Husband of Caitlin Tracey faces extradition to Michigan following arrest in Chicago

CHICAGO - Adam Beckerink, the husband of Caitlin Tracey, a woman found dead in a South Loop condo stairwell last October, was arrested Friday on an outstanding warrant from Michigan, Chicago police confirmed.

His arrest follows months of legal proceedings related to domestic violence charges but is unrelated to his wife’s death.

What we know:

Beckerink, 46, was taken into custody at his South Loop condo in the 1200 block of South Prairie Avenue—the same building where Tracey, 36, was found dead on Oct. 27, 2024.

He was arrested on a warrant issued in Berrien County, Michigan, where he faces six felony charges and two misdemeanors, including domestic violence, assaulting two police officers, resisting arrest, obstruction, larceny, and interfering with electronic communication.

The charges stem from two incidents at Tracey’s New Buffalo, Michigan, home—one on Jan. 13, 2024, and another on Aug. 19, 2024.

Adam Beckerink mugshot and Caitlin Tracey | Provided

Court records show officers responding to the January incident observed Tracey with cuts on her lips and other red markings. She alleged Beckerink assaulted her and stole some of her belongings.

Beckerink failed to appear at a pretrial hearing in Michigan last October, days before his trial was set to begin. On Oct. 29, 2024—two days after Tracey’s body was found in his condo building—he also missed his trial date. The fugitive warrant that led to his arrest Friday is linked to those missed court appearances.

Following his arrest, Beckerink was placed in protective custody at Cook County Jail. He appeared in Cook County court Monday and waived his right to an extradition hearing, meaning he won't fight being taken back to Michigan. Authorities from Michigan have 30 days to pick him up.

His pretrial hearing in Berrien County is set for April 7, with trial proceedings scheduled to begin April 15.

What we don't know:

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet determined Tracey’s cause of death. She was found in a stairwell with her body "pulverized" and her foot severed, according to attorneys representing her family.

Authorities have not filed any charges in connection with her death, and Beckerink has not been named a suspect.

The investigation into her death remains ongoing, investigators said.

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.

He was detained and questioned by Chicago police after filing a missing person’s report for Tracey before her body was found. However, he was later released without charges.

RELATED: Caitlin Tracey’s South Loop death raises questions as Michigan neighbors recall her life

What they're saying:

"Caitlin Tracey’s parents have no comment at this time regarding the arrest of their late daughter’s husband, Adam Beckerink on an outstanding warrant from Berrien County, Michigan in connection with charges including domestic abuse and assaulting police officers after they responded twice in 2024 to 911 calls from Tracey while at her home in New Buffalo, Michigan," attorneys representing Tracey's family said in a statement.

What's next:

Beckerink is expected to face trial in Michigan next month on multiple felony charges related to alleged domestic abuse incidents involving Tracey.