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Judge rules for parents of slain Michigan woman; husband faces charges

Online Niel November 16, 2024

The parents of a Michigan woman found dead in a downtown Chicago stairwell last month after falling 20 stories can take possession of her body, a Cook County judge ruled Friday.

The parents of Caitlin Tracey, 36, had been fighting with their daughter’s husband for six months over her remains. Before her death, Tracey accused her husband, Adam Beckerink, of domestic abuse multiple times, according to her parent’s petition to gain custody of her body.

Cook County Judge Eve Reilly lifted a temporary restraining order on the remains on Friday. Andrew and Monica Tracey can now retrieve their daughter’s remains from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office and arrange funeral and burial services, according to the parents’ public relations firm.

A Michigan judge ruled in favor of the parents on Tuesday. The Michigan court has jurisdiction because Tracey was a resident of New Buffalo, Berrien County, when she died.

The husband’s attorney, Telly Stefaneas, told the Chicago court that the Michigan case will be appealed once Beckerick obtains a local attorney, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

“Today’s hearing marked a significant step for Caitlin’s family, and we are grateful to the courts for their sound and swift rulings in both Michigan and Chicago,” said an attorney for Tracey’s family, Andrew Cunniff. “Finally, the Tracey family can close this chapter and focus on mourning the loss of Caitlin and celebrating her remarkable life.”

Tracey grew up in Farmington Hills, according to her parents’ PR firm. She was a graduate of Michigan State University, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic High School and Mercy High School, both in Farmington Hills.

Her parents claimed in their petition that Tracey’s body was found “directly underneath” Beckerink’s South Loop condominium after he contacted Chicago police the day before to report a missing person. Chicago police said Beckerink lied while filing a missing person report for her Chicago Sun Times.

Her body was found at the bottom of the stairs around 7:20 p.m. Oct. 27, according to a police report. A resident of the building found a severed leg near a railing in the east stairwell and reported it to a building manager. As Chicago police searched the area, the manager saw Tracey’s body at the bottom of the stairs.

The cause and manner of her death are still undetermined as the Chicago Police Department continues its investigation, according to the parents’ public relations firm.

According to a court filing, Tracey’s parents say Beckerink “manipulated Caitlin and intentionally isolated her from her family so he could continue his campaign of abuse and terror unnoticed,” and that Tracey told them in September 2023 that Beckerink held her hostage and physically brutalized her to the point where she required medical attention.

Tracey filed an emergency protective order in Cook County against Beckerink in October 2023, citing numerous examples of alleged abuse, according to the family’s public relations firm. She later revoked it, which her parents claim in court filings was because Beckerink threatened to sue her for “defamation and slander.”

“Caitlin was an incredible young woman who was taken far too soon,” Cunniff said. “We hope her story shines a light on the often hidden tragedy of domestic abuse.”

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