Overview
- An Oct. 27 Cook County warrant charges Beckerink with first-degree murder, citing a complaint alleging he threw Caitlin Tracey over a 24th-floor stairwell railing at 1201 South Prairie Avenue.
- Tracey, 36, was found at the bottom of the stairwell on Oct. 27, 2024, after a resident discovered a severed foot, and Beckerink had reported her missing the previous day.
- The Cook County Medical Examiner determined her injuries were consistent with a fall from height but ruled the manner of death undetermined.
- Last week in Michigan, Beckerink pleaded no contest in a domestic violence case linked to incidents involving Tracey and was sentenced to 93 days in jail and two years of probation, which he must complete before Illinois proceedings.
- Tracey’s parents, who earlier won custody of her remains after a court dispute and have alleged a pattern of abuse, welcomed the murder charge as a step toward accountability.