The 75-year-old US citizen, founder of one of New York’s most famous art galleries, was killed in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro late Monday night. Brent G. Sikkema’s body bore puncture marks apparently caused by scissors and a screwdriver.
Sikkema, who founded the gallery Sikkema Jenkins & Co. in 1991, was found dead by firefighters shortly after 11:00 pm local time at 2 a.m. Tuesday in Lisbon in an apartment in Jardim Botanico, one of the most exclusive areas of Rio de -Janeiro. , in the south of this city.
The apartment where the American businessman was found belonged to him, and until this Tuesday the police did not reveal the details of the crime, which has an international resonance, especially in artistic circles. When firefighters rushed into the apartment to help the victim, which they ultimately did not do because Sikkema was already dead, his identity was still unknown, which was only revealed later, early Tuesday morning.
The case has been transferred to Rio de Janeiro’s civil police (judicial branch) homicide unit, which is already bugging neighbors and other potential witnesses and trying to obtain CCTV images.