
Episode 3: Tweaker Talk
From Valley of Shadows by Pushkin Industries
January 19, 2026 · 47 min · Season 1 · Episode 3
About this episode
The episode explores the investigation into Jon Aujay's disappearance amid a meth epidemic in California, focusing on the dismissive attitude of law enforcement and one detective's determination to pursue the case.
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
- disappearance
- investigation
- law enforcement
- homicide
- drug lab
Keywords
- Jon Aujay
- meth epidemic
- Antelope Valley
- homicide investigation
- Larry Brandenburg
- LASD
- drug lab
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: LASD
Places: California, Antelope Valley
More episodes of Valley of Shadows
- Episode 8: The Finish Line · February 23, 2026 · 53 min
- Episode 7: The Trial · February 16, 2026 · 51 min
- Episode 6: The Big Takedown · February 9, 2026 · 43 min
- Episode 5: The Legend of Bigfoot · February 2, 2026 · 43 min
- Episode 4: Outlaw Country · January 26, 2026 · 47 min
- Episode 2: An Unreasonable Act · January 12, 2026 · 41 min
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