solacesoul Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) From CNN Brasil this AM. The English translation from Brazilian Portuguese: NY art gallery partner found dead in apartment in Rio According to the Fire Department, the American had stab wounds; Civil police will listen to witnesses to try to identify the person responsible for the crime The Capital Homicide Police are investigating the death of the partner of a New York art gallery, in an apartment in Jardim Botânico, in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro. Brent Sikkema, 75 years old, was found dead on Monday night (15), with stab wounds, which could be caused by scissors, a box cutter or a screwdriver, for example. According to the Civil Police, the investigation was carried out in the victim's apartment. The body of the American, who is a partner at Sikkema Jenkins & Co, was removed by firefighters to the Legal Medical Institute (IML), in the center of Rio, for examinations. The American founded the gallery in 1991. At the time, it was called Wooster Gardens, in reference to its original location, on Wooster Street. In 1999, the exhibition space was expanded, moving to its current location on 22nd Street . According to the official website, the venue, which hosts exhibitions of paintings, illustrations, installations, photography and sculptures, has featured names like Kara Walker and Sheila Hicks, as well as up-and-coming photographers including Nikki S. Lee and Deana Lawson. Link: Sócio de galeria de arte de NY é encontrado morto em apartamento no Rio WWW.CNNBRASIL.COM.BR Segundo o Corpo de Bombeiros, o norte-americano tinha perfurações de arma branca; polícia civil vai... Edited January 16 by solacesoul pubic_assistance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I've said it before. Shopping for cuties in Rio is dangerous. People need to stop downplaying the risks Rest in Peace. sydneyboy, Marc in Calif, Monarchy79 and 2 others 1 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robberbaron4u Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 An pied a terre at Rio?!? How very "grand". More often than not, the pursuit of the "tres chic" lifestyle will "bite" you in the worst possible way. Fortunately, we is just simple country folk...poor fellow, may he rest in peace. pubic_assistance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robberbaron4u Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 29 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said: I've said it before. Shopping for cuties in Rio is dangerous. People need to stop downplaying the risks Rest in Peace. Pat my old bald head, rub the hump on my back, give me a little sugar, tell me you love me for myself and my American Express Centurion Card shall be yours to caress. pubic_assistance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solacesoul Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 15 minutes ago, robberbaron4u said: An pied a terre at Rio?!? How very "grand". More often than not, the pursuit of the "tres chic" lifestyle will "bite" you in the worst possible way. This is an odd take. Having an apartment in Rio isn’t what got him murdered. Whether he was killed by a stranger or someone he knew, this could have happened at an AirBnB, or even a love motel (as recent events have shown). Marc in Calif and SouthOfTheBorder 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robberbaron4u Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 4 minutes ago, solacesoul said: This is an odd take. Having an apartment in Rio isn’t what got him murdered. Whether he was killed by a stranger or someone he knew, this could have happened at an AirBnB, or even a love motel (as recent events have shown). In making mention of the Rio apartment, I was addressing a lifestyle which, on occasion, nurtures tragedy, not the tragedy in itself. Marc in Calif 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 New York Times, January 16 Brent Sikkema, Influential Gallerist, Is Found Dead in His Rio Apartment https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/16/arts/design/brent-sikkema-gallerist-dead-rio.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 14 hours ago, robberbaron4u said: In making mention of the Rio apartment, I was addressing a lifestyle which, on occasion, nurtures tragedy, not the tragedy in itself. this could happen to any visitor to Rio - “lifestyle” or not. It’s a sad & tragic story in any context. the thing that everyone forgets is there are so many desperate people in Rio & when that meets wealthy tourists, then anything can happen. I don’t remember these same type stories from 10-15 years ago - robberies & muggings yes, murder no. The same type crimes are happening to tourists that understand Rio well & Brazilians too. pubic_assistance, solacesoul and Marc in Calif 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solacesoul Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Suspeito de matar galerista americano no Rio é preso OGLOBO.GLOBO.COM Brent Sikkema, de 75 anos, foi encontrado morto em casa, com perfurações pelo corpo Translated into English from O Globo: Suspect of killing American gallery owner in Rio is arrested Brent Sikkema, 75, was found dead in his home, with stab wounds to his body Per Giulia Ventura - Rio de Janeiro 01/18/2024 08:50 Updated 42 minutes ago This Thursday, the suspect in the murder of American galleristBrent Fay Sikkema, aged 75, was arrested. There was an open temporary arrest warrant against Cuban Alejandro Triana Trevez. The arrest was made by teams from the Capital Homicide Police Station (DHC), with the support of the Federal Highway Police (PRF) on Highway BR-050, in Minas Gerais. — Crime in the South Zone of Rio: Suspect of killing American gallery owner took dollars from the house where the murder took place — According to friends: Gallery owner killed in Rio was going through a million-dollar fight to get a divorce and see his son Police said Trevez took three thousand dollars from Sikkema's home. According to investigations, the suspect was in São Paulo, came to Rio to murder the American and returned to the state after the crime. Afterwards, he went to Minas, where he was trying to escape when he was arrested at a gas station between Uberaba and Uberlândia. According to the police, Trevez is the man who appears in the Gabriel company security camera images , which captured his arrival and departure from the American's house. The suspect stayed at the property for around 15 minutes. Sikkema's body was found inside his house, on Rua Abreu Fialho, in Jardim Botânico, South Zone of Rio, with puncture marks, on the 14th. He was a co-owner of a famous gallery in New York, in the United States . Brent was found by his lawyer and friend, Simone Nunes. Sikkema came to Rio a maximum of three times a year and stayed in the property where he was killed, bought around 10 years ago. The region houses the studios of artists such as Beatriz Milhazes, Adriana Varejão and Gabriela Machado. Simone went to the house because she was surprised by Sikkema's lack of responses over the weekend. According to the police, she had the keys to the property and, upon entering the room, found her friend dead in the bed. The lawyer would meet with the gallery owner last Monday and, after that meeting, he would return to the United States. The trip was scheduled for this Tuesday. Gallery in Chelsea Sikkema was co-owner of Sikkema Jenkins & Co , in Chelsea. The gallerist was defined as “a wonderful person, very kind, generous, defender of social issues” by his friend and lawyer. He left a son. The American barely spoke Portuguese, so he didn't have much contact with his neighbors, who only knew him by sight. When he was in Rio, he usually spent the day away, only returning to sleep. A person who works in the region explained that the street where the house is located is very quiet and that everyone goes home early. On his social media profile, Brent shared moments from some of his trips around the world. He made no secret of his destination preferences being Brazil and Cuba. During trips to the island in Central America, he showed his approximately 1,000 followers everyday scenes, such as the sunset in the capital Havana, a bouquet of white butterfly flowers, a national symbol. The American spoke of the two countries in a publication of a landscape in Zurich, Switzerland, when he wrote: "Zurich tonight. I'm usually a chaotic guy — you know my kind of place — where the fighting is real every day — Cuba and Brazil — but I have to admit that an occasional visit to Switzerland is something of a relief!" Alejandro Triana Trevez is accused of killing American Brent Sikkema — Photo: Reproduction pubic_assistance and Marc in Calif 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 there's an updated report New York Times this morning saying the victim knew the suspect and had "spent time" with him last summer. this does not appear to be someone the victim just met or was random just goes to show - you do not know who you're dealing with when you think you do. RIP Brazilian Police Make Arrest in Killing of New York Art Dealer Brazilian Police Make Arrest in Killing of Brent Sikkema - The New York Times WWW.NYTIMES.COM The suspect knew Brent Sikkema, according to the police, and was arrested at a gas station about 600... pubic_assistance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Lucky Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 An update from the NY Post. The arrested man was hired as a security guard. Does not look like an escort. https://nypost.com/2024/02/06/news/inside-the-last-days-of-nyc-art-dealer-murdered-in-brazil/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 while the NY Post article doesn’t say it directly - the implication is there was a plan to kill the victim by his estranged husband (according to the Post, a former provider from Cuba) and the perpetrator, who is also Cuban and worked for the couple at their home in Cuba. There was a multi-million dollar divorce in progress that was not yet finalized. So, it doesn’t appear random a killing, but rather something premeditated for financial gain by at least two people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ nycman Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 3 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said: the implication is there was a plan to kill the victim by his estranged husband (according to the Post, a former provider from Cuba And if the Cuban-Whore-Husband-Murderer has any fucking sense, he’s already ensconced safely back in Cuba. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 (edited) 2 hours ago, nycman said: And if the Cuban-Whore-Husband-Murderer has any fucking sense, he’s already ensconced safely back in Cuba. the plan was probably for the killer to get out of Brazil asap & return to Cuba, evading Brazilian law enforcement. If that had happened, they would have gotten away with the murder. Since the killer is now in Brazilian custody, it’s only a matter of time before he tells the whole story & implicates the husband. It will be a complicated prosecution of the husband since the murder was in Brazil & he seems to have been in the US when it happened. They probably thought if the real killer could get out of Brazil, then the assumption would be he was killed by a local garoto that just couldn’t be found - there are other stories online where the husband was suggesting exactly that. A truly horrible & evil story. This is far from over - the story has all the lurid details the media loves. Edited February 7 by SouthOfTheBorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ nycman Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 According to the lawyer of the "alleged" murder…. “Alejandro has brought more information that we can’t publicly reveal yet. All he wants is for the whole truth to come out." "The story of what really happened is much more shocking". Sounds like the jailbird is singing, and it’s going to be a very interesting tune when we hear it. https://nypost.com/2024/02/01/news/insiders-shocked-by-murdered-nyc-art-dealers-secret-life/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solacesoul Posted February 7 Author Share Posted February 7 8 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said: while the NY Post article doesn’t say it directly - the implication is there was a plan to kill the victim by his estranged husband (according to the Post, a former provider from Cuba) and the perpetrator, who is also Cuban and worked for the couple at their home in Cuba. There was a multi-million dollar divorce in progress that was not yet finalized. So, it doesn’t appear random a killing, but rather something premeditated for financial gain by at least two people. The Brazilian press has already implicated this with interviews of the suspect’s family who claim the same thing. This had also been the word on the Rio streets (or rather, the saunas) from the day that it happened. The Cubano ex-jinetero husband isn’t publicly a suspect. Yet. But I bet talks are going on between state departments to make sure that he doesn’t catch any flights! pubic_assistance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Lucky Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 So it seems that this thread adds nothing to the question on whether it is safe for guys here to visit Rio! Just stay away from Cubans! + José Soplanucas and + nycman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike carey Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 1 hour ago, Lucky said: So it seems that this thread adds nothing to the question on whether it is safe for guys here to visit Rio! Just stay away from Cubans! Indeed not, but as the thread was started with the express purpose of discussing this particular alleged murder, talking about the general level of safety for short-term casual visitors to Rio de Janeiro would be off topic. (Except perhaps to comment on whether the death was relevant to the broader safety issue.) pubic_assistance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 (edited) 15 hours ago, Lucky said: So it seems that this thread adds nothing to the question on whether it is safe for guys here to visit Rio! this has been written about ad nauseum. the real question is it safe for older (white) gringos traveling alone & who don’t speak Portuguese, as sex tourists to visit Rio ? Now add in mixing with much younger unknown local people who know you have money & then frequently bringing those people back to wherever the gringo is staying. Thats more like the real question & scenario given everything I’ve personally witnessed in Rio - no, it’s not safe compared to other major global tourist destinations. There’s no question Rio is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with the mix of tropics, mountains, beach & beautiful people. Yet, it is incredibly dangerous. For older gringos looking for sex, you’re basically a slowly walking target. If you think you fit in and they don’t know where you’re from - wrong. If you think they don’t know what you’re doing there - wrong. And that doesn’t matter except it makes you stand out as even more of a target. Americans have this odd presumption of safety & security and it puts them at significant risk when they fail to understand the actual environment and how they appear in that environment. The OP probably knows Brazil better than anyone here & frequently posts how dangerous it is for tourists. nobody seems to remember that for whatever reason and back to topic about the murder of the American man - did it turn out it was safe for him to visit Rio ? NO, didn’t work out so well Edited February 8 by SouthOfTheBorder solacesoul, + nycman, pubic_assistance and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2play Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 From what I have read here in the various newspaper accounts of the murder, the location of the murder site is incidental to the reason for the murder. It appears this was a contract job which could have been carried out anywhere. The alleged murderer didn’t reckon with the security camera at the residence where he cased the place for hours before going in and out for a total of 14 minutes, just enough time to do the dastardly deed. He also didn’t have to force entry in the early morning but appears to have let himself in and out easily which suggests he had a key. This could point to the victim’s estranged husband who shared parenthood of a son with the victim. If it ads up with all the evidence, this appears to be a domestic violence case. Not a gay tourist hooking up with Mr. Goodbar(remember that film with Diane Keaton). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 (edited) 5 hours ago, Luv2play said: It appears this was a contract job which could have been carried out anywhere. No - not really. It happened in Rio because of the specific circumstances there. Why ? Because the gringo had a home in Rio & frequently mixed with very young providers at local rentboy saunas and brought them to his home. If the murder had gone according to plan (meaning the real killer got out of Brazil), then everyone would have assumed it was one of the sauna boys. The husband who appears to have masterminded the plot, had suggested the killer was someone the victim met in the saunas & he could help identify suspects - so the plan was definitely to place blame on a sauna boy. Because the victim was known to frequent the saunas & bring unknown men to his house - it was the perfect plausible explanation for this crime. It would have been a somewhat ordinary crime in Rio had it simply been an unknown provider kills a client. These same circumstances do not exist in other cities. This was a plan that was specific to Rio because of its rentboy saunas and the victim who used them. Edited February 9 by SouthOfTheBorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ José Soplanucas Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 8 hours ago, Luv2play said: From what I have read here in the various newspaper accounts of the murder, the location of the murder site is incidental to the reason for the murder. It appears this was a contract job which could have been carried out anywhere. The alleged murderer didn’t reckon with the security camera at the residence where he cased the place for hours before going in and out for a total of 14 minutes, just enough time to do the dastardly deed. He also didn’t have to force entry in the early morning but appears to have let himself in and out easily which suggests he had a key. This could point to the victim’s estranged husband who shared parenthood of a son with the victim. If it ads up with all the evidence, this appears to be a domestic violence case. Not a gay tourist hooking up with Mr. Goodbar(remember that film with Diane Keaton). Do not worry about applying common sense to this crime particularities. The fear mongers will always find ways to accommodate to their narrative ANY crime taking place in Rio. Luv2play, + Lucky and + azdr0710 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2play Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 (edited) 4 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said: No - not really. It happened in Rio because of the specific circumstances there. Why ? Because the gringo had a home in Rio & frequently mixed with very young providers at local rentboy saunas and brought them to his home. If the murder had gone according to plan (meaning the real killer got out of Brazil), then everyone would have assumed it was one of the sauna boys. The husband who appears to have masterminded the plot, had suggested the killer was someone the victim met in the saunas & he could help identify suspects - so the plan was definitely to place blame on a sauna boy. Because the victim was known to frequent the saunas & bring unknown men to his house - it was the perfect plausible explanation for this crime. It would have been a somewhat ordinary crime in Rio had it simply been an unknown provider kills a client. These same circumstances do not exist in other cities. This was a plan that was specific to Rio because of its rentboy saunas and the victim who used them. These types of murders happen everywhere. The victim here had houses in three countries. Since the ex lives in Cuba it was less likely he would stage a murder there and the victim was not likely to go there since the divorce was still pending. This kind of incident happens not infrequently in NYC but the alleged murderer was a Cuban so more difficult for him to get into the US. I agree that Rio provided the most convenient site given the circumstances. But I was responding to your saying the real scenario was the victim bringing back a young garoto from the sauna. This has been shown not to be the case. Edited February 9 by Luv2play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solacesoul Posted February 9 Author Share Posted February 9 (edited) 4 hours ago, Luv2play said: the ex lives in Cuba The ex Daniel does not live in Cuba. He was brought to Brazil about 14 years ago seeking political asylum due to sexual orientation persecution assisted by the dead client Sikkema. He has Brazilian residency as asylee, and a U.S. green card through marriage to Sikkema. He was living back and forth between Brazil and the USA, and trying to live in the USA full time with the 14 year old son born to a surrogate in CA. He is currently in the USA. Due to his political asylum status and previous prison stint in Cuba, as well as his memoir that trashed the Cuban government, returning to Cuba even just to visit family would not be a wise move for him. Edited February 9 by solacesoul Luv2play 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthOfTheBorder Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 (edited) some of these comments seem to be from people with limited or no experience in Rio you guys are way better off on “the other site” where it’s all fantasy & delusions Edited February 9 by SouthOfTheBorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now