The ongoing case of Caitlin Tracey, whose body was found in a stairwell of a South Loop apartment building in Chicago, has taken a significant turn, with a Michigan judge recently granting her parents custody of her remains. Tracey, originally from New Buffalo, Michigan, was discovered deceased at her husband's residence with a missing foot on Oct. 27, reports from Chicago police and court documents confirm.
After a sad contest in court, due largely to a deep history of alleged domestic violence, the parents, Andrew, and Monica Tracey, successfully blocked the deceased's husband, Adam Beckerink, from obtaining her body. According to Audacy, Tracey's parents have filed a petition in probate court seeking possession of their daughter’s remains and rights to her funeral arrangements. Moved, a Michigan judge ruled in favor of the parents, making it possible for a Chicago medical examiner to delay releasing Tracey's remains.
Caitlin's reported restraining order against Beckerink and his subsequent investigation for alleged domestic violence spurred the parents' legal move to assume control over funeral proceedings. Initially, Tracey's husband had intended to cremate the body and keep the ashes. Still, her family desires a Catholic funeral and burial in Michigan, as detailed by a CBS News report.
Tracey's family has declined interviews but expressed gratitude for the judge's decision, with their attorney, Mitt Drew, stating: "We are incredibly grateful for Judge Berger's expedited decision," in an article by Chicago Sun Times. Drew further noted that the ruling would allow the family "to honor her life with the final services she deserves." Meanwhile, the cause of Caitlin Tracey's death is still under investigation by the police, and the Cook County medical examiner's office has yet to release a timeline for the determination of the cause of death.
