via
iStock)
On
October
27,
2024,
Caitlin
Tracey,
36,
the
wife
of
former
Duane
Morris
tax
partner
Adam
P.
Beckerink,
was
found
dead
in
the
stairwell
of
Beckerink’s
apartment
building
in
Chicago’s
South
Loop.
Her
severed
foot
was
found
nearby.
One
year
later,
he
was
arrested,
with
prosecutors
accusing
him
of
throwing
his
wife
over
the
stairwell
railing,
where
she
fell
24
floors
to
her
death.
Beckerink
was
later
removed
from
the
Biglaw
firm’s
partnership,
and
in
the
interim,
he’s
spent
time
behind
bars
in
Michigan
on
domestic
violence-related
charges
that
he
abused
Tracey.
Earlier
this
week,
Beckerink
was
extradited
from
Michigan
to
Chicago,
Illinois,
where
he
was
formally
charged
with
first-degree
murder
in
his
wife’s
death.
The
ex-Biglaw
partner
is
in
custody
at
the
Cook
County
Jail
as
he
awaits
a
detention
hearing.
The
state
argues
that
Beckerink
poses
a
threat
to
the
community.
Cook
County
State’s
Attorney
Eileen
O’Neill
Burke
offered
the
following
statement
on
the
charges
against
Beckerink:
“Domestic
violence
has
reached
a
crisis
point
in
our
communities,
with
domestic
violence-related
homicides
spiking
to
levels
that
shock
the
conscience.
With
these
charges,
we
are
sending
a
strong
message:
violent
crimes
rooted
in
domestic
abuse
will
be
aggressively
prosecuted
as
we
work
to
bring
justice
to
families
and
protect
survivors.
This
office
will
treat
domestic
violence
cases
with
the
urgency,
seriousness
and
resolve
they
demand.”
Antoinette
Ursitti,
the
Chicago
Police
Department’s
Chief
of
Detectives,
echoed
Burke’s
statement,
saying,
“For
more
than
a
year,
our
Area
3
detectives
fought
to
bring
justice
in
this
case
for
Caitlin
Tracey
and
her
loved
ones.
The
determination
of
our
detectives
to
secure
charges
in
this
case
underscores
our
commitment
to
all
victims and
families
who
have
experienced
domestic
violence.
We
will
always
work
to
hold
the
offenders
accountable
in
partnership
with
the
Cook
County
State’s
Attorney’s
Office.”
Beckerink’s
next
court
date
is
set
for
Friday,
January
16.
If
you’re
a
victim
of
familial
or
domestic
violence,
reach
out
if
you
need
help.
If
you
are
in
immediate
danger,
please
call
the National
Domestic
Violence
Hotline at
1-800-799-SAFE
(7233).
Assistance
is
available
in
English
and
Spanish.
Cook
County
State’s
Attorney
Eileen
O’Neill
Burke
Announces
Murder
Charge
Against
Chicago
Attorney
in
2024
South
Loop
Condo
Homicide
[Cook
County
State’s
Attorney]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
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