Introducing Valley of Shadows: The Devil’s Punchbowl

Introducing Valley of Shadows: The Devil’s Punchbowl

From Where's Dia? by Pushkin Industries

January 12, 2026 · 47 min · Season 1

About this episode

The episode discusses the mysterious disappearance of Deputy Jon Aujay in California's Devil’s Punchbowl park nearly 30 years ago.

We're sharing an episode from Valley of Shadows , a new Pushkin true crime podcast that digs into a nearly 30-year old secret buried in the California desert. On June 11, 1998, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in California’s Devil’s Punchbowl park...and never came back. Nearly 30 years later, the mystery surrounding his disappearance has only deepened. Some say Aujay is just another missing hiker, claimed by the inhospitable landscape of the Southern California desert. Some say he took his own life out there. But there’s another theory that many of Aujay’s friends and LASD colleagues are convinced is true—that he was the victim of foul play, and that his own department is covering it up. Through exclusive interviews, revealing wiretaps, and buried police files, investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd uncover vestiges of the Wild West in a small California town, where outlaw biker gangs crank out methamphetamine and local cops operate on both sides of the law. Find Valley of Shadows wherever you get podcasts. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+…

Topics covered

  • true crime
  • disappearance
  • investigation
  • foul play
  • California desert
  • mystery
  • law enforcement

Keywords

  • Jon Aujay
  • disappearance
  • Devil’s Punchbowl
  • true crime
  • investigation
  • foul play
  • California
  • Pushkin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Pushkin

Books & works: Valley of Shadows

Places: California, Devil’s Punchbowl

More episodes of Where's Dia?

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Where's Dia? podcast page.