Shivangi Sinha
In 1971, Kathie Almon was living in Decatur, Georgia. She was making a life with her partner, Dan Sandlin, and her daughter. In September of that year, her son, Matthew Golder, was born, and she felt she was finally beginning a stable and fulfilling life. However, when her son was just four months old, she returned home to find him unresponsive. She immediately called for emergency assistance but was unable to save him. Paramount+’s ‘Burden of Guilt’ includes some comments from Kathie addressing the allegations made by her daughter, Tracy Raquel Berns.
Kathie Almon Had Started Life With Her New Partner When Her Son Passed Away
Kathie Almon was born and raised in DeKalb County, Georgia. She spent much of her life there. As a teenager, she was full of energy and enthusiasm and excelled in school in every way. At just 14 years old, she met Dan Barry Sandlin at school, and the two quickly fell in love. However, their relationship was filled with frequent breakups and periods of uncertainty. Eventually, Kathie decided to seek love elsewhere and married Ted Golder, who was serving in the US Army at the time. She believed he could provide her with a peaceful and calm life.
Despite being married to Ted, Kathie couldn’t let go of her love for Dan. The two resumed their relationship while she was still married. In 1969, she gave birth to Tracy Raquel and claimed that Jan was the father. Although she remained married to Ted, she continued meeting Jan whenever she could. Even after the latter married Nancy Tegeder, it did little to change their bond. By early 1971, Kathie found herself expecting again, and she told Jan that the child was his. Although he always harbored doubts about whether the baby was Ted’s, To prove her commitment, Kathie wrote a letter to Ted, informing him that the child wasn’t his and that she was leaving him.
On September 9, 1971, Matthew Golder was born, and just a month later, Jan’s wife passed away. Kathie soon began living with Jan and her two children in Decatur, Georgia. On December 27, 1971, Kathie took Tracy with her to run some errands at the market. When they returned home, she wanted to check on Matthew, but Jan asked her to first take care of the laundry before going upstairs. Upon entering the room, she found Tracy standing in the crib and Matthew lying on the floor, seemingly unconscious. Panicking, she asked Jan what had happened, and he told her that 2-year-old Tracy had thrown the baby on the floor, which may have caused an injury.
Kathie Almon Tried to Kill Herself After Her Son’s Demise
Kathie Almon raised the alarm, and the police and medical personnel were called to the house. She told them what Jan Sandlin had claimed. Matthew Golder’s death was initially ruled as an accident. However, the loss of her child deeply affected Kathie, and it led to struggles with her mental health. A few months later, she took Tracy to the balcony and, in her daughter’s presence, jumped from the second story. While her injuries were not fatal, Kathie broke both her hands and feet, which severely limited her ability to move. Tracy later alleged that it was during this time that Kathie began making her do much of the household work.
In interviews for the docuseries, Tracy clearly stated that her mother never physically abused her. However, Tracy also believes that Kathie is not entirely innocent. She alleged that her mother witnessed the physical abuse that Jan subjected her to but never intervened to protect her. Tracy also alleged that Kathie herself was a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of Jan. The former added that her mother took her to an institution when she found out that she had tried to physically harm herself. During Jan’s trial in 1998, Kathie took the stand and claimed that she had simply believed Jan’s account of events and was unaware of anything more. She insisted that she truly believed Matthew’s death was an accident and had never suspected she had been lied to. She was never charged with any crimes.
Kathie Almon Has Denied All of Her Daughter’s Allegations
Kathie Almon now lives with her sister, Sheila Almon, in rural Georgia. When asked for comments for the first time since Jan Sandlin’s conviction, she did not have much to say and just said that her daughter had been lying. She instead sent her sister to speak on her behalf. Sheila alleged that Tracy Raquel Berns had been falsifying the abuse she endured in her childhood and stated that Jan only ever spanked Tracy once for smoking cigarettes. It appears that Kathie’s stance remains the same, as she has kept a very low profile in the years since and prefers to be left alone. She is not in contact with Tracy and does not seem interested in rebuilding that relationship.
Read More: Jan Sandlin: Where is Matthew Golder’s Killer Now?
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