About this episode

The episode explores the connection between Bigfoot folklore and a local deputy's reputation in the context of a disappearance case.

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
• Sasquatch
• disappearance
• local folklore
• law enforcement
• investigation

Keywords

• Bigfoot
• Sasquatch
• Devil’s Punchbowl
• Rick Engels
• Jon Aujay
• investigation
• law enforcement

Sponsors

Pushkin+

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pushkin Industries

Places: Devil’s Punchbowl, Valley of Shadows

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 4: Outlaw Country · January 26, 2026 · 47 min
• Episode 3: Tweaker Talk · January 19, 2026 · 47 min
• Episode 2: An Unreasonable Act · January 11, 2026 · 41 min

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