In a shocking incident, an American art dealer and co-owner of a prominent gallery in Manhattan, Brent Sikkema, was brutally murdered in his apartment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 75-year-old victim had suffered 18 stab wounds. Thankfully, the authorities have made a breakthrough in the case, with the recent arrest of a suspect near Uberaba, a city in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais.
Arrest Made in Brazil
Rio state police apprehended the suspected killer, Alejandro Triana Trevez, who was found resting at a gas station. Local media reports suggest that Trevez is of Cuban origin. The police stated that Trevez allegedly took $3,000 from Sikkema’s home. According to Detective Felipe Curi, the lead investigator of the state police homicide unit, the primary motive behind the crime appears to be theft, resulting in homicide.
Investigation and New Leads
As the investigation progresses, law enforcement has obtained a 30-day prison warrant against Trevez. This will allow the authorities to delve into other leads, including determining whether there was any prior connection between the suspect and the victim. Curi stated that initial findings indicate Trevez traveled specifically from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro to commit the crime. The fact that he then returned to Sao Paulo suggests he may have had insider information.
Remembering Brent Sikkema
Brent Sikkema was an influential figure in the art world. He co-founded Sikkema Jenkins & Co. gallery in New York, displaying works by renowned artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, Arturo Herrera, Sheila Hicks, Vik Muniz, and Kara Walker. Sikkema’s passion for art began in 1971 when he worked as the director of exhibitions at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York. Since then, he had made significant contributions to the field, opening his first gallery in Boston in 1976.
During a trip to Zurich in 2021, Sikkema described himself on Instagram as a “chaos kind of guy” and expressed his love for Brazil and Cuba as his preferred destinations.
For more details, you can read the source article on F5 Magazine’s website.