The husband of a woman discovered dead in a Chicago high-rise stairwell has been charged with murder, nearly a year after her death.
According to ABC 7, Caitlin Tracey was found at the bottom of the stairwell of a South Loop condominium building in October 2024 — the same building where her estranged husband, Adam Beckerink, lived. Authorities said she had allegedly fallen 24 stories.
Now, one year later, Beckerink faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with her death, per a criminal complaint obtained by CBS Chicago, WGN, and ABC 7.
According to those reports, prosecutors allege Beckerink threw Tracey over a railing on October 25, 2024. Her body was discovered two days later.
Citing Chicago police, ABC 7 reported that Beckerink had filed a missing-person report the day before her body was found, claiming he hadn’t seen her in weeks.
Jail records show that Beckerink is currently incarcerated in Berrien County, Michigan, where he previously pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges in August. He was sentenced to 93 days in jail, according to ABC 7.
In addition to those charges, records now indicate Beckerink is also being held on a fugitive warrant issued in Cook County, Illinois. He has not yet entered a plea to the Illinois murder charge.
In July, Fox 32 reported that a Michigan judge ruled that police bodycam footage and a 911 call made by Tracey would be admissible in the domestic violence case.
According to the Daily Mail, which reviewed the 911 call, Tracey allegedly told the dispatcher, “He’s assaulted me before.”
At his Michigan sentencing hearing, Beckerink told the court he missed his wife, saying, “I did lose my wife, and I’ve been unable to grieve for her. I miss my wife every day. I love her more than anything.”
Following the new murder charge, Tracey’s family released a statement through CBS and ABC, saying:
“We dearly miss Caitlin, as do her friends. 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.”
