CHICAGO (WLS) — The man arrested months after his estranged wife was found dead in a South Loop stairwell appeared in court Monday.
Adam Beckerink was arrested Sunday at his Chicago home for an outstanding warrant in Michigan.
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The former tax attorney appeared before a Cook County judge Monday.
Beckerink was ordered by a Cook County judge to go back to Michigan in-custody.
A warrant was issued in Berrien County for charges of aggravated domestic violence. These charges were related to incidents that occurred in Caitlin Tracey’s New Buffalo residence the previous year.
The same week Tracey died, Beckerink allegedly failed to appear at a pre-trial hearing and his trial for the charges.
“Adam Beckerink was arrested at his condo in Chicago. He is not a fugitive; he has lived there for five years,” attorney John Brayman said.
Beckerink’s attorney unsuccessfully tried to convince a Cook County judge to release his client from custody.
So, Beckerink waived extradition to Berrien County.
On October 27, the lifeless body of his estranged wife, aged 36, who they had been separated from for six months, was discovered at the base of the stairs in the South Loop high-rise where Beckerink resides. Tragically, her body was found to be partially detached.
Chicago police reports show Beckerink had reported his wife missing that same day, saying she’d last been seen two days earlier.
Reports from the ABC7 I-Team revealed that Beckerink was initially taken into custody by the Chicago police on October 28. This action was due to what investigators described as “discrepancies” in the report he provided.
Documents viewed by the I-Team say, as he was handcuffed, Beckerink asked “is she alive? Is she OK?”
After two days of questioning, Beckerink was released.
Tracey’s death continues to be under investigation.
Her cause of death remains undetermined.
On Monday, an assistant state’s attorney referred to Beckerink as a suspect in her death.
“He had nothing to do with his wife’s death, and he will continue to appear in court. And we will continue to speak through our filings in court on his behalf,” Brayman said.
Tracey was laid to rest by her family months after her death. Tracey’s parents won custody of their daughter’s remains after a legal fight with Beckerink.
Tracey’s parents argued he had a history of abusing her.
Court filings spell out a well-documented history of abuse allegations by Tracey against her husband, and it’s those charges that sent Chicago police to Beckerink’s home Friday.
Police seized Beckerink’s cell phone, and documents filed by his attorney to get it back say Chicago investigators claim “it was on ‘investigative hold.'”
Berrien County has 30 days to pick Beckerink up from the Cook County Jail.
If the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office does not pick Beckerink up within the 30 days, he will be released from the Cook County Jail, but the warrant against him remains.
Beckerink’s trial on the aggravated abuse charges in Michigan is scheduled to start April 15.
His cell phone is now part of his wife’s death investigation that’s still underway by Chicago police detectives.
You can contact the Illinois domestic violence hotline at 1-877-863-6338 click here for more information.
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