Cook County prosecutors argue Chicago attorney charged with wife's murder is threat to community

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Caitlin Tracey's family walked into Cook County court on Tuesday with a grave purpose: To witness their son-in-law's first court hearing, where he faced murder charges for their daughter's death.

Chicago lawyer Adam Beckerink found himself before a judge, not as an attorney, but as a defendant.

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Chicago police on Tuesday announced official charges against Beckerink for the murder of his 36-year-old wife, Tracey. She was found dead at the bottom of a stairwell in Beckerink's South Loop condo building in October 2024.

According to the Chicago police report, their investigation revealed that Beckerink threw Tracey down the 29-story stairwell, causing her death.

A murder warrant was issued for Beckerink one year after Tracey's body was found, her foot severed and her body pulverized.

Beckerink is seen in a new mugshot, in custody in Chicago, after being extradited from Berrien County, Michigan, where he was serving a sentence for domestic violence against Tracey.

After months of serving his sentence in Michigan, Beckerink was served a governor's warrant, signed by JB Pritzker, to bring him back to Illinois.

He is facing two charges, including first-degree murder and a second-murder charge of strong probability of death. The hearing was brief, lasting only a few minutes. Defense attorneys asked that a bond hearing be delayed until Friday.

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Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke issued a statement after the hearing, saying Beckerink was arrested by Chicago police "following a lengthy and complex investigation" and that "the couple had a documented history of domestic violence incidents in both Chicago and New Buffalo, Michigan," going on to say that domestic violence has reached a crisis point in our communities.

The I-Team recently asked Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling about the case in a candid sit-down interview.

"The detective division dedicated hours and days and months to this to make sure that they brought justice to someone by getting this person charged," Snelling said. "Sometimes, these things are lengthy. They take a little time, and you have to do a lot of digging to make sure that you get the right evidence and build that strong case."

Tracey's family issued a statement after Tuesday's hearing, saying, "Our 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 Crimes Division. The CPD has worked long and hard to investigate this case.

Although the defendant's criminal convictions and sentence in Michigan brings some measure of justice for Caitlin, this man 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 our beautiful daughter.

We hope that justice will prevail and we can finally lay our dear Caitlin to rest."

In a pretrial detention document, the state argued that Beckerink poses a real and present threat and is asking for him to be held.

Beckerink is now held pending a bond hearing on Friday.

In a hand-written court note now filed in the case, Beckerink asked for protective custody while he is in the Cook County Jail. However, that will be determined by the sheriff's office. His attorneys did not speak after the hearing on Tuesday.

You can contact the Illinois domestic violence hotline at 1-877-863-6338 click here for more information.