Podcast
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them.
Season 7 - The Burden: Bad Cops
Baltimore, Maryland likes to call itself Charm City. But you have to wonder: Is the nickname ironic? Consider one of the city's star cops, a sergeant so accomplished that he earned his own nickname, the Golden Boy. But Golden Boy led a double life. Said one of those who encountered him in the street. "I was robbed by the Baltimore City Police….with a gun … armed robbery." No one believed the allegation. Then a GPS tracker was discovered where it shouldn't have been; next, a wiretap went up on a cop's phone. An FBI agent couldn't believe what she was hearing. Are these guys gangsters? And then … an insider turned witness. "Like Rambo said, burn it down. And that's what I did." Welcome to Charm City, where it was sometimes difficult to tell the protectors from the predators.
Season 6 - The Burden: Lives of Crime
Ever wondered what it’s like to live on the edge?
To not follow the rules?
To live outside of the law?
On Lives of Crime you'll hear true stories from criminals themselves, narrating moments from their lives and expounding upon the crimes they’ve committed. This first person narrative podcast series creates an intimate connection between criminal and listener. It’s true crime without intermediaries. Presented without judgment, each episode features a single voice - a person with a criminal past - telling us the deeply personal details of their lives. We hear about their crimes, sure, but Lives of Crime goes beyond that. We hear the stories that shaped them, the moments that made them, the details that changed the direction of their lives for good or for ill.
True Crime Told by true criminals.
Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance
On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish?
Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run
“Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father.
Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger
Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice.
Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country.
Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood
Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question.
This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago.
Season 1 - The Burden
In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname.
Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance.
For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast.
Welcome to The Burden.
- True Crime chart
- #165
- Episodes
- 103
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 25 min
- On air since
- 2024
- Latest episode
- 1 month ago
Episodes
103 episodes, from the first
Season 1
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3 min
Introducing: The Burden Trailer
Show notes
The Burden - available everywhere on March 19
Detective Louis N. Scarcella was a legendary figure in New York City during the '90s. In a city overrun with violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. But the story changed when a group of convicted murderers-turned-jailhouse lawyers made a startling discovery that linked all their cases: Scarcella was the cop who helped put many of them away. They made a vow: Take down Scarcella. And with the help of a relentless New York Times reporter, they did just that. Thirty years later, 20 people who Scarcella helped put behind bars have since walked free. In the media, he’s known as the disgraced, rogue cop who hoodwinked an entire system. But was this really the workings of one person?
We spent hundreds of hours talking with witnesses who were coerced, jailhouse lawyers, outraged attorneys, and righteous cops. Scarcella insists he didn’t do anything wrong. And after finally tracking him down, he agreed to take us into the belly of the beast... where justice is done (and undone). Welcome to The Burden.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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38 min
The Burden | 1. The Scoop
Episode 1
Show notes
Episode 1 of 10
New York Times journalist Frances “Frenchie” Robles gets a tip about a group of wrongfully convicted men in the New York State prison system. The common denominator: many were arrested by the same detective. Frenchie tracks down the story in a surprise visit to prison.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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38 min
The Burden | 2. The Confessions of Louis Scarcella
Episode 2
Show notes
Episode 2 of 10
Steve chases down the legendary detective. He hasn’t talked in years, but after tracking him to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, Louie starts to sing. We learn about his uncle, the mobster who Louie must investigate for murder.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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36 min
The Burden | 3. The Actual Innocence Team
Episode 3
Show notes
Episode 3 of 10
We meet Shabaka Shakur, Derrick Hamilton, and the rest of the law firm they founded in prison. They are the best jailhouse lawyers of their generation. They have roles: lecturer, writer, PR man, intern… They claim they were framed...by Louie Scarcella. They declare common cause: bring him down. That cause will change the history of New York state jurisprudence.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad-free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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33 min
The Burden | 4. The Crazy World of Murder
Episode 4
Show notes
Episode 4 of 10
We meet the single eyewitness at the heart of some of Scarcella’s high profile cases. Teresa Gomez claimed to witness 11 murders, and she brought them all to Scarcella. For Louie, she was a truth teller and a “special friend” who also boosted his career. For those she testified against, she was a crack addict and fabulist. We explore the complicated relationship of Louie and Teresa, and her reliability.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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44 min
The Burden | 5. The Derrick Dilemma
Episode 5
Show notes
Episode 5 of 10
Derrick Hamilton, champion of the wrongfully convicted, claimed innocence since the day he was arrested by Scarcella. He claimed innocence in a previous murder conviction as well. But we uncover documents that show he lied. He admits to being a liar. So… was he framed? Or is he the master manipulator the prosecution claimed?
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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31 min
The Burden | 6. Does a New D.A. Mean a New Day?
Episode 6
Show notes
Episode 6 of 10
It’s 2013, and a fierce election for Brooklyn D.A. is in process. It’s an election that will change Brooklyn forever. The old guard is on the ropes and Louie Scarcella is a hot button issue. The lives of our main characters - Derrick, Shabaka, Louie, converge and no one will be the same.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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40 min
The Burden | 7. Shabaka’s Last Shot
Episode 7
Show notes
Episode 7 of 10
Shabaka Shakur is in court and Louie Scarcella is on the witness stand. It’s Shabaka’s last shot to prove he was framed. The courtroom drama doesn’t disappoint. A famed civil rights lawyer does the cross examination of a career, and “gets” Scarcella. A judge takes a hard look at the legendary detective, and changes history.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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46 min
The Burden | 8. Judgment
Episode 8
Show notes
Episode 8 of 10
Derrick and Shabaka are out of prison, but one “law partner” - the one who served as intern - is still behind bars. Derrick wins him a hearing in court. All seems aligned when reality warps. In an exclusive interview, we reveal why: the judge suffers from dementia and the system has been covering it up. The judge issues a devastating decision.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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38 min
The Burden | 9. Vindication
Episode 9
Show notes
Episode 9 of 10
The new D.A. personally overturns Derrick’s conviction. But is he really guilty? The question hovers over the series: Have murderers been freed because of Scarcella’s alleged misdeeds? We investigate. We track the lone eyewitness in Derrick's murder trial to the woods of North Carolina and sort truth from fiction. We reveal a secret report on Derrick’s case, and find out who’s really to blame.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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58 min
The Burden | 10. A Reckoning
Episode 10
Show notes
Episode 10 of 10
Louie Scarcella bursts into tears. “It sucks. It sucks.” The swaggering detective has been brought low by jailhouse lawyers. But did one “rogue” cop hoodwink the system? What role did Scarcella play? We confront the famed detective who finally makes admissions and then…in an unexpected twist, Derrick confronts Louie in a zoom call. They have some words for one another.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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2 min
Introducing - The Jordan Harbinger Show Trailer
Show notes
In-depth conversations with people at the top of their game. Jordan Harbinger unpacks guests' wisdom into practical nuggets you can use to impact your work, life, and relationships. Learn from leaders (Ray Dalio, Simon Sinek, Mark Cuban), entertainers (Moby, Tip "T.I." Harris, Dennis Quaid), scientists (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye), athletes (Kobe Bryant, Dennis Rodman, Tony Hawk) and an eclectic array of fascinating minds, from art forgers and arms traffickers to spies and psychologists.
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Season 1
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24 min
The Burden - Bonus Episode | Teresa Gomez Speaks! Bonus
Show notes
Steve and Dax’s team unearth 30-year old audio recordings of Teresa Gomez making a statement to an assistant district attorney about a murder she claims to have witnessed. Teresa Gomez is arguably the single person most responsible for Louis Scarcella’s rise, and fall as an NYPD detective.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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51 min
Introducing - On Our Watch: New Folsom from KQED Trailer
Show notes
Soon after correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez starts working at New Folsom prison, he gets caught up in a bad incident. An incarcerated man ends up in the hospital with horrific injuries, and the prison starts an investigation. Valentino feels pressured to back up his fellow officers’ version of the story, even though he thinks it might not be the truth. Then he gets an opportunity he’s dreamed of — to join an elite unit investigating crimes in the prison.
When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn’t just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later, Valentino’s sudden death would raise questions from the FBI, his family and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. This season, join us as we follow in Valentino’s footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California: New Folsom. If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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41 min
Introducing - Deep Cover: The Nameless Man Trailer
Show notes
Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Season four, The Nameless Man, tells the epic tale of two federal agents who investigate a rumor about a murder that supposedly took place 15 years prior. It is also the story of a family searching for answers about why their brother was killed. These two storylines collide in a courtroom in Philadelphia, PA where murder, memory, and morality go on trial.
If you enjoy this clip, listen to Deep Cover: The Nameless Man wherever you get your podcasts.
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Season 1
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44 min
The Burden - Bonus Episode | David Ranta and the Murder of the Century Bonus
Show notes
Steve and Dax dive into the case that made Louie Scarcella famous.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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52 min
Introducing - Slaycation: My Big Fat Greek Murder Trailer
Show notes
If you’re intrigued by the darker side of vacation tales, tune into Slaycation. The show navigates through the sinister underbelly of travel, making you question whether your next getaway might be more dangerous than you think.
This episode of Slaycation: "My Big Fat Greek Murder" first ran in back in April. If you enjoy this episode, listen to Slaycation wherever you get this podcast.See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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30 min
Introducing - My Friend the Serial Killer: Local Man Trailer
Show notes
What would you do if someone you knew turned out to be a serial killer? In the 1970s, Steve Fishman was an intern at his local newspaper. One day, he hitched a ride back home from Boston with a kind stranger who graciously picked him up and dropped him off at his destination. What Steve didn’t know however, was that this stranger was hiding a dark secret: by the time he picked up Steve, he had already killed three people - all hitchhikers. But this fateful ride was just the beginning of Steve’s story. While this may have been the first time Steve met the man he’d come to know as Red, it wouldn’t be the last… Featuring exclusive interviews and never-before-heard tapes, join Steve as he tells his chilling story for the first time and unravels the lingering questions surrounding this wild chapter of his life. Why did Steve get spared by the killer during their first meeting? And what could have possibly driven Steve back to the same killer he had just escaped? Find out on Smoke Screen: My Friend, the Serial Killer - available now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/the-binge/id6442475215
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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12 min
Introducing - American Criminal: The Menendez Brothers Trailer
Show notes
From Airship, the studio behind American Scandal, American History Tellers, and History Daily, comes a new true crime history podcast that takes you inside the minds of some of our most notorious felons and outlaws, exploring the dark side to the American dream. The debut season tackles one of the country’s most sensational cases: The Menendez Murders. In 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally shot their parents. Prosecutors said it was a million dollar inheritance that led two greedy kids to murder. But the picture-perfect facade this family built hid troubling abuse; could these teenagers have been driven to kill, or was it even in self defense?
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Season 1
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33 min
The Burden - Bonus Episode | Blame the Prosecutors Bonus
Show notes
Steve and Dax are joined by journalist Ted Hamm who examines the conduct of the Assistant District Attorneys who worked on Louis Scarcella's wrongful convictions.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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