A 36-year-old US tech executive was found dead mysteriously in the stairwell of the luxury condo building where she lived with her husband. According to the New York Post, Caitlin Tracey, who was the Chief People Officer at business management consultant firm Nousot, died of "multiple injuries" and a "fall from height" in October 2024. The Cook County Medical Examiner on Monday confirmed the cause of her death, announcing that she plummeted more than 20 stories down a stairwell at her husband's luxury condo building. However, officials said that they have not determined how or why she fell, and listed her manner of death as "undetermined".
Ms Tracey's husband, Adam Beckerink, is a well-known Chicago tax attorney. He was arrested months later on March 7, 2025, on a fugitive warrant out of Michigan. However, according to the Chicago Police, the arrest is not directly related to his wife's tragic death. Cops said that the Michigan warrant stemmed from a domestic violence case in Berrien County, where Ms Tracey had lived in a New Buffalo home before and during their six-month marriage.
Mr Beckerink was detained and questioned by Chicago police after he filed a missing persons report for his wife before her body was found in October. He was later released without charges, the outlet reported.
Initially, Ms Tracey's death prompted a death investigation, however, the cops did not file charges or name a suspect. But now, months after the incident, Ms Tracey's family is pushing to keep attention on the case as attorneys hired by them believe that her body was "pulverised," and her foot was severed in the fall. They accused Ms Tracey's husband of wreaking a secret "campaign and abuse of terror" against her in her final moments.
Their claims came as they battled against Mr Beckerink for custody of their daughter's remains. At the time, Mr Beckerink argued that he had the right to her body as the surviving spouse. But the parents eventually won the custody of her remains, which they brought back to Michigan.
Also Read | Joe Biden's First Post After Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: "We Are Strongest In The Broken Places"
Mr Beckerink, on the other hand, was fired from his law firm after the domestic abuse allegations surfaced. According to the warrant filed against him, the 46-year-old allegedly assaulted Ms Tracey and had stolen some of her items. Ms Tracey "had cuts on her lips and other red markings," the complaint filed in January 2024 stated.
In August 2024, police were again called to Ms Tracey's Michigan home and charged Mr Beckerink with four counts related to the incident, including domestic violence, interfering with electronic communications and resisting and obstruction.
Mr Beckerink was being held in protective custody in the Cook County Jail following his March 7 arrest. It is unclear where the case in Michigan stands currently. It is also unclear if the updated medical examiner findings change the direction of the Chicago Police Department's investigation into the tech exec's death.
