital and financial records showing Daniel Sikkema funneled more than $10,000 to an alleged hitman and promised further payments.

Defense attorney Florian Miedel urged the jury to view the prosecution's case as based on circumstantial evidence and “assumptions.” Miedel argued that while the couple’s divorce was “ugly,” Daniel Sikkema would not deprive their 13-year-old son of a parent. The defense also contended that extreme statements made during a separation do not prove a criminal plot and noted that no hitman is expected to testify during the proceedings.

Brent Sikkema was the co-owner of the Manhattan gallery Sikkema Malloy Jenkins , which has represented high-profile international artists for nearly three decades. Prosecutors allege Daniel Sikkema sought to secure a larger portion of his husband's multimillion-dollar estate through the killing than he would have received in a divorce settlement. While an alleged hitman remains in custody in Brazil, the federal trial in New York is expected to continue with further witness testimony and evidence regarding the defendant's communications.