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Rating

★★★★★

4.5

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360 reviews

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How the search for a missing deputy uncovered the Mojave Desert's meth epidemic, the outlaw bikers supplying it, and the corrupt police force covering it up. On June 11, 1998, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in California’s Devil’s Punchbowl park. A long-distance runner and former military, Aujay felt at home in the rocky terrain, but when he didn’t return home by nightfall, his wife reported him missing. Nearly 30 years later, Aujay has yet to be found and the mystery surrounding his disappearance has only deepened. Some say Aujay is just another missing hiker, claimed by the inhospitable landscape of the Southern California desert. Some say he took his own life out there. But there’s another theory that many of Aujay’s friends and LASD colleagues are convinced is true… that he was the victim of foul play, and that his own department is covering it up. Through exclusive interviews, revealing wiretaps, and buried police files, investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd dig into what the sheriff’s department has kept hidden all these years. Told over 8 episodes, Valley of Shadows follows the hairpin turns of the Aujay case, and breaks new ground in the search to uncover what really happened to the missing deputy. New episodes release on Mondays. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack on Spotify.

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Check latest episodes from Valley of Shadows podcast

Examined: The Backfire Effect | New Podcast

2026/09/14

Nearly 40 years ago, in the parking lot of a community college in Port Huron, Michigan, a 20-year-old student named Scott Macklem was shot dead in broad daylight. His murder shocked the community. It made no sense. The police quickly found their suspect. There was only one problem: the man said he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. And he could prove it. In Examined: The Backfire Effect, journalist Josie Duffy Rice talks with eyewitnesses, investigators and local reporters to unravel a shocking story of judicial apathy and expedience — a story that leaves no one off the hook. Examined looks at overlooked cases that never got the real investigation they deserved. Each season features deeply reported stories about crime, punishment, and the criminal legal system. Find more episodes of Examined: The Backfire Effect wherever you get podcasts. Binge the full series now with a Pushkin+ subscription — sign up on the Examined Apple show page or at pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 8: The Finish Line

2026/02/23

A reunion between two retired detectives brings new focus to the Aujay investigation, just as Hayley and Betsy find out about another tragedy in the Punchbowl area. When a woman and her father are shot dead in deputy Engels’ home, the fatalities should’ve prompted the sheriff’s department to take a harder look at the alleged dirty deputy. But, instead, the LASD tries to bury the matter and — just like in the Aujay case — the deaths are ruled suicides. Hayley and Betsy press the department for answers about these and other suspicious deaths that occurred in Engels’ jurisdiction. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 7: The Trial

2026/02/16

While the DEA showers Hager in accolades, the LASD turns against him. But Hager fights back, and drags the department’s dirty secrets out into open court. Betsy and Hayley go through thousands of pages of court documents, including internal LASD memos and recordings, to find out what the department knows about Aujay’s disappearance. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 6: The Big Takedown

2026/02/09

Brandenburg is taken off the Aujay case, but the LASD can’t stop Hager and the federal task force. With the help of wiretaps, informants, and 18 months of investigation, the team pulls off one of the largest drug stings in Antelope Valley history and nets a key witness in the Aujay case. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 5: The Legend of Bigfoot

2026/02/02

Decades before Jon Aujay’s disappearance, the Devil’s Punchbowl was infamous for something else: Bigfoot sightings. Sasquatch became a known boogeyman in the area. But beneath the folklore lies something real —- a local deputy, named Rick Engels, whose reputation inspires a different kind of fear. As detectives Brandenburg and Hager look into their colleague, they uncover a surprising connection to the Aujay case. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 4: Outlaw Country

2026/01/26

As Detective Brandenburg follows leads in the Aujay case, he finds himself with an unlikely ally. A young buck narcotics detective named Darren Hager, who’s trying to dismantle a meth syndicate run by a local biker gang. Hager discovers that his bikers have a disturbing connection to Aujay’s disappearance — and to some of his own LASD colleagues. So he brings in the big guns, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and they launch a covert task force. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 3: Tweaker Talk

2026/01/19

At the time of Jon Aujay’s disappearance, California is under siege by a meth epidemic and the Antelope Valley is the epicenter. So when investigators receive tips that Aujay was killed after stumbling upon a meth lab, it seems like a theory worth looking into. But LASD detectives are quick to dismiss the leads. Questioning why the cops are so dismissive, Betsy and Hayley discover there was one cop, Homicide Detective Larry Brandenburg, who bucked the company line and refused to let the Aujay trail go cold. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 2: An Unreasonable Act

2026/01/12

After deputy Jon Aujay disappears, the sheriff’s department claims he was suicidal — pointing to marital troubles and erratic behavior in the weeks before he vanished. But the LASD’s official story doesn’t square with what Aujay’s loved ones and colleagues remember. Then, investigators start to hear rumors that the deputy didn’t take his own life, but was murdered for something he witnessed out in the desert. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1: The Devil’s Punchbowl

2026/01/12

Deputy Jon Aujay is former military, an ultramarathon runner, and a part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s elite SWAT unit, so when he fails to return home from a run in Antelope Valley’s Devil’s Punchbowl…no one knows what to think. The sheriff’s department launches a widespread search for him, but finds no trace. Theories of accident, suicide, and desertion swirl, but Aujay’s former boss — retired CaptainMike Bauer — is convinced there’s something darker at play. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing Valley of Shadows: Corruption in California’s Mojave Desert

2026/01/05

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay disappeared nearly 30 years ago in a remote part of the Mojave Desert. Investigative reporters Betsy Shepherd and Hayley Fox dig into why Aujay’s former department may never want him found. In the process, the hosts uncover vestiges of the Wild West in a small California town, where outlaw biker gangs crank out methamphetamine and local cops operate on both sides of the law. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Podcast reviews

Read Valley of Shadows podcast reviews

4.5 out of 5

360 reviews

★★★★★

FailedWookiee 2026/07/15

Wonderfully done!

Love the two hosts and can't wait to hear what else they bring to us!

★★★★★

Thedoublepisces 2026/06/22

Fantastic podcast!

I was shaken to my core!!! The hosts do an excellent job of presenting complex information in a way that's easy to follow without sacrificing depth. T...

★★★★★

AppalachianKid 2026/06/15

Slow burn

It took me a few episodes to get into the story. It starts off slow but it’s worth listening to. I just really wish they found who’s responsible and p...

★★★☆☆

Fionn MacCumhaill 2026/04/11

Great story, poor presentation

This podcast really suffers from the presenters injecting themselves into the narrative. There’s no point to these painful, goofy “tee-hee, we’re two...

★★★★★

Peachesnplums14 2026/04/02

Great job

I thought you guys did a great job covering this story. You are bringing awareness to this story that not many people know about. The story telling wa...

★★★★★

PCBunnygirl 2026/03/26

Slow burn but stick with it!

It took me a couple of episodes to really get involved in this podcast, but once I did, wow! This is true crime done right. Well worth the listen.

★★★★★

4theloveofPod 2026/03/24

Love these hosts!

I loved this podcast! Not only did it keep me captivated every episode it was easy to listen to and highly entertaining. Love Haley and Betsy, they ar...

★★★☆☆

archie18 2026/03/18

Interesting case; amateur journalism

Fascinating true crime case and the case itself and the interviews got all the stars. Deducted two stars bc my god the hosts are childish. Every goofy...

★★★☆☆

TBagley 2026/03/12

Misleading

I grew up in the AV and while there are pockets where the description of it being a desolate, lawless, and filled with trailers parked off the side of...

★☆☆☆☆

Pya3g 2026/03/08

Irresponsible Reporting

There’s no evidence of any foul play.

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