Mystery over horrific death of wife, 36, found at bottom of a stairwell missing a foot - as her chilling past is revealed

A Chicago taxation lawyer has been accused of wreaking a concealed 'campaign of maltreatment and terror' against his wife, arsenic revealed successful filings unearthed successful the aftermath of her death.

The assemblage of Caitlin Walch Tracey, 36, was recovered 'pulverized' and missing a ft successful the stairwell of her spouse Adam Beckerink's luxury South Loop condo connected October 27, according to tribunal documents seen by DailyMail.com.

Chicago Police Department cops rushed to the country and detained Beckerink, 46, who had reported his woman missing the time before. They released him aft 48 hours without filing immoderate charges.

In the weeks that followed, Tracey's heartbroken parents, retired existent property developer Andrew Tracey, 69, and assemblage prof Dr Monica Tracey, 65, battled against Beckerink for custody of their daughter's remains.

Beckerink, a erstwhile spouse of planetary instrumentality steadfast Duane Morris who had been joined to Tracey for six months, argued that helium had the rights to her assemblage arsenic the surviving spouse.

But her household deed backmost connected November 6, accusing him of wreaking a 'campaign of maltreatment and terror' against their girl during her last months, including allegedly throwing a solid pickle jar astatine her caput and pouring vodka connected her wounds.

According to the Traceys, their girl had been successful a narration with Beckerink from October 2022 until September 2023, but the mates ne'er lived unneurotic oregon had children.

At immoderate constituent aft September, they got backmost together, and joined successful a backstage ceremonial connected April 8, 2024 which did not impact immoderate of Tracey’s relatives.

Amid the acrimonious wrangling for power of her body, her parents accused Beckerink of ‘manipulating’ their daughter, of ‘purposefully isolating her from her family’ and being liable for her ‘tragic and highly suspicious death’.

To enactment their argument, the Michigan-based household presented a since-rescinded petition Tracey made to Cook County Court a twelvemonth earlier she died successful a hopeless effort to get a restraining bid against her husband.

In her October 4, 2023 filing, Tracey elaborate 3 examples of horrific attacks by the taxation attorney.

Tracey said that connected July 11, 2023, astatine astir 3pm, Beckerink stripped her bare and attacked her astatine her three-story location successful New Buffalo connected the banks of Lake Michigan, wherever her parents said she lived to beryllium adjacent to them and distant from her partner. 

‘(Beckerink) physically abused maine by throwing a pickle jar, which struck maine connected my head, punching me, pushing me, pulling my hair, dragging maine by my clothes, and stripping maine retired of my clothes,' Tracey wrote successful the petition seen by DailyMail.com.

'(He) besides poured Vodka connected my body, which burned my wounds, and would question arsenic if helium was going to deed maine with the alcohol bottle’.

Tracey said she managed to flight connected foot, earlier her hubby aboriginal took her to infirmary for attraction to an 'open caput wound'.

In a 2nd alleged incidental connected August 21, 2023, Tracey erstwhile again lone narrowly escaped a brutal onslaught by her husband, this clip astatine his plush flat successful Chicago's Grand Luxury Condos wherever she was aboriginal recovered dead.

At astir 8am they had an argument, and Beckerink began launching a foul-mouthed tirade of maltreatment against his partner, according to her filing.

Tracey alleges helium 'verbally abused' her by calling her a 'cheater', a 'wh***', a 'piece of s***, 'liar' and a 'b****' earlier escalating to a carnal assault.

'(He) physically abused maine by dragging maine by my ankle, strangling me, suffocating me, slamming my caput against a cabinet, slapping me, punching me, putting my caput successful a headlock, and dragging maine distant from the doorway to forestall maine from leaving' Tracey wrote successful her petition.

He past allegedly stole her 'keys, wallet, iPad and phone' to forestall her from leaving oregon seeking help. Tracey said she escaped again by 'fleeing connected foot', this clip to the nearest constabulary station.

Cops went to Beckerink's flat but helium refused to unfastened the door.

Tracey elaborate an alleged 3rd incidental which unfolded successful the country wherever she was staying astatine the Ritz-Carlton edifice successful Chicago’s Magnificent Mile vicinity connected September 20, 2023.

She said her hubby stormed into her country astir 5.30pm earlier hurling maltreatment astatine her and this clip attempting ‘sexually abuse’ her.

Tracey did not springiness discourse astir wherefore she was astatine the edifice oregon spell into item astir the intersexual abuse, but said she filed a constabulary study for home battery.

Her parents said it was astir this clip that Tracey temporarily ended her narration with Beckerink and opened up to them astir the alleged violence.

In their petition for power of her body, the Traceys said she told them Beckerink had been ‘emotionally, psychologically and physically abusive to her’ including ‘holding her hostage’ and ‘brutalizing’ her truthful severely she needed aesculapian treatment.

She besides said helium had been trying to interaction her ‘approximately 20 times a day’ either demanding to spot her, oregon to verbally maltreatment her implicit the phone.

‘I judge if Beckerink knew I was present trying to get an Emergency Order of Protection, helium would effort and halt me, oregon I would beryllium astatine hazard of further abuse,’ Tracey wrote successful her bid for the restraining order.

But Tracey’s parents said Beckerink recovered retired and threatened to writer her for defamation and libel - truthful she withdrew her petition ‘based connected fear’.

Though Tracey ne'er secured the restraint, Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office charged him connected January 13, 2024 with 4 counts of larceny, interference with physics communications and home unit against Tracey.

On August 19, 2024 they added 2 counts of resisting and obstruction, interference with physics communications and much counts of home unit against Tracey, according to her parents.

But the charges came excessively precocious for Tracey. Her assemblage was discovered by Beckerink’s condo gathering manager, aft a traumatized nonmigratory reported uncovering a severed ft successful the stairwell.

Cops attended the grisly country astatine 7.20pm connected October 27, and told the household that ‘based connected the information of the remains’ they determined that Tracey’s assemblage ‘fell astir 24 floors’.

Her devastated parents said they were told that ‘based connected the tallness of the fall,’ their daughter’s assemblage was ‘pulverized’ and ‘her ft was severed from her body’.

According to a constabulary report, Beckerink was detained and questioned but aboriginal released. Tracey’s parents said officers told them astatine the clip that helium was the ‘primary suspect.’

'An unidentified big pistillate was recovered unresponsive astatine the bottommost of the stairs astatine a residence astatine the supra location,' Chicago Police told DailyMail.com this week.

'She was pronounced connected scene. Detectives are conducting a decease investigation, pending autopsy results.

'No 1 is successful custody and determination are nary updates astatine this clip arsenic the probe is ongoing.'

Cook County Medical Examiner's Office is conducting an autopsy connected Tracey’s remains. Officials told DailyMail.com this week that the results are pending.

Tracey’s parents are inactive going done the agonizing process of piecing unneurotic their daughter’s suffering via Freedom of Information requests to unafraid immoderate further documents she filed with police.

But they secured 1 large triumph this week, erstwhile Judge Brian Berger ruled that her remains would beryllium released to them alternatively than to Beckerink.   The Tracey family's attorneys, Mitt Drew and Andrew Cunniff, released statements connected their behalf celebrating the judge's decision. 

'We are incredibly grateful for Judge Berger's expedited decision,' said Drew, of Butzel Long successful Michigan. 

'The ruling allows Caitlin's household not lone to grant her beingness with the last services she deserves, but besides to grieve appropriately, supporting them successful their travel done this hard time.' 

'Today's ruling successful Michigan is simply a captious measurement successful the family's efforts to support and sphere Caitlin's legacy,' added Cunniff, of Galarnyk and Associates successful Chicago. 

'The household volition proceed to combat for Caitlin until she is laid to remainder with the respect and dignity she deserves.' 

The Traceys said they would grant their girl with a Catholic ceremonial wide and burial.  

Duane Morris, the Chicago instrumentality steadfast wherever Beckerink worked arsenic a partner, told DailyMail.com helium had been 'swiftly removed' successful effect to the maltreatment allegations. 

'This is simply a shocking and tragic case, and we nonstop our deepest condolences to the household and friends of Caitlin Tracey,' the steadfast said. 

'Our steadfast was not alert of the domestic violence and different allegations against Adam Beckerink asserted successful assorted ineligible proceedings until caller media accounts of her death. 

'Once we confirmed cardinal facts, the Partners Board swiftly removed Adam arsenic a spouse of Duane Morris LLP. He is nary longer associated with our firm.

'This is simply a calamity for each involved. Our deepest condolences spell to Caitlin Tracey's family. Counseling volition beryllium disposable for Chicago bureau employees this week.

'Out of respect for the ineligible process, it is not due for the steadfast to speculate astir the ongoing investigation, different than to accidental we anticipation justness volition beryllium served and we basal acceptable to assistance if we tin beryllium adjuvant to investigators.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Beckerink's lawyers for comment.