A Chicago tax legal professional whose spouse was later discovered useless in his South Loop condominium constructing stairwell has pleaded no contest to home abuse expenses in Michigan.
On Friday, Adam Beckerink, 42, appeared in a Berrien County, Michigan, courtroom and entered a no-contest plea to home abuse towards his spouse, 36-year-old Caitlin Tracey, and to interfering along with her try to name police for assist, representatives of Tracey’s household mentioned. He additionally admitted guilt to contempt of courtroom for violating a no-contact order that prohibited him from contacting her, based on the representatives.
The plea settlement was finalized lower than two weeks earlier than Beckerink’s trial was scheduled to start on September 9. He’ll return to courtroom on October 20 for sentencing. Tracey’s household is predicted to ship a sufferer influence assertion on the listening to.
The fees stemmed from incidents at Tracey’s New Buffalo, Michigan, dwelling in 2024. Earlier this summer time, a decide dominated that jurors can be allowed to view police body-camera footage of Tracey telling officers she was abused by Beckerink months earlier than her dying, since she couldn’t testify.
Tracey was discovered useless on October 27, 2024, on the backside of a stairwell inside 1201 South Prairie Avenue, the place Beckerink lived. The Prepare dinner County Medical Examiner dominated she died of a number of accidents from a fall of about 24 flooring. Her physique was so severely injured that one in all her toes was severed. The reason for dying was confirmed, however the method of her dying is undetermined. The 4 definitive manners of dying utilized by the health worker are accident, suicide, murder, and pure causes.
Beckerink was questioned after Tracey’s physique was discovered, however he has by no means been charged with any wrongdoing in connection along with her dying. Police mentioned he filed a missing-person report hours earlier than Tracey’s physique was found, claiming he had not seen her in a few month. Detectives, nonetheless, allegedly discovered video displaying the couple collectively two days earlier.
Courtroom filings reveal Tracey sought assist from police and the courts earlier than her dying. She obtained an order of safety towards Beckerink in Prepare dinner County in 2023, alleging he contacted her 20 instances a day and referred to as her derogatory names. She additionally filed a number of police stories alleging bodily and verbal abuse in each Chicago and Michigan, together with claims that Beckerink as soon as struck her with a pickle jar and poured vodka on her open wounds.
The Duane Morris legislation agency fired Beckerink from his partnership final November after the circumstances of his spouse’s dying turned public.
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