| Trial for
Murder of Gallerist Sikkema in
Brazil Has Defense Says Daniel
Asked of Money Later
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
May 12 –
Daniel Sikkema has been
subject to an Interpol warrant
for the murder of his estanged
husband, art gallery owner
Brent Sikkema, in Brazil. On
March 20 Daniel Sikkema was
brought by US Marshals into
the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Magistrates Court, with
detention sought for passport
fraud. Inner City Press was
the only media there and live
tweeted, thread
He was released -
but on March 27 asked for a
delay in putting up the Queens
house: we have "identified a
substitute property located in
Manhattan to secure Mr.
Sikkema’s bond, as the home we
initially intended to post is
unavailable." Letter on
Patreon here.
On April 12,
Daniel Sikkema was formally
indicted. Patreon here
On December 18, a
trial date was picked, and
Inner City Press was there,
the only media in the
courtroom. From the thread:
All rise! Judge:
I recently denied defendant's
motions. Let's set a trial
date. AUSA: April 21? Judge:
I'm told there's a large jury
selection here thay day [US v
Eric Adams]. So the 22nd Story
later
Addendum: Just
after "Adjourned," Judge Ramos
genially asked Inner City
Press, What's the big trial
here on April 21? "Eric
Adams."
Well, not
anymore. And on February 11, a
superseding indictment of
Sikkema, including murder for
hire charges.
Inner City Press
was in the Magistrates Court
when he was remanded into
detention.
On April 20, the
92 page deposition of Dailyn
Hidaldo Hermandez was
docketed, with designation for
the prosecution and defense.
On April 24 the
US Attorney's Office filed
objections, to a question
about the right to counsel
(declining to concede the US
Constitution's right to
counsel applies in Spain), and
saying security work Prevez
performed in Cuba was beyond
the scope of the direct.
On May 1
Sikkema's counsel replied that
the witness may have been
intimidated, and that Judge
Ramos would have been free to
allow cross beyond the scope
of direct, under FRE 611(b).
On May 12 the
trial began, in large
courtroom 318 with more than a
dozen SDNY prosecutors on one
side of the gallery, a mostly
art crowd on the other.
Defense counsel said, You will
hear crazy things in this
case. But Daniel was going to
do quite well in the divorce.
He didn't know how well before
the murder."
He said there
will not be a shred of
evidence that Daniel knew, so
what he asked after the murder
doesn't go to motive.
When the defense
opening argument ended, and
before the first witness
(retired pharmacist and family
friend Angela Liriano), the
other AUSAs left, with jurors
looking after them. Inner City
Press hopes for trial
live-tweets - watch
@InnerCityPress
More May 12
details on X for Subscribers here
and Substack here
The case is
USA v. Sikkema, 1:24-cr-227
(Ramos)
***
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