An unearthed diary has potentially offered horrifying new details about the gruesome murder of legendary art dealer Brent Sikkema.
Sikkema, 75, moved to Rio de Janeiro last Christmas after spending two years trying to resolve a bitter divorce with her ex-husband Daniel, 53.
Daniel was seeking an “unreasonable” $6 million from his supposed $20 million fortune.
On January 13, Brent was stabbed to death inside his two-story holiday home, sparking a high-profile police investigation and a search for his killer.
On January 18, delivery driver Alejandro Triana Prevez, 30, was arrested.
After initially denying any involvement in the crime, the Cuban immigrant eventually admitted to police that he had killed Sikkema and alleged that Brent’s ex, Daniel, 53, had hired him to do it.
Brent Sikkema (right) moved to Rio de Janeiro last Christmas after spending two years trying to resolve a bitter divorce with ex-husband Daniel Sikkema (left).
Murder suspect Alejandro Triana Prevez’s diary entries reveal a shocking story of an alleged ‘murder for hire’ plot by Sikkema’s ex-husband.
On January 13, Brent was last seen entering his apartment.
Daniel has denied the allegations, telling the Wall Street Journal in a statement: “I hope that, based on evidence and not false accusations, what really happened will come to light.”
Now shocking details from Prevez’s handwritten prison diary, seen by the Wall Street Journalreveals the brutal final moments before Brent was stabbed eighteen times, including in the chest and face, in his own bed.
‘He finds (Brent) sleeping with his mouth open, his naked body covered by silk sheets, breathing calmly,’ Prevez wrote about the moment he entered Brent’s bedroom in Rio ready to take his own life.
“He moves to the side of the bed silently, trying to breathe calmly but without success,” he wrote, describing himself in the third person.
Prevez detailed how he used a knife from Brent’s kitchen to murder the millionaire art dealer.
“He closes his eyes and throws himself on top of the victim, letting the knife in.”
“The fight begins, he tearfully removes the knife and stabs him three more times trying to make him stop moving, an image that will never be erased,” the heartbreaking diary entry reads.
Prevez wrote in the account that he stabbed Brent four times, apologized and covered the body with a sheet before washing the knife and leaving the property.
The legendary art dealer had amassed a fortune of 20 million dollars
Prevez detailed how he used a knife from Brent’s kitchen to murder the millionaire art dealer
However, an autopsy found that Brent had been stabbed 18 times, mainly in the chest and face.
Prévez, who used to teach at a Havana polytechnic school, met Brent and Daniel, who is also Cuban, when they hired him to be a caretaker for a property they owned in Havana.
After a few years in this role, he moved to Sao Paulo, but contacted Daniel again in 2022, the Journal reported.
The friends decided to catch up, a meeting in which Daniel allegedly offered Prevez $200,000 and a place to stay in Rio in exchange for murdering Brent, according to Prevez’s later police statement.
Prevez’s diary reveals that the former teacher moved to Brazil in September 2022 in hopes of making a better living.
However, he was tempted by Daniel’s alleged offer, the newspaper claims, after becoming enraged by Daniel’s stories about Brent’s bad behavior in the marriage.
Daniel had accused his wife of cheating, using drugs that had gotten out of control, including leaving “bowls of cocaine” at their homes, and planning to take a gun to JFK Airport to “kill people,” the Journal reported.
Prevez wrote in his diary that he became particularly angry after hearing Daniel recall how his son Lucas was left crying when he heard Brent with an escort in the next hotel room during a trip to Paris.
After initially denying any involvement in the crime, Prevez eventually admitted to police that he had killed Sikkema and alleged that Brent’s ex, Daniel, 53, had hired him to do it.
The apartment where Brent Sikkema was found stabbed to death
Daniel’s attorneys confirmed to the Journal that their client shared this story with Prevez as he claims.
However, Prevez claims he first told Daniel that he would “think about the proposal,” according to his police statement.
Prevez told police that sums of money were subsequently sent to him from an account in New York, in payments of between $300 and $500 at the time.
Brazilian police later linked the transfers to an account registered on Daniel’s cellphone, the Journal reported.
Daniel’s lawyers claim the money was back pay for Prevez’s previous work in Havana.
Prevez claims that Daniel sent him a key to the property in Rio and asked him to get a cell phone so he could communicate via WhatsApp.
Prevez told investigators that he traveled to Rio twice in 2023, once to plan the murder and again in December, when he planned to commit it.
However, he got nervous and went off the plan.
The famous art dealer had many notable connections, including the one pictured here with Michelle Obama.
Brent and David had spent two years arguing over a divorce settlement.
In response, Daniel allegedly told Prevez “if you don’t want to do this, don’t do it, but forget I exist,” according to Prevez’s police account.
After this conversation, the money supposedly stopped arriving from New York and Prévez accepted a job making deliveries.
However, he claimed that he did not earn enough money to support his family in Cuba, so he contacted Daniel again.
Prevez says she agreed to return to Rio and kill Brent after Christmas, when Daniel supposedly confirmed her husband would be in town.
Prevez parked his borrowed Fiat Palio on Brent’s block at 2:30 p.m. on January 13 with a crossbow in the back seat, according to police.
‘It’s like a rifle, but you only have one shot. But the most important thing is that it is silent,” Prévez wrote about the possible murder weapon in his diary.
However, he decided not to take him inside as he headed to Brent’s room and brutally stabbed him to death.
Moments after Prevez left Brent’s house, he called a Brazilian WhatsApp number supposedly registered to a woman Daniel knew in Brazil.
Prevez parked his borrowed Fiat Palio on Brent’s block at 2:30 p.m. on January 13 with a crossbow in the back seat, according to police.
However, police say the call came through a New York IP address.
The next morning, Prevez claims he received a call from the same number and that it was Daniel who was on the line.
Prevez claims he asked her to delete his call history but she didn’t.
Daniel’s lawyers deny that he spoke to Prevez after Brent’s death.
Prevez said he returned his Fiat car rented in Sao Palo and bought another one with money sent by Daniel.
He planned to escape to Paraguay, but only managed to reach Minas Gerais, where police arrested him at a gas station.
Under Brazilian law, Prévez could receive a lesser sentence if he acted on paid instructions from another person.
Daniel claims this may be why they encourage him to accuse him of paying for the murder.
Brazilian police charged Daniel and Prevez with “qualified homicide” on February 7.
Brent’s murder sparked a high-profile police investigation and a manhunt for his killer.
They claim that Daniel would benefit from Brent’s death.
In fact, under New York law, Daniel could claim one-third of Brent’s net worth as a surviving spouse.
This is likely more than she would have received in a divorce settlement which would have represented only half of the assets accumulated during the marriage and much of Brent’s $20 million fortune was accumulated before the couple got together. knew
Daniel’s lawyers have indicated that they intend to claim his share as a surviving spouse.
Police issued a preventive arrest warrant for Daniel following the accusation filed with Interpol, the Journal reports.
Brazilian authorities are also in talks with their American counterparts to determine whether the United States will extradite Daniel or conduct its own investigation.
On March 20, the FBI arrested Daniel for allegedly committing passport fraud after he attempted to file a new U.S. passport application for his son Lucas when the executor of Brent’s will prevented him from accessing it.
Daniel will now have to wear an electronic anklet and wait for the authorities’ decision.