Parents of woman found dead in South Loop ask court to block her husband from claiming remains

The husband of a woman found dead in a South Loop high-rise last month has been ordered not to access her remains in a lawsuit in which the woman’s parents cite the husband’s alleged abusive behavior.

Caitlin Tracey, 36, of New Buffalo, Michigan, was found dead with a severed foot about 7:20 p.m. Oct. 27 in a stairwell outside her husband’s apartment in the 1200 block of South Prairie Avenue, according to court documents and Chicago police.

Her parents, Andrew and Monica Tracey, allege in court documents that her husband, Adam Beckerink, had patterns of being “verbally and physically abusive to Caitlin.” Caitlin Tracey had obtained an order of protection against Beckerink in Cook County last year after multiple domestic battery reports, and Beckerink faces domestic violence charges in Michigan.

An autopsy by the Cook County medical examiner’s office to determine Tracey’s cause and manner of death was still pending Saturday.

Detectives are continuing to conduct a death investigation. Beckerink, a tax attorney, had been detained and questioned by police but was later released, and he has not been criminally charged, according to court documents.

Tracey’s parents filed a petition in probate court in Berrien County, Michigan, where she lived, seeking possession of their daughter’s remains and the right to control her funeral.

They claim that Beckerink has refused to release her remains to the family, citing spousal rights, and that he plans to cremate her body and keep the ashes. Her parents, however, wish to arrange a Catholic funeral and burial in Michigan, according to court documents.

An emergency hearing in the probate court case in Berrien County was set for Tuesday.

The temporary restraining order issued by a Cook County judge this week states that Tracey’s remains will stay at the medical examiner’s office at least until a ruling in the Berrien County case. The next court date in the Cook County case is scheduled for Friday.

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