Chicago attorney charged with murder in death of Caitlin Tracey, his estranged wife found in South Loop stairwell

The estranged husband of a woman found dead last year in the stairwell of a South Loop high-rise was charged with murder on Monday, the first anniversary of her death.

Adam Beckerink, 47, a Chicago attorney, is accused in a criminal complaint of throwing Caitlin Tracey, 36, over a railing of the 24th floor in a stairwell in a building in the 1200 block of South Prairie Avenue, according to court records.

Tracey’s killing spawned legal battles between Beckerink and Tracey’s parents, who have said that Beckerink physically and emotionally abused Tracey throughout their relationship.

The new charges in Chicago came just as a case against Beckerink concluded in Michigan.

He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence, and contempt of court for violating his bond, along with a felony for interfering with a 911 call by his wife. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped a charge of resisting arrest.

Last year, Tracey’s parents successfully won custody of her remains after arguing in court that Beckerink, who was married to their daughter for six months, had a history of abusing her.

He had filed a motion last year to temporarily prevent Tracey’s parents from proceeding with her funeral. He argued in an affidavit that he would be “irreparably harmed and deprived of the ability to direct the disposition of his wife’s remains for which he is entitled to and has priority under both Illinois and Michigan law.”

According to a police report, Tracey was found dead at the bottom of the stairwell of the building at approximately 7:20 p.m.

A resident of the building had found a severed foot near a railing in the east stairwell and reported it to a building manager, the report said. While responding officers searched the area, the manager spotted Tracey’s body at the bottom of the stairwell.