The tragic death of Caitlin Tracey, a 36-year-old tech executive from Chicago, has left her family seeking answers and justice. Tracey was found “pulverized” and missing a foot in a stairwell of her luxury condominium in the South Loop neighborhood, having fallen over 20 stories. The Cook County medical examiner reported that Tracey died from multiple injuries and a fall from height, but the exact circumstances surrounding her death remain undetermined.
Tracey’s husband, Adam Beckerink, a 46-year-old prominent tax attorney in Chicago, was questioned by police following her death. Beckerink had reported Tracey missing prior to the discovery of her body on October 27. However, he was released without charges related to her death. Beckerink is currently facing separate charges for alleged domestic violence incidents in Tracey’s hometown of New Buffalo, Michigan, in January and August 2024. He is also accused of assaulting police officers during his arrest.
Tracey’s family is determined to keep the spotlight on the case. Legal representatives hired by the family have emphasized the severity of Tracey’s injuries, noting that her body was severely damaged and her foot was severed in the fall. The family was also involved in a legal dispute with Beckerink over the custody of Tracey’s remains, which they eventually won and returned to Michigan.
Beckerink, formerly a partner at the corporate law firm Duane Morris, was dismissed following the emergence of the domestic abuse allegations. The charges against him in Michigan are related to a domestic violence incident at Tracey’s New Buffalo home, where she resided before and during her six-month marriage to Beckerink.
In January 2024, police responded to a call at the New Buffalo residence and found Tracey with visible injuries. She accused Beckerink of assault and theft, as per a felony complaint. Tracey also reported that Beckerink had instructed her to tell officers her 911 call was accidental.
In August 2024, police were called to the same residence, resulting in Beckerink being charged with four counts related to the incident, including domestic violence and resisting and obstruction. Tracey had previously obtained a protective order against Beckerink in Chicago in November 2023, following multiple domestic battery reports. However, she dropped the case the following month after Beckerink allegedly threatened to sue her for defamation.
As of March 7, Beckerink was being held in protective custody in the Cook County Jail. The status of his case in Michigan and the impact of the updated cause of death findings on the Chicago Police Department’s investigation into Tracey’s death remain unclear.