Episode 7: The Trial | Valley of Shadows

Episode 7: The Trial | Valley of Shadows

From Examined: The Backfire Effect by Western Sound and Pushkin Industries

February 23, 2026 · 51 min · Season 5 · Episode 7

About this episode

The episode explores the trial involving Hager and the LASD's internal secrets regarding Aujay's disappearance.

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.

Topics covered

  • trial
  • law enforcement
  • court documents
  • disappearance
  • investigation

Keywords

  • trial
  • Hager
  • LASD
  • Aujay
  • Valley of Shadows
  • court documents
  • investigation

Sponsors

Pushkin+

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: DEA, LASD, Apple Podcasts, Pushkin.fm

Books & works: Valley of Shadows

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