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Rating

4.5

from

137 reviews

Description

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.

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Valley of Shadows podcast

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.

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 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 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 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.

Pushkin+ Early Listen: Episode 6: The Big Takedown

2026/02/09

You can hear this episode for free beginning Monday, February 9th. To learn more about Pushkin+ offerings, like ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and early access, visit pushkin.fm or the show page on Apple. 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. 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.

Pushkin+ Early Listen: Episode 7: The Trial

2026/02/16

You can hear this episode for free beginning Monday, February 16th. To learn more about Pushkin+ offerings, like ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and early access, visit pushkin.fm or the show page on Apple. 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. 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.

Pushkin+ Early Listen: Episode 8: The Finish Line

2026/02/23

You can hear this episode for free beginning Monday, February 23rd. To learn more about Pushkin+ offerings, like ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and early access, visit pushkin.fm or the show page on Apple. 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. 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.

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.

Read Valley of Shadows podcast reviews

4.5 out of 5

137 reviews

bunnyreebs 2026/02/04

Excellent

A story that leaves you feeling haunted. The wounded pride, the ones who chose good ethics over the pack mentality and the image of sheriff gangs will...

cottoncandy1184 2026/02/03

Worth the listen

Really well done podcast. I like how it takes its time and lets the story unfold without feeling rushed or sensationalized. Easy to listen to but stil...

PepperPowerCA 2026/02/03

Totally hooked!!

This story is totally bonkers and the narrators are amazing. The contradiction of their voices and the fact that they are clearly having fun, but also...

Jena Nibroc 2026/02/02

LA History Buffs Will Love!!!

Fascinating storytelling and investigative journalism! Perfect for people who love a gumshoe mystery, sprinkled with LAPD/SHERIFF unknown factoids a...

jo mccall 2026/02/02

I’m hooked!

I listened to every episode in one day and can’t get enough. The story is so compelling. I love the narration, pacing, music, all of it. Can’t wait to...

59743,7 2026/01/27

Incredible

I had to subscribe to continue listening to this story. I find myself searching things online to try and get more answers myself. Thanks for getting t...

Durst98 2026/01/28

I’ll tell you one thing

I’m not yet convinced that the guy didn’t commit suicide, but the tweaker talk rumors are interesting. The host’s voice is tolerable, side from the ...

fi.flap 2026/01/23

Subscribed to binge the season

Worth it! Fantastic investigating, ladies.

johnpaul335 2026/01/26

I didn’t get past the first few minutes

Due to the narrator, speaking in a little girl voice one minute, then switching to vocal fry I had to quit. Too bad, sounds like an interesting story.

Rosh Dust 2026/01/23

Hooked!

Great cast of characters and setting the scene for what’s to come next. Investigative journalism into law enforcement can’t be easy. Really enjoy the ...

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