A Cook County judge has lifted a temporary restraining order that allowed the parents of a Michigan woman found dead in Chicago to bring her body home.

According to the statement, Caitlin Tracey’s body was found in the stairwell of her husband’s South Loop apartment on October 27.

The New Buffalo woman’s body was allegedly found a day after her husband contacted Chicago police and reported her missing. According to court documents, a resident of the building noticed a severed foot in the east stairwell of the building and reported it to the building manager.

Tracey had applied for an emergency protection order in October 2023 but later rescinded the order. Her parents claimed she did so because her husband threatened to sue her for libel and slander, according to court documents.

Tracey had two domestic violence cases against her husband. Tracey was supposed to appear in court for a jury trial on felony charges two days after she was found dead, according to court documents. The trial will take place in January 2025.

A legal battle began after Tracey’s husband refused to release her body to her family, claiming conjugal rights, saying he planned to have her body cremated and keep her ashes, according to court documents.

On Tuesday, a judge in Michigan ruled in favor of her parents, and Cook County Judge Eve Reilly lifted the temporary restraining order, giving custody of Tracey’s remains to her parents.

Tracey’s cause of death has not yet been released as Chicago police continue to investigate the incident.