Episode 5: The Legend of Bigfoot | Valley of Shadows
From Examined: The Backfire Effect by Western Sound and Pushkin Industries
February 9, 2026 · 43 min · Season 5 · Episode 5
About this episode
The episode explores Bigfoot sightings in the Devil’s Punchbowl and connects them to the investigation of Jon Aujay’s disappearance.
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.
Topics covered
- Bigfoot
- folklore
- true crime
- investigation
- local deputy
- disappearance
Keywords
- Bigfoot
- Devil’s Punchbowl
- Rick Engels
- Jon Aujay
- true crime
- Valley of Shadows
- investigation
Sponsors
Pushkin+
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Apple Podcasts, Pushkin.fm
Books & works: Valley of Shadows
Places: Devil’s Punchbowl
More episodes of Examined: The Backfire Effect
- 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 4: Outlaw Country | Valley of Shadows · February 2, 2026 · 47 min
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