The husband of Caitlin Tracey, whose body was found at the bottom of a stairwell in a South Loop condo building in 2024, has been formally charged with first-degree murder.
Adam Beckerink, 47, appeared before Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz on Tuesday morning for a detention hearing, which has been continued until Friday.
Beckerink, on Monday, was transferred to Chicago from Michigan, where he was serving time for a separate, domestic violence case involving Tracey.
What we know:
Prosecutors said Adam Beckerink caused the death of Tracey by “throwing her” over the 24th floor railing in the east stairwell of their condo building in the 1200 block of South Prairie Avenue on Oct. 25, 2024, according to court records. She was found with her body “pulverized” and her foot severed, according to attorneys representing her family.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Tracey, 36, died because of multiple injuries from a fall from height.
On Tuesday, Chicago police released a new booking photo of Beckerink and formally announced that he has been charged with first-degree murder and murder — strong probability of death, both felonies. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office confirms that Beckerink is now in their custody.
Adam Beckerink | Chicago police
Beckerink was arrested by Chicago police officers and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force on Monday after his release from the Berrien County Jail in Michigan.
In court Tuesday, Beckerink was wearing the same clothes he had on when he was arrested — blue slacks, black dress shoes, and a light blue hoodie.
His detention hearing was rescheduled for Friday, allowing Beckerink’s attorney, Todd Pugh, time to review the hundreds of pages of documents submitted by prosecutors.
Pugh will also consider the request by media outlets, including FOX Chicago, to allow cameras in the courtroom during trial. Prosecutors did not object to the camera request.
The backstory:
Tracey had obtained an order of protection against Beckerink in Cook County in November 2023 after multiple domestic battery reports to Chicago police. However, she later dropped it in December, allegedly after he threatened to sue her for defamation, according to court filings by her parents.
A legal battle followed her death, with her parents ultimately winning custody of her remains, which they brought back to Michigan. Beckerink, a former partner at corporate law firm Duane Morris, was fired after allegations of domestic abuse surfaced in the media.
Just before the murder charge was announced in October 2025, Beckerink was sentenced in a Michigan domestic abuse case involving Tracey after pleading no contest. A judge in Berrien County sentenced him to 93 days in jail.
Court records show that in one incident at their shared Michigan home, Tracey was reported to have visible injuries and accused Beckerink of assault and theft.
What they’re saying:
Tracey’s parents looked on from the gallery during Beckerink’s court appearance on Tuesday. Afterward, the family’s attorney shared the following statement:
“Caitlin’s family is deeply thankful to the Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke and her team as well as the Chicago Police Department’s Violent Crime Division,” said John Galarnyk, Tracey family attorney. “The CPD has worked long and hard to investigate this case. Although the defendant’s criminal convictions and sentence in Michigan brought some measure of justice for Caitlin, he must now be held accountable for his actions in the days and months that led to this moment — the state’s charge that he murdered their beautiful daughter. We hope that justice will prevail and we can finally lay our dear Caitlin to rest.”
After announcing the charges, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke issued the following statement:
“Domestic violence has reached a crisis point in our communities, with domestic violence-related homicides spiking to levels that shock the conscience. With these charges, we are sending a strong message: violent crimes rooted in domestic abuse will be aggressively prosecuted as we work to bring justice to families and protect survivors. This office will treat domestic violence cases with the urgency, seriousness and resolve they demand.”
The Chicago Police Department is also commenting on the case, after remaining tight-lipped throughout the investigation.
“For more than a year, our Area 3 detectives fought to bring justice in this case for Caitlin Tracey and her loved ones,” said CPD’s Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti. “The determination of our detectives to secure charges in this case underscores our commitment to all victims and families who have experienced domestic violence. We will always work to hold the offenders accountable in partnership with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.”
Beckerink’s attorney did not comment on the case after the hearing and has yet to respond to FOX Chicago’s request for a statement.
What’s next:
Beckerink will be held in the Cook County Jail until at least Friday, when he is scheduled to reappear in court.
