Burden of Guilt

Burden of Guilt has been turned into a docuseries, now streaming only on Paramount+. Available to watch HERE!

And make sure to binge all episodes of the podcast that inspired the show before you watch!

Burden of Guilt tells the harrowing story of Tracyraquel Berns, a woman who has spent the last four decades of her life at the center of one of the most bizarre and disturbing cases in American History. When she was just two years old, her baby brother tragically died. He was only four months old. Tracyraquel grew up believing that her baby brother’s death was the result of a terrible accident. Her family refused to discuss what happened, leaving her suspicious and wanting answers. Years later, Tracyraquel discovered that the death was no accident. Medical records revealed that she was responsible for Matthew’s death. But she was only a young toddler at the time. Could it be true? Or was she simply a scapegoat? Tracyraquel knew in her gut something more sinister was at play. She needed to get to the bottom of what really happened to Matthew. This series explores Tracyraquel’s pursuit of truth, justice, and healing.

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Recent Episodes
  • S1: Bonus EP 4 - The Burden of Truth: Tracyraquel’s Journey for Justice
    Feb 19, 2025 – 24:19
  • Introducing the Burden of Guilt Docu-series
    Feb 3, 2025 – 02:47
  • S1: Bonus EP 3 - Jan Berry Sandlin
    Jan 22, 2025 – 05:14
  • S1: Bonus EP 2 - Burden of Guilt the Docuseries
    Jan 15, 2025 – 08:49
  • Introducing: Betrayal: Weekly EP 20 - Carmen Rita Wong
    Dec 11, 2024 – 46:07
  • Introducing: American Homicide
    Nov 5, 2024 – 33:21
  • Introducing — There and Gone: South Street Episode 1
    Aug 21, 2024 – 42:45
  • S1: Bonus EP 1 – Let's Go Back to 1974
    Dec 13, 2023 – 13:21
  • S1: Ep 8 - The Last Word
    Dec 6, 2023 – 26:54
  • S1: Ep 7 - Are You Kidding Me?
    Nov 29, 2023 – 28:17
  • S1: Ep 6 - Battlefield
    Nov 22, 2023 – 26:35
  • S1: Ep 5 - Game On
    Nov 15, 2023 – 34:28
  • S1: Ep 4 - The Body Keeps the Score
    Nov 8, 2023 – 32:03
  • S1: Ep 3 - Ashes to Ashes
    Oct 25, 2023 – 30:19
  • S1: Ep 2 - Physics
    Oct 18, 2023 – 32:43
  • S1: Ep 1 - Age of Innocence
    Oct 18, 2023 – 36:00
  • Introducing: Burden of Guilt
    Oct 11, 2023 – 01:55
Recent Reviews
  • Nullity
    I’m sorry I can’t
    I’m sorry I can’t. It’s me not you. Anything regarding children or animals or the elderly hurt I can’t listen to, but I’m sure it’s wonderful. I did get through part of episode one and it was very good.
  • Ecrab365
    Excellent story telling
    Great listen. The story is heartbreaking. I’d love to hear other episodes from you.
  • Winterfuzz55
    Too many ads
    As many ads as there is content. And no…scrolling is not a viable option when it takes up so much time. Ridiculous. Totally distracts and disrupts.
  • MissGrinch86
    High quality podcast
    Can’t relate to these reviews complaining about a FREE pod with ads that are easily skipped. Great story that keeps you engaged the entire time. Don’t listen to the haters. This one is worth a listen fs.
  • Asolare
    How does Coleen maul sleep at night
    What a disgusting human being
  • Teon77
    Good story but….
    The narrator was a bit too over the top in her intonation for me.
  • blahlabanajsns
    Unfollowing after hearing the forced birth ad
    Prove to me you’re pro life by caring about the people who are actually alive
  • Nancy MacLean Davidson
    Too much repetition, too many ads
    The tragic story gets lost with the repetitive audio clips, heavy ad content. and the reporter’s iverly dranatic voice.
  • Laur11045
    Interesting story but felt incomplete
    An interesting story but it felt kind of incomplete as I finished the last episode. Like it could have gone further but was lacking some more details. I listen to a lot of podcasts and this has by far the most ads of any podcast I’ve ever listened to. It really takes away from the story.
  • Heidemannish
    Great story
    Sure, there are quite a few ads, but they’re easy to skip. This story needs to be told and I think it was done so beautifully. I cannot wait for the documentary.
  • jermsladybug
    Amazing!
    Such a compelling story of triumph and resilience. I can’t wait to see the documentary.
  • MamaJadeo
    Excellent podcast, annoying ads, a+ host
    This podcast was very well put together. I enjoyed listening and felt a sense of compassion towards Tracey Raquel. I am so sorry you had to endure all the abuse in your childhood. I do believe that your mama was a DV. I do believe she had so knowledge of what really happened to your brother however can not admit to the truth. I do not believe she willingly participated in the murder of your brother. As for Jan what a monster. The fact that he kept getting away with abusing women which lead to the murder of a child is absurd. Tracey Raquel you are a fantastic woman and mama. Your resilience, spirit, determination and dedication is inspiring. I wish you and your family many blessing. To the host I would love for you to continue on doing podcast in crime. Thank you!
  • VA farm girl
    Heartbreaking story, terrible host/narrator
    Tracyraquel’s strength, after an unimaginable childhood, is an inspiration. She is very articulate, tells her story well and what she went through was heartbreaking. The narrator/host was very annoying, and added nothing to the podcast. She said she spent years on the story but it felt like a lot of the information was repetitive and she would bring something up and then say “more on that later” as if trying to force you to continue listening. Her narration style seemed slow and too deliberate and she was overly dramatic at inappropriate times as though she was trying to draw attention to herself. About halfway through episode 5, I couldn’t take her anymore and stopped listening. Waited a week and then listened to the last episode because I wanted to see how Tracyraquel was doing today. This podcast could be 5 stars with a different narrator.
  • Bluntslipknot
    Thank you for reporting this story’
    Fantastic listen!!
  • Jaxxe13
    Great story but delivery falls short
    Tracyraquel is a force to be reckon with! True embodiment of resilience and courage. Heartbreaking story but felt that Nancy glass the presenter was sensationalizing the story too much. Felt very superficially researched and didn’t do Tracy’s story justice.
  • jessicaclarkgraham
    Powerful, heartbreaking, inspiring
    This was so well done. It didn't feel exploitative at all, as some of these true crime podcasts can. I felt like I was given the opportunity to really know this amazing woman. What a generous gift.
  • disappointedinxhicago, again
    Very Compelling Story!
    The amount of commercials and length of commercials are obnoxious. The bonus episodes 13 mins long with 5 minutes of commercials. The content and tone of the commercials is irritating.
  • ChristineWillsey
    Heartbreaking and Captivating
    As the mother of young children, one who was 4 months old just a handful of weeks back, this story broke my heart. However, the way it was told was captivating and did it justice. Due to content, I could only listen to this away from the ears of my littles. But every chance I could get I would come back to hear the story. While I know that the past cannot be undone, I am rooting so hard for Tracyraquel and her continued happiness. And I send her and her siblings a virtual mama hug for when they were little. I know that there were so many more crimes committed against those sweet souls than what we even learned about <3
  • Bdr77
    Great story but…
    Great story with excellent research. It’s quite compelling BUT half of each episode (which is very short to start with) it’s commercials! It’s hard to listen to a story when every 4 minutes or so it stops you to give you another 3 minutes of commercials. I’m all for podcasters getting paid but this is overkill. Seriously!
  • dradrabrainerd
    Compelling!
    This is a compelling story. Beyond this resilient woman that has truly overcome some heartbreaking circumstances is an unbelievable story of the death of an infant. It’s truly remarkable and a good listen. The first episode’s audio quality is terrible! Also, SPOILER ALERT, as a healthcare provider that works with infants and children, the mother of this four month old infant and two year old toddler is as cunning and sly as a slippery eel. Just my honest opinion, she’s very much an accomplice based on the injuries sustained throughout this innocent baby’s short four month life.
  • Kristin Rice
    Commercial choices?
    Considering this podcast is about DV, drug abuse and alcohol abuse, there sure are a lot of commercials promoting moms who need cocktail hour. Poor taste.
  • Aladyrder2
    Interesting true story
    Good true story but the commercials just kind of ruin the listening pleasure of the story. Would be interesting to find out the further crimes of her father Jan.
  • yari1002
    Too many ads !!!
    Loved the podcast but the episodes are short and didn’t have to be put into that many. The ads are annoying. Way too many.
  • Heyyallitsmi
    Good podcast but too many commercials
    Great podcast but holy cow there are more commercials in this podcast than any other I have listened to. And they go on forever! Also the bonus episode that comes after the first episode kinda gives away the ending unfortunately. That bonus episode says who goes to trial for the crime. I almost didn’t keep listening because I was like, “oh, so it’s that person who did it.”
  • worstgamesver985
    Lacked balance
    It’s very clear from episode 1 that the host has her mind made up and is siding with Tracy. Not to say that that’s not her right and the right choice but in looking for objective journalism, this wasn’t it.
  • Cbeaudzik
    Strength
    Wow! What an incredible story. Tracy Raquel is everything that her parents are not. She is the ultimate big sister fighting a little brother’s right to be loved and remembered. Congratulations to you all on a story well told.
  • KateJessie
    Heartbreaking
    Nancy Glass does a great job telling this story and highlighting an amazingly strong, smart, determined young woman. People! Fast forward through ads! It’s not that difficult.
  • AD inW.Pa
    Highly recommend (and recommend a follow up episode)
    I’m not typically a fan of true crime, but this was an amazing series about an amazing woman. There are just a few pieces to the puzzle that I think could have been explained more. I’d be very interested to know more about Matthew’s father (a viewer’s question about this was asked in episode 8, but not directly answered) and about Tracyrachel’s mother’s background. Did she experience abuse growing up, was she a drug user….what led her to accepting spousal abuse & standing by while her children were abused? What was Tracyrachel’s 2nd brother’s childhood like?
  • Mamaohohoh
    Host/Journalist is painful to listen to
    I really wanted to get through this story because it is compelling and happens to have taken place where i grew up. I found the host to be so overly dramatic and pushed in her questions and delivery of details. I think the writing definitely contributes to the tone but it truly boils down to her as the narrator. I’m only partially into episode two and unfortunately, I think I have to stop here. The double name of Tracy Raquel repeatedly being said also becomes pretty distracting. I’m sorry to stop listening but I hope the host will take these points into consideration in her future podcast endeavors.
  • Rob Bold
    Too many ads
    Good show but way too many breaks to enjoy
  • MateyMcCoy
    Nicotine Ads!!??
    Disappointed to hear ads from Zyn during this podcast. Please do better. Will not keep listening to this podcast due to affiliation with Zyn.
  • eycastsz
    Incredible story
    Incredible story of survival.
  • CCD3700
    Lots of Ads
    I think there are more ads than actually story telling.. However, the story is good and I have enjoyed listening to the actual story. The ads are long and weird/random, I think there was an add for a psychic. At any rate, I think its still worth a listen just know you will have to listen to a lot of weird advertisements.
  • Coley673
    Story? Ads? Compelling?
    I got through it because the very beginning hooked me. That this was the most compelling story a journalist had covered or been involved with, I was ready. I now find that very difficult to believe. Some of the details were terrible, some of it was a little interesting, but overall I did not feel connected to the story, the people in it, or how it was told. The ads didn’t help at all. I would say this is the worst true crime podcast I’ve ever finished. Would take back my time but I feel like content is so scant these days, I’m not devastated.
  • muttttttttooonnnnsss
    Ad heavy, seems acted out
    There’s only about 13 minutes of actual content per episode. The interviewer often sounds like they are just dubbed into a recorded story and seems to ask very leading questions. I couldn’t get past episode 3 where the “recording” of tracyracqel and Kathy sounds like Kathy is straight up reading from a script.
  • new york art girl
    HATE the ads - and production style
    A compelling story (so far - I’m on ep. 5)…. HOWEVER, the production style is completely unappealing, like if 50/50 was an audio program (music is corny, host voice too loud) - and the ads are insane! And too long! So 3/5 from me.
  • TrudyTedeschi
    Great
    Very good podcast with interesting topic. I recommend. Agree with others that there are an excessive amount of ads but otherwise great.
  • Mediahog
    Keep your finger next to the FF arrow!
    It’s a very interesting and unusual story, but there at least 10 mins of ads in even a 30 min episode.
  • jentheridge
    Stop saying Tracy Raquel
    Good story, but you’re held back by tons of ads and overly dramatic reading. The most obnoxious part was the narrator saying “Tracy Raquel” constantly. Tracy is fine. No need for the whole name. Once you hear it, you can’t get passed it.
  • Carrielea88
    Half of the show is advertisment
    Way way way to many ads . I feel like most of the episodes are more of ads and not of the story. It’s an ok listen , but it’s hard to keep invested with so many breaks.
  • nongamer160100
    The ads!!
    Good story, but there’s about 50% ad in each one. Including an ad for a psychic.
  • JoSchornhorst
    Burden of Guilt
    So well-done!
  • JMitch76
    Binge Worthy!
    I had a long day of driving and appointments. I’m so glad I stumbled across this podcast beforehand. I really enjoyed it, but most of all, I’m grateful to have heard Tracy’s story about fighting and winning justice for her baby brother.
  • CathyMyro
    eloquent and authentic
    carefully researched and meticulously woven together. no hype and over-dramatic— the story needs no embellishment and Tracy Raquel is eloquent and authentic
  • klindsayhatch
    Compelling! Too many ads!
    💕
  • dog_rules2008
    Wow!
    Heartbreaking, triumphant, and inspiring all in one. Well done!
  • RK9795
    Over dramatized reporter
    Nancy Glass makes this story hard to listen to. It goes from being a tragic story, to an over dramatized sensational opportunity to make money off of this poor lady.
  • samgraves2
    Oversensationalizes and undelivers
    The podcast starts off with the narrator saying she has interviewed Jeffery Dahmer and sat through the OJ Simpson trial. But then says that THIS STORY is the most compelling story she’s ever been a part of. That is total nonsense. There are 10, 30 minute episodes and they are packed full of ads. Be sure to have your finger on the skip forward button as you’ll be using it a lot. It’s a fairly boring story that only half-covers all of the truths. Like watching an episode of Dateline where they speak in dramatic voices but are really giving you the Cliff’s Notes to a complex story. That is what this podcast is like. My recommendation - skip this one.
  • verojo78
    Good story, TOO MANY ADS!
    The ads smh
  • Amy Bumz
    A Tragic Story Told
    Burden of Guilt is a tragic story told well. I felt all the feels - sorrow, anger, heartbreak, pride. Nancy Glass shares Tracyraquel's story with care. She shows the horrific nature of child abuse and the unwavering spirit of discovering truth. Well done Nancy. So proud of Tracyraquel!
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