Episode 3: Tweaker Talk | Valley of Shadows

About this episode

The episode explores the investigation into Jon Aujay's disappearance amidst a meth epidemic in California's Antelope Valley.

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.

People in this episode

Hosts: Betsy, Hayley

Topics covered

• meth epidemic
• investigation
• homicide
• law enforcement
• drug culture

Keywords

• Jon Aujay
• meth lab
• Antelope Valley
• homicide detective
• drug epidemic

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: LASD

Books & works: Valley of Shadows

Places: Antelope Valley, California

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• Trailer: The Backfire Effect · September 8, 2026 · 3 min
• Lost Hills is Becoming Examined · September 4, 2026 · 2 min
• Episode 8: The Finish Line | Valley of Shadows · March 2, 2026 · 53 min
• Episode 7: The Trial | Valley of Shadows · February 23, 2026 · 51 min
• Episode 6: The Big Takedown | Valley of Shadows · February 16, 2026 · 43 min
• Episode 5: The Legend of Bigfoot | Valley of Shadows · February 9, 2026 · 43 min