Nearly a year after 33-year-old Caitlin Tracey was found dead at the bottom of a stairwell in a Chicago high-rise, her estranged husband, Adam Beckerink, has been charged with her murder.
Tracey’s death in October 2024 shocked neighbors in the South Loop condo building where Beckerink lived. Police initially described the incident as a tragic fall — a plunge of more than 20 stories down a stairwell. But investigators never fully closed the case. Now, after months of evidence gathering and court hearings in two states, prosecutors allege that Beckerink threw Tracey over a railing during an argument and then tried to cover it up.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by CBS Chicago, WGN, and ABC 7, Beckerink reported his wife missing the day before her body was discovered, telling police he hadn’t seen her “in weeks.” Her body was found two days later. The complaint now alleges that Beckerink pushed or threw Tracey to her death on October 25, 2024.
At the time of her death, Beckerink and Tracey were separated but still legally married. Their relationship had been marred by reports of domestic violence. In August, Beckerink pleaded no contest to domestic assault charges in Berrien County, Michigan, and was sentenced to 93 days in jail. He is still being held there, now also under a fugitive warrant from Cook County, Illinois, related to the murder charge.
Court documents from the Michigan case painted a troubling picture. In July, a judge ruled that police bodycam footage and a 911 call Tracey made during one of their disputes could be used as evidence. According to The Daily Mail, in that call, Tracey told police, “He’s assaulted me before.”
Tracey’s family, who had long questioned the circumstances of her death, said in a statement that they are grateful charges have finally been filed. “We dearly miss Caitlin as do her friends,” they wrote. “Our family hopes that during the murder case against Adam Beckerink, the truth about the last months of Caitlin’s life and the events leading to her tragic death are revealed, so our wonderful daughter can finally be laid to rest.”
At his Michigan sentencing hearing this summer, Beckerink told the court he still mourned his wife. “I did lose my wife, and I’ve been unable to grieve for her,” he said. “I miss my wife every day. I love her more than anything.”
The Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office has not yet announced when Beckerink will be extradited to face the murder charge.
