1 00:00:15,422 --> 00:00:16,262 Speaker 1: Push can. 2 00:00:19,822 --> 00:00:23,182 Speaker 2: Hey listeners, Betsy Shepherd here, I'm dropping into your feed 3 00:00:23,182 --> 00:00:25,982 Speaker 2: to bring you a preview of my new podcast, Valley 4 00:00:26,102 --> 00:00:29,742 Speaker 2: of Shadows. It's about an LA County Sheriff's deputy named 5 00:00:29,782 --> 00:00:32,982 Speaker 2: John Aujay, who went missing in the Majave Desert back 6 00:00:32,982 --> 00:00:37,022 Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety eight. Nearly thirty years later. The Sheriff's 7 00:00:37,022 --> 00:00:41,182 Speaker 2: department says that Auja's disappearance is still a mystery. The 8 00:00:41,302 --> 00:00:45,102 Speaker 2: whistleblowers say the sheriff's department is covering up what happened 9 00:00:45,142 --> 00:00:47,542 Speaker 2: to the deputy, that he was murdered in the desert, 10 00:00:47,862 --> 00:00:51,182 Speaker 2: which is a place where meth labs, outlaw biker gangs, 11 00:00:51,622 --> 00:00:55,582 Speaker 2: and dirty cops go unchecked. The show's got it all, 12 00:00:56,142 --> 00:00:58,862 Speaker 2: and I think you're gonna dig it. Find a Valley 13 00:00:58,902 --> 00:01:03,182 Speaker 2: of Shadows wherever you get your podcasts. Pushkin Plus subscribers 14 00:01:03,262 --> 00:01:07,262 Speaker 2: can binge the entire season right now ad free. Sign 15 00:01:07,382 --> 00:01:09,582 Speaker 2: up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple 16 00:01:09,622 --> 00:01:13,822 Speaker 2: Podcasts or at pushkin dot Fm, slash Plus. 17 00:01:17,342 --> 00:01:20,022 Speaker 3: This series includes content that may not be suitable for 18 00:01:20,062 --> 00:01:22,862 Speaker 3: all listeners. Listener discretion is advised. 19 00:01:25,222 --> 00:01:26,942 Speaker 1: So it's okay, yeah. 20 00:01:26,742 --> 00:01:28,502 Speaker 4: I'll turn it down just a little bit because sometimes 21 00:01:28,542 --> 00:01:29,742 Speaker 4: you get animated. 22 00:01:30,142 --> 00:01:32,342 Speaker 5: I get pissed off, pissed off old cop. 23 00:01:33,342 --> 00:01:35,662 Speaker 1: This pissed off old cop is Mike Bauer. 24 00:01:36,782 --> 00:01:39,702 Speaker 6: Okay, my name is Mike Bauer, retired Captain LA Sheriff. 25 00:01:39,822 --> 00:01:43,062 Speaker 6: I retired in two thousand and two. My last assignment 26 00:01:43,142 --> 00:01:46,062 Speaker 6: was Major Crimes Bureau, Detective Division, LA Sheriff. 27 00:01:47,302 --> 00:01:50,062 Speaker 2: Bower spent thirty three years climbing the ranks of the 28 00:01:50,102 --> 00:01:53,422 Speaker 2: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. And he looks the part 29 00:01:53,462 --> 00:01:56,742 Speaker 2: of a retired captain. His white hair and mustache are 30 00:01:56,782 --> 00:02:00,222 Speaker 2: neatly groomed, and his eyes are permanently fixed and a 31 00:02:00,222 --> 00:02:02,902 Speaker 2: look that says, do not fuck up on my watch. 32 00:02:03,782 --> 00:02:05,742 Speaker 2: And he's pissed off because of something that happened to 33 00:02:05,782 --> 00:02:08,822 Speaker 2: one of his guys on his squad back. 34 00:02:08,662 --> 00:02:10,102 Speaker 1: In the summer of nineteen ninety eight. 35 00:02:12,862 --> 00:02:15,582 Speaker 2: June eleventh started off like a normal day in Los Angeles, 36 00:02:16,142 --> 00:02:18,062 Speaker 2: June gloom and bad traffic. 37 00:02:19,342 --> 00:02:21,422 Speaker 6: I got up early out of Long Beach and headed 38 00:02:21,502 --> 00:02:24,102 Speaker 6: up the six ZHO five and into East LA. 39 00:02:24,622 --> 00:02:25,782 Speaker 5: Our office in East LA. 40 00:02:26,662 --> 00:02:29,062 Speaker 2: Bauer was doing paperwork when a call came into the 41 00:02:29,062 --> 00:02:32,102 Speaker 2: front desk. The receptionist answered. 42 00:02:32,782 --> 00:02:34,662 Speaker 6: Then she hung up and she comes down to get 43 00:02:34,662 --> 00:02:37,902 Speaker 6: a cup of coffee across the hall and I said, hey, 44 00:02:37,902 --> 00:02:40,622 Speaker 6: who was that. It was John Aujay. 45 00:02:42,142 --> 00:02:45,102 Speaker 2: John Aj was a thirty eight year old canine cop 46 00:02:45,622 --> 00:02:48,302 Speaker 2: and he was calling to inquire about an upcoming job assignment. 47 00:02:49,502 --> 00:02:51,502 Speaker 6: I said, well, I've been trying to get hold of him, 48 00:02:51,982 --> 00:02:55,102 Speaker 6: and she says, oh, well, maybe he'll call back. 49 00:02:56,622 --> 00:02:57,622 Speaker 7: He never called back. 50 00:03:00,462 --> 00:03:02,982 Speaker 2: John Aj was working for the unit Bower headed up 51 00:03:03,022 --> 00:03:08,262 Speaker 2: at the time, the Special Enforcement Bureau or SEB for short. 52 00:03:08,382 --> 00:03:12,782 Speaker 6: Which consists of seven or eight SWAT teams, and the 53 00:03:12,862 --> 00:03:17,702 Speaker 6: SWAT teams were involved in tactical responses to high risk 54 00:03:17,742 --> 00:03:19,382 Speaker 6: situations in the field. 55 00:03:20,262 --> 00:03:25,862 Speaker 2: SEB handled things like active shooter situations, hostage negotiations, search 56 00:03:25,902 --> 00:03:29,622 Speaker 2: and rescue. It was a job that attracted adrenaline junkies 57 00:03:29,742 --> 00:03:33,502 Speaker 2: like Auj. He was an Army paratrooper and a survivalist, 58 00:03:34,062 --> 00:03:37,102 Speaker 2: and those military skills, along with his buzz cut and 59 00:03:37,102 --> 00:03:40,382 Speaker 2: square build, made him a shoe in for the Sheriff's Department. 60 00:03:41,342 --> 00:03:44,182 Speaker 6: He was in the Army in Special Forces. He was 61 00:03:44,262 --> 00:03:47,862 Speaker 6: working at the elite unit of the department. I have 62 00:03:47,942 --> 00:03:50,942 Speaker 6: to call him a loaner, but he was an elite loaner. 63 00:03:51,262 --> 00:03:55,662 Speaker 6: Because the guy was doing fifty mile runs. He was 64 00:03:55,702 --> 00:03:56,382 Speaker 6: an animal. 65 00:03:59,942 --> 00:04:02,502 Speaker 2: Auj got his kicks by going on long runs through 66 00:04:02,542 --> 00:04:06,662 Speaker 2: California's backcountry. He go out deep into the wilderness to 67 00:04:06,742 --> 00:04:11,142 Speaker 2: conquer the only obstacle course that still challenged him. And 68 00:04:11,182 --> 00:04:14,342 Speaker 2: that's how Auja was spending his day off. On June eleventh, 69 00:04:14,462 --> 00:04:17,702 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety eight, he woke up, put on his running 70 00:04:17,742 --> 00:04:20,942 Speaker 2: gear and drove to one of his favorite parks, the 71 00:04:21,022 --> 00:04:24,862 Speaker 2: Devil's Punch Bowl. It's a rugged canyon where the Angelus 72 00:04:24,982 --> 00:04:28,462 Speaker 2: National Forest, the San Gabriel Mountains, and the Mojave Desert 73 00:04:28,542 --> 00:04:37,422 Speaker 2: all converge. Auj entered the park just before noon, used 74 00:04:37,422 --> 00:04:40,222 Speaker 2: a payphone to call into the sheriff's department, and then 75 00:04:40,662 --> 00:04:44,702 Speaker 2: he took off running. He never listened to any music, 76 00:04:45,262 --> 00:04:47,662 Speaker 2: just the sounds of nature as he jogged along a 77 00:04:47,702 --> 00:04:51,222 Speaker 2: maze of switchbacks and up a nearly ten thousand foot mountain. 78 00:04:52,702 --> 00:04:56,022 Speaker 2: By early evening, he looped back towards the parking lot, 79 00:04:57,142 --> 00:05:00,022 Speaker 2: but as the sun began to set, the shadows of 80 00:05:00,062 --> 00:05:04,142 Speaker 2: trees and rocks grew until night engulfed the park. 81 00:05:11,342 --> 00:05:15,302 Speaker 6: That evening, I got a phone call saying that w 82 00:05:15,422 --> 00:05:19,382 Speaker 6: Oj is missing, that he didn't come back to his 83 00:05:19,542 --> 00:05:22,702 Speaker 6: vehicle and that they were going to start some more 84 00:05:22,702 --> 00:05:26,342 Speaker 6: extensive searching for him. 85 00:05:26,662 --> 00:05:29,462 Speaker 8: It's an all out manhunt for John Auj. Every search 86 00:05:29,462 --> 00:05:31,582 Speaker 8: and rescue team in La County has been called in 87 00:05:31,622 --> 00:05:34,302 Speaker 8: to help the thirty eight year old when hiking Thursday 88 00:05:34,342 --> 00:05:37,182 Speaker 8: in a rugged section of the Angels National Forest known 89 00:05:37,182 --> 00:05:40,822 Speaker 8: as Devil Punch Bowls Park. It's a beautiful but dangerous area, 90 00:05:40,982 --> 00:05:43,982 Speaker 8: an area where it may be extremely difficult to find 91 00:05:43,982 --> 00:05:44,422 Speaker 8: all Jay. 92 00:05:45,462 --> 00:05:47,022 Speaker 1: It's a pretty unique situation. 93 00:05:47,862 --> 00:05:50,182 Speaker 2: The Sheriff's department is called in to look for a 94 00:05:50,222 --> 00:05:54,182 Speaker 2: missing hiker who's one of their own. So the search 95 00:05:54,222 --> 00:05:56,862 Speaker 2: and rescue team sent out to look for Auj consists 96 00:05:56,942 --> 00:05:58,462 Speaker 2: of his friends and colleagues. 97 00:05:59,342 --> 00:06:01,862 Speaker 9: We took our teams out and deployed in two man 98 00:06:02,142 --> 00:06:04,622 Speaker 9: teams over the edges of the trails, into the little 99 00:06:04,862 --> 00:06:07,662 Speaker 9: nooks and crannies and the gullies that he could have 100 00:06:07,662 --> 00:06:08,662 Speaker 9: slipped and fallen into. 101 00:06:09,982 --> 00:06:13,822 Speaker 2: But searchers find no trace of Ajay. It was as 102 00:06:13,822 --> 00:06:17,462 Speaker 2: if he just vanished into thin air. And now, nearly 103 00:06:17,502 --> 00:06:21,022 Speaker 2: thirty years later, the deputy is still missing. 104 00:06:26,782 --> 00:06:28,542 Speaker 6: I guess I'll open a box. 105 00:06:30,182 --> 00:06:33,222 Speaker 2: All that remains from Auj's life is packed into five 106 00:06:33,342 --> 00:06:37,942 Speaker 2: cardboard boxes. The items are wrapped in plastic and Bower 107 00:06:37,982 --> 00:06:41,422 Speaker 2: wears gloves as he combs through them. 108 00:06:41,582 --> 00:06:46,142 Speaker 10: This is John's work jacket, and it's an SEB jacket 109 00:06:46,182 --> 00:06:49,422 Speaker 10: with his name embroidered on it, and Boss Goo his dog. 110 00:06:50,142 --> 00:06:54,622 Speaker 2: Now Bower's preserving Auja's belongings for future developments in the case. 111 00:06:55,182 --> 00:06:57,942 Speaker 10: Okay, so here's his running shoes with his name on 112 00:06:58,022 --> 00:06:58,462 Speaker 10: the back. 113 00:06:59,302 --> 00:07:00,502 Speaker 6: Those should have some. 114 00:07:00,662 --> 00:07:01,382 Speaker 1: DNA in him. 115 00:07:02,782 --> 00:07:06,102 Speaker 2: The artifacts also tell us who Auja was. There's a 116 00:07:06,102 --> 00:07:10,542 Speaker 2: photocollage full of happy memories him and his high school 117 00:07:10,582 --> 00:07:13,902 Speaker 2: sweetheart Dub on their wedding day, a birthday party for 118 00:07:13,942 --> 00:07:17,182 Speaker 2: their daughter Chloe, who was just five when he disappeared, 119 00:07:17,862 --> 00:07:22,822 Speaker 2: and puppy picks of Bosco Auj's department issued canine. And 120 00:07:22,862 --> 00:07:26,302 Speaker 2: next to these snapshots of domestic life, there's a steel 121 00:07:26,342 --> 00:07:31,182 Speaker 2: ballistics helmet intended to stop rifle rounds, trophies for marksmanship, 122 00:07:31,742 --> 00:07:37,222 Speaker 2: army fatigues, you know, tough guy stuff. Auj moved at 123 00:07:37,222 --> 00:07:40,382 Speaker 2: a fast clip, trying to balance the competing demands of 124 00:07:40,462 --> 00:07:44,142 Speaker 2: home and work, but his life came to an abrupt 125 00:07:44,222 --> 00:07:45,862 Speaker 2: and puzzling end. 126 00:07:46,782 --> 00:07:51,422 Speaker 6: A death certificate says cause, a death, unknown manner, a 127 00:07:51,462 --> 00:07:54,862 Speaker 6: death unknown no body. 128 00:07:55,662 --> 00:07:59,142 Speaker 2: The deputy's body has never been found, which raises a 129 00:07:59,182 --> 00:08:03,662 Speaker 2: lot of questions for Mike Bauer and a survivalist getting 130 00:08:03,662 --> 00:08:08,702 Speaker 2: lost in the woods another big question mark. Over time, 131 00:08:08,782 --> 00:08:11,342 Speaker 2: the miss of it all has turned into something else, 132 00:08:12,142 --> 00:08:16,822 Speaker 2: deep and unsettling, suspicion about the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 133 00:08:18,222 --> 00:08:20,742 Speaker 6: The only law enforcement agency in this country that I 134 00:08:20,782 --> 00:08:23,662 Speaker 6: know of, and I've looked around, who has a missing 135 00:08:23,662 --> 00:08:28,542 Speaker 6: deputy sheriff and doesn't seem to care? What the hell happened? 136 00:08:29,142 --> 00:08:32,422 Speaker 6: What's the answer? Who's motivated to find the answer? 137 00:08:34,422 --> 00:08:35,742 Speaker 1: And that's my cue. 138 00:08:36,542 --> 00:08:39,022 Speaker 2: When Mike Bouer first told me about au Jay, I 139 00:08:39,062 --> 00:08:44,102 Speaker 2: thought an unsolved disappearance involving a cop, that's unusual. But 140 00:08:44,142 --> 00:08:47,462 Speaker 2: when he started talking about the Sheriff's Department, his department, 141 00:08:47,982 --> 00:08:51,182 Speaker 2: that's when I locked in. Because you'd expect the LA 142 00:08:51,262 --> 00:08:54,302 Speaker 2: County Sheriff's Department to turn over every stone to find 143 00:08:54,422 --> 00:08:57,742 Speaker 2: their guy. So the claim that the LASD may have 144 00:08:57,782 --> 00:09:02,222 Speaker 2: an interest in not solving the case, now that's a story. 145 00:09:03,822 --> 00:09:07,142 Speaker 2: So I called up my friend Hailey Fox like me, 146 00:09:07,542 --> 00:09:10,502 Speaker 2: she's an investigative journalist, and she knows a lot about 147 00:09:10,502 --> 00:09:14,342 Speaker 2: the sheriff's department because she's reported on it for many years. 148 00:09:14,822 --> 00:09:16,142 Speaker 1: Hey, Betsy, Hey do. 149 00:09:17,742 --> 00:09:18,142 Speaker 11: I'm good? 150 00:09:18,342 --> 00:09:18,942 Speaker 3: I'm ready. 151 00:09:19,142 --> 00:09:20,062 Speaker 1: Yeah, I go to do this. 152 00:09:20,462 --> 00:09:24,502 Speaker 3: It's about time. I'm a little road t adventure all right, 153 00:09:24,582 --> 00:09:25,182 Speaker 3: let's do it. 154 00:09:26,982 --> 00:09:29,862 Speaker 2: We've teamed up on stories before and decided to get 155 00:09:29,902 --> 00:09:33,822 Speaker 2: the band back together to finanswers about this missing deputy 156 00:09:34,622 --> 00:09:37,942 Speaker 2: and to take on the largest sheriff's department in the country. 157 00:09:38,502 --> 00:09:41,022 Speaker 12: There's a code of silence in law enforcement. You break 158 00:09:41,022 --> 00:09:43,302 Speaker 12: that code of silence, you're done. 159 00:09:43,662 --> 00:09:46,102 Speaker 1: Hey, if don't fucking kill a Copponberry, what they gonna 160 00:09:46,142 --> 00:09:46,382 Speaker 1: do to me? 161 00:09:46,902 --> 00:09:52,542 Speaker 6: It's an obstruction of justice of a very large scale. 162 00:09:53,302 --> 00:09:54,702 Speaker 1: I'm Betsy Shepherd. 163 00:09:54,982 --> 00:09:58,862 Speaker 3: I'm Haley Fowx, And this is Valley of Shadows, a 164 00:09:58,942 --> 00:10:11,702 Speaker 3: show about crime and corruption in California's high Desert. Episode one, 165 00:10:12,502 --> 00:10:19,342 Speaker 3: the Devil's Punch Bowl. Betsy and I are making the 166 00:10:19,382 --> 00:10:23,862 Speaker 3: trek from downtown Los Angeles to the Anaelote Valley that's 167 00:10:23,902 --> 00:10:27,302 Speaker 3: the desert area north of la where Deputy Auja disappeared. 168 00:10:28,222 --> 00:10:31,182 Speaker 3: The drives about sixty miles, but takes an hour and 169 00:10:31,222 --> 00:10:33,582 Speaker 3: a half to two hours because of the mountainous terrain. 170 00:10:35,342 --> 00:10:37,102 Speaker 1: See you actually have to take We gotta go. 171 00:10:37,182 --> 00:10:40,822 Speaker 3: North, Yeah, we're gonna go north, but this is La Dude. 172 00:10:40,862 --> 00:10:42,222 Speaker 1: We gotta go south. 173 00:10:42,502 --> 00:10:45,622 Speaker 3: One in south five north fourteen and then I think 174 00:10:45,662 --> 00:10:48,302 Speaker 3: there's a one thirty eighth throat in there, but nothing's 175 00:10:48,302 --> 00:10:48,902 Speaker 3: a street. 176 00:10:48,662 --> 00:10:51,742 Speaker 1: Shod spoken like a true Agelino. 177 00:10:53,622 --> 00:10:56,662 Speaker 3: I was born and raised in La County, Go Dodgers, 178 00:10:57,302 --> 00:11:01,942 Speaker 3: but this part of it feels worlds away. The Antelope Valley, 179 00:11:02,062 --> 00:11:04,822 Speaker 3: or the AV as it's sometimes called, is a three 180 00:11:04,942 --> 00:11:08,622 Speaker 3: thousand square mile stretch of the Mojave, but this part 181 00:11:08,702 --> 00:11:11,302 Speaker 3: of the high desert doesn't have the same allure and 182 00:11:11,422 --> 00:11:15,662 Speaker 3: vibingess as places like Joshua Tree. Instead, the Avy is 183 00:11:15,742 --> 00:11:20,222 Speaker 3: mostly empty space, dotted with defence plants, bedroom communities, and 184 00:11:20,262 --> 00:11:21,342 Speaker 3: tumbleweed towns. 185 00:11:22,742 --> 00:11:24,062 Speaker 1: So a lot of just like. 186 00:11:25,542 --> 00:11:28,542 Speaker 2: Trailers kind of just parked out in the desert. 187 00:11:30,702 --> 00:11:35,982 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean power lines and scrub rush. Our story 188 00:11:36,062 --> 00:11:40,022 Speaker 3: takes place in and around Pair Blossom, California. It has 189 00:11:40,062 --> 00:11:43,102 Speaker 3: a population of fifteen hundred and it's where the Devil's 190 00:11:43,102 --> 00:11:47,502 Speaker 3: Punch bowls located. Driving through it, Betsy gets a case 191 00:11:47,502 --> 00:11:48,222 Speaker 3: of deja vu. 192 00:11:49,102 --> 00:11:51,142 Speaker 1: He g had anxiety coming to places like this because 193 00:11:51,142 --> 00:11:52,182 Speaker 1: it reminds me of like. 194 00:11:52,022 --> 00:11:55,062 Speaker 4: A town that it grew up and there's just just 195 00:11:55,142 --> 00:11:57,102 Speaker 4: like I feel the oppressive weight of boredom. 196 00:11:57,262 --> 00:11:57,782 Speaker 11: Oh really. 197 00:12:00,302 --> 00:12:03,302 Speaker 2: I moved to La several years ago from South Louisiana. 198 00:12:04,342 --> 00:12:06,702 Speaker 2: Had never been to Anela Valley before, but it was 199 00:12:06,742 --> 00:12:10,102 Speaker 2: immediately familiar to me. Because if you were to replace 200 00:12:10,222 --> 00:12:13,222 Speaker 2: desert with swamp, this region would look a lot like 201 00:12:13,262 --> 00:12:16,022 Speaker 2: the small town I'm from. It's rural and kind of 202 00:12:16,062 --> 00:12:19,662 Speaker 2: run down. There's more landscape than real estate, lots of 203 00:12:19,742 --> 00:12:21,302 Speaker 2: pickup trucks in town. 204 00:12:21,382 --> 00:12:23,462 Speaker 1: Life seems like a thing of the past. 205 00:12:24,902 --> 00:12:25,462 Speaker 5: We got. 206 00:12:27,062 --> 00:12:32,902 Speaker 2: An abandoned motel, what's this, Oh like an abandoned old 207 00:12:33,302 --> 00:12:39,062 Speaker 2: restaurant and wreck hall and people getting gas to presumably 208 00:12:39,742 --> 00:12:41,142 Speaker 2: be all their way. 209 00:12:42,262 --> 00:12:44,102 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think the three gas stations in 210 00:12:44,142 --> 00:12:46,942 Speaker 3: a row tell the story. 211 00:12:47,662 --> 00:12:50,022 Speaker 2: But the closer we get to the Devil's punch Bowl, 212 00:12:50,022 --> 00:12:54,742 Speaker 2: where auj was last spotted, and other worldly landscape appears, 213 00:12:55,262 --> 00:12:58,942 Speaker 2: full of spiky Joshua trees and sandstone columns. 214 00:13:00,662 --> 00:13:02,422 Speaker 3: It's actually really beautiful out here. 215 00:13:02,462 --> 00:13:03,782 Speaker 1: It's not expected to land. 216 00:13:04,582 --> 00:13:07,662 Speaker 3: Are you looking at these huge rocks jutting out of 217 00:13:07,702 --> 00:13:10,862 Speaker 3: the ground and like they're making all those crazy shadows. 218 00:13:11,142 --> 00:13:12,102 Speaker 1: Seen anything like them? 219 00:13:12,422 --> 00:13:13,182 Speaker 3: I haven't either. 220 00:13:14,502 --> 00:13:16,502 Speaker 4: I feel like I've been an old Western movie, you know, 221 00:13:16,622 --> 00:13:21,182 Speaker 4: like we're just got this like wide ethic landscape shots. 222 00:13:21,062 --> 00:13:23,942 Speaker 3: Total endless horizons, totally endless horizons. 223 00:13:23,942 --> 00:13:26,502 Speaker 1: I can see why John A j. Liked to come 224 00:13:26,502 --> 00:13:28,702 Speaker 1: out here. It's pretty pretty, not big. 225 00:13:33,422 --> 00:13:38,102 Speaker 3: Okay, we are pulling into the Devil's punch Bowl County 226 00:13:38,142 --> 00:13:39,222 Speaker 3: Park parking lot. 227 00:13:40,222 --> 00:13:41,102 Speaker 13: Here we are. 228 00:13:45,222 --> 00:13:48,262 Speaker 3: We've come here to retrace John Aujay's last known steps 229 00:13:49,222 --> 00:13:52,622 Speaker 3: and to meet with ranger Jack Farley. He was working 230 00:13:52,622 --> 00:13:54,902 Speaker 3: on the punch Bowl the day the deputy disappeared. 231 00:13:58,222 --> 00:14:00,342 Speaker 5: Hi are you? 232 00:14:00,382 --> 00:14:01,382 Speaker 1: But are you Jack Farley? 233 00:14:01,422 --> 00:14:01,782 Speaker 6: By chance? 234 00:14:05,262 --> 00:14:07,582 Speaker 1: This is my reporting partner, Haley. 235 00:14:08,182 --> 00:14:11,502 Speaker 3: Thank you for meeting us out here. Yes, Jock Farley's 236 00:14:11,542 --> 00:14:14,622 Speaker 3: retired now, but for thirty five years he was assigned 237 00:14:14,622 --> 00:14:15,742 Speaker 3: to work the punch Bowl. 238 00:14:17,062 --> 00:14:18,182 Speaker 1: What a cool job. 239 00:14:19,302 --> 00:14:19,822 Speaker 7: Great for me? 240 00:14:20,462 --> 00:14:22,462 Speaker 11: Yeah, it was awesome, good job. 241 00:14:23,622 --> 00:14:25,662 Speaker 3: It was Farley's job to keep an eye on things, 242 00:14:25,902 --> 00:14:29,382 Speaker 3: to tend the grounds and patrol the area. So he 243 00:14:29,542 --> 00:14:32,262 Speaker 3: noticed when AJ became a regular at the punch Bowl 244 00:14:32,582 --> 00:14:36,222 Speaker 3: and he clocked Auj's regular parking space, the one closest 245 00:14:36,222 --> 00:14:37,022 Speaker 3: to the trailhead. 246 00:14:37,902 --> 00:14:38,502 Speaker 4: So I can. 247 00:14:38,462 --> 00:14:40,662 Speaker 11: Remember seeing him sitting in the back of his truck 248 00:14:40,902 --> 00:14:44,942 Speaker 11: when you get done with a run in the mountains. 249 00:14:45,662 --> 00:14:47,542 Speaker 11: So when I'd walk out into the parking lot, I'd 250 00:14:47,542 --> 00:14:49,902 Speaker 11: see him sitting out there and ask him about his run. 251 00:14:51,302 --> 00:14:55,022 Speaker 3: Farley remembers that the day Auj disappeared, his white Ford 252 00:14:55,142 --> 00:14:57,542 Speaker 3: F one to fifty truck was parked in that very 253 00:14:57,582 --> 00:15:01,382 Speaker 3: same spot, surrounded on all sides by wilderness. 254 00:15:02,422 --> 00:15:04,982 Speaker 4: One thing that impresses us so much about this area 255 00:15:05,182 --> 00:15:08,342 Speaker 4: is that you have a desert landscape on one side, 256 00:15:08,422 --> 00:15:10,462 Speaker 4: you have a mountain, it's in forests on the other, 257 00:15:10,662 --> 00:15:15,182 Speaker 4: and then in between it's these really cool rock formations. 258 00:15:15,822 --> 00:15:20,102 Speaker 11: Right, it's all uplifted from earthquake activity. Oh wow, that's 259 00:15:20,142 --> 00:15:23,822 Speaker 11: a punch bowl fault and that runs parallel with the mountains. 260 00:15:24,342 --> 00:15:26,102 Speaker 11: And then when you came up to hear you cross 261 00:15:26,142 --> 00:15:28,862 Speaker 11: the San Andreas Fault, which of course the big one 262 00:15:28,862 --> 00:15:33,382 Speaker 11: that runs through California, several faults in the area. It 263 00:15:33,462 --> 00:15:36,382 Speaker 11: took all this sand that was laid down flat by 264 00:15:36,462 --> 00:15:39,542 Speaker 11: streams and tilted up into vertical relief. 265 00:15:39,942 --> 00:15:41,982 Speaker 3: And it creates a bowl shape. 266 00:15:42,142 --> 00:15:45,182 Speaker 11: You can see a definite bowl shape coming around like 267 00:15:45,222 --> 00:15:47,102 Speaker 11: this so that's where it got the punch bowl name. 268 00:15:48,462 --> 00:15:51,142 Speaker 3: We're not totally sure about the devil part of it, though, 269 00:15:53,222 --> 00:15:56,902 Speaker 3: according to local lore, early homesteaders saw grinning devil in 270 00:15:56,942 --> 00:16:00,702 Speaker 3: the rock formations. We didn't see Satan in the rock face, 271 00:16:01,262 --> 00:16:04,542 Speaker 3: but we did see something else thanks to a county 272 00:16:04,542 --> 00:16:06,422 Speaker 3: park employee named Dave Numar. 273 00:16:07,862 --> 00:16:09,742 Speaker 1: See the shadow ends. 274 00:16:10,502 --> 00:16:12,582 Speaker 6: There's that big rock kind of all by itself. 275 00:16:13,222 --> 00:16:15,942 Speaker 4: If you look, it's like a forehead is facing us 276 00:16:15,942 --> 00:16:17,102 Speaker 4: and there's a nose pointing street. 277 00:16:17,182 --> 00:16:18,422 Speaker 1: It looks like George Washington. 278 00:16:18,542 --> 00:16:21,742 Speaker 14: Yeah, it's a natural not rest more cool. 279 00:16:22,422 --> 00:16:24,902 Speaker 5: So there's all kinds of faces out here because it's like, 280 00:16:24,942 --> 00:16:27,702 Speaker 5: oh if our brains are programmed to see patterns. 281 00:16:28,982 --> 00:16:32,022 Speaker 3: Pattern recognition is why we see gods and goddesses in 282 00:16:32,022 --> 00:16:35,422 Speaker 3: the stars and the man in the moon. It's also 283 00:16:35,542 --> 00:16:38,782 Speaker 3: a key part of criminal investigations, a way to turn 284 00:16:38,822 --> 00:16:42,782 Speaker 3: information into a story. And that's why we've come to 285 00:16:42,822 --> 00:16:45,262 Speaker 3: the Devil's Punch Bowl to see if we can make 286 00:16:45,302 --> 00:16:48,582 Speaker 3: sense of what happened on June eleventh, nineteen ninety eight. 287 00:16:50,542 --> 00:16:52,862 Speaker 3: So we pull out a map we printed from the internet. 288 00:16:53,102 --> 00:16:57,142 Speaker 3: Because we're prepared journalists and elder millennials and we present 289 00:16:57,182 --> 00:17:00,462 Speaker 3: it to Ranger Farland, let me show you what. 290 00:17:00,422 --> 00:17:00,902 Speaker 1: It looks like. 291 00:17:02,502 --> 00:17:04,222 Speaker 11: Yeah, line will definitely. 292 00:17:03,822 --> 00:17:10,382 Speaker 3: Be definitely get us lost in the wilderness. Farley proves 293 00:17:10,462 --> 00:17:13,182 Speaker 3: his outdoor prowess by whipping out some real maps of 294 00:17:13,222 --> 00:17:17,582 Speaker 3: the area to help orient us to our surroundings. 295 00:17:17,622 --> 00:17:24,942 Speaker 13: Okay, here's the Devil's Okay, and there's Burkhart Trail right there, 296 00:17:26,222 --> 00:17:28,662 Speaker 13: goes over toward Devil's Chairs, so that'd be just to 297 00:17:28,742 --> 00:17:31,182 Speaker 13: the east, goes to South Fork. 298 00:17:32,902 --> 00:17:36,302 Speaker 3: One witness reported seeing Auj near the picnic tables at 299 00:17:36,302 --> 00:17:40,462 Speaker 3: the main trailhead sometime before noon. This witness was a 300 00:17:40,462 --> 00:17:42,982 Speaker 3: local teacher there on a field trip with a bunch 301 00:17:42,982 --> 00:17:46,502 Speaker 3: of elementary school kids. Auj stopped to talk to him. 302 00:17:46,742 --> 00:17:49,182 Speaker 3: He pointed to a jagon mountain in the distance, Mount 303 00:17:49,222 --> 00:17:52,022 Speaker 3: Baden Powell, and said that's where he was headed. 304 00:17:53,022 --> 00:17:56,742 Speaker 11: So the high mountain behind the telephone pole over there, Yeah, 305 00:17:56,782 --> 00:17:59,462 Speaker 11: that's Baden Powell and that's where he would go sometimes. 306 00:18:00,702 --> 00:18:01,782 Speaker 3: How tall is the mountain? 307 00:18:01,982 --> 00:18:04,102 Speaker 11: Jeez, that is one of the higher ones. Let me 308 00:18:04,142 --> 00:18:07,022 Speaker 11: think ten ten, I mean in this range. 309 00:18:07,342 --> 00:18:11,062 Speaker 1: And he would run from here to that mountain all 310 00:18:11,102 --> 00:18:11,982 Speaker 1: the way over there and then. 311 00:18:11,982 --> 00:18:15,022 Speaker 11: Run up it. Yeah, he'd run over there and then 312 00:18:15,062 --> 00:18:17,582 Speaker 11: they're switchbacks all the way to the top of that mountain. 313 00:18:18,982 --> 00:18:22,342 Speaker 3: Aujy was spotted again later in the day, when multiple 314 00:18:22,342 --> 00:18:25,182 Speaker 3: witnesses say they saw him jogging through a campground just 315 00:18:25,302 --> 00:18:28,302 Speaker 3: north of the mountain in the direction of the punch 316 00:18:28,342 --> 00:18:32,102 Speaker 3: Bowl parking lot. But when Farley left his post at 317 00:18:32,102 --> 00:18:35,542 Speaker 3: five PM, Auj's truck was still parked in the lot, 318 00:18:36,342 --> 00:18:39,382 Speaker 3: and it stayed parked there as the evening bloomed over 319 00:18:39,422 --> 00:18:44,582 Speaker 3: the desert, and then close to midnight, Aujy's wife called 320 00:18:44,582 --> 00:18:46,902 Speaker 3: the sheriff's station to report him missing. 321 00:19:14,942 --> 00:19:18,782 Speaker 2: As June eleventh, nineteen ninety eight years It's end, Debbie 322 00:19:18,902 --> 00:19:23,542 Speaker 2: auj becomes increasingly panicked because her husband, Deputy John A. 323 00:19:23,662 --> 00:19:26,302 Speaker 2: J told her he'd be home around dark and by 324 00:19:26,302 --> 00:19:29,302 Speaker 2: now he's several hours late. So she dials up one 325 00:19:29,302 --> 00:19:31,302 Speaker 2: of the share of stations where Auja worked. 326 00:19:32,382 --> 00:19:36,182 Speaker 15: The call comes into the desk and it's from Debbie 327 00:19:36,222 --> 00:19:39,462 Speaker 15: and it says, hey, my husband, who's a deputy, he 328 00:19:39,542 --> 00:19:42,022 Speaker 15: went for a run and he didn't come home. 329 00:19:43,102 --> 00:19:46,462 Speaker 2: Vince Burton was a sergeant in the Antelope Valley. He 330 00:19:46,542 --> 00:19:49,582 Speaker 2: was also Aujay's colleague and friend, so he gets on 331 00:19:49,622 --> 00:19:50,542 Speaker 2: the phone with Debbie. 332 00:19:51,862 --> 00:19:53,382 Speaker 15: She was just upset. 333 00:19:53,702 --> 00:19:57,902 Speaker 7: She was crying. She was obviously very concerned. 334 00:19:58,302 --> 00:20:01,182 Speaker 15: I just I said, okay, Debbie, we're sending people up there, 335 00:20:01,382 --> 00:20:03,102 Speaker 15: you know, keep you posted. 336 00:20:04,302 --> 00:20:07,102 Speaker 2: Patrol deputies high tail it to the punch bowl where 337 00:20:07,102 --> 00:20:08,382 Speaker 2: they find Aujay's truck. 338 00:20:08,702 --> 00:20:11,462 Speaker 1: But no, they think maybe. 339 00:20:11,182 --> 00:20:13,902 Speaker 2: He got injured, slipped and fell for how to run 340 00:20:13,902 --> 00:20:18,422 Speaker 2: in with some wildlife. So Burton dispatches Search and Rescue 341 00:20:18,462 --> 00:20:21,542 Speaker 2: to the site and he calls in their coordinator, Dave Soer, 342 00:20:21,782 --> 00:20:23,982 Speaker 2: to discuss Auj's likely route. 343 00:20:24,822 --> 00:20:27,942 Speaker 15: And Dave comes in and we pull up a map 344 00:20:28,022 --> 00:20:31,262 Speaker 15: of the area. And I told him at that time, 345 00:20:31,302 --> 00:20:35,342 Speaker 15: I said, you know, John's a runner, and he goes, yeah, 346 00:20:35,582 --> 00:20:38,502 Speaker 15: and I said, no, he's a long distance runner. He's 347 00:20:38,542 --> 00:20:40,822 Speaker 15: an ultra marathoner. He's like what. 348 00:20:42,782 --> 00:20:48,022 Speaker 2: Ultra marathoners are running extremists who power through long distances. 349 00:20:48,662 --> 00:20:51,222 Speaker 2: In fact, Auj was scheduled to compete in a one 350 00:20:51,302 --> 00:20:54,782 Speaker 2: hundred mile run the week after he went missing, so 351 00:20:54,902 --> 00:20:57,582 Speaker 2: responders have a hard time wrapping their heads around the 352 00:20:57,662 --> 00:20:58,622 Speaker 2: scale of the search. 353 00:20:59,702 --> 00:21:02,062 Speaker 7: I gave him the best information I could give him. 354 00:21:02,142 --> 00:21:04,742 Speaker 7: You know, don't start your grid pattern so small. 355 00:21:05,822 --> 00:21:08,822 Speaker 2: This is Randy Meggerdley. He was a patrol deputy for 356 00:21:08,822 --> 00:21:12,742 Speaker 2: the Share Department and one of Auj's running buddies. He 357 00:21:12,822 --> 00:21:16,462 Speaker 2: reiterates to the command post that Auj was a beast. 358 00:21:17,022 --> 00:21:20,942 Speaker 7: You're running goat trails is basically what I categorized them as. 359 00:21:20,982 --> 00:21:22,542 Speaker 1: What do you mean by that goat trails? 360 00:21:22,902 --> 00:21:27,422 Speaker 7: Well, they're just megshift trails. Sometimes they'll be covered with snow, 361 00:21:27,742 --> 00:21:31,982 Speaker 7: sometimes they'll be covered with mud, crossing rivers. I mean, 362 00:21:32,262 --> 00:21:35,302 Speaker 7: it's crazy what kind of stuff that we were doing. 363 00:21:36,222 --> 00:21:38,782 Speaker 7: There was one that we did. It was hand over 364 00:21:38,982 --> 00:21:41,542 Speaker 7: foot trying to get up this mountain. 365 00:21:41,942 --> 00:21:42,502 Speaker 3: Wow. 366 00:21:43,062 --> 00:21:47,382 Speaker 2: And so part of the activity was figuring out how 367 00:21:47,382 --> 00:21:47,862 Speaker 2: to get to. 368 00:21:47,822 --> 00:21:48,422 Speaker 1: The end of it. 369 00:21:49,062 --> 00:21:50,462 Speaker 7: Yeah, and one piece. 370 00:21:52,142 --> 00:21:56,102 Speaker 2: Hearing Meggerdy talk about ultra marathoners, it sounds like they 371 00:21:56,182 --> 00:22:00,862 Speaker 2: have no off switch. So maybe Auj just overdid it. 372 00:22:02,182 --> 00:22:07,742 Speaker 7: Your brain does some wonky stuff when you're dehydrated, and 373 00:22:07,782 --> 00:22:09,782 Speaker 7: they thought maybe he got on a trail and he 374 00:22:09,902 --> 00:22:13,062 Speaker 7: was doing the forest gump, just kept running. 375 00:22:14,302 --> 00:22:17,222 Speaker 2: That's a theory that Auj was doing the forest gump 376 00:22:17,262 --> 00:22:20,742 Speaker 2: and just kept running and got himself into a tailspin 377 00:22:20,822 --> 00:22:25,182 Speaker 2: of dehydration. Responders take note and fan out across the 378 00:22:25,222 --> 00:22:25,782 Speaker 2: search grid. 379 00:22:26,582 --> 00:22:28,022 Speaker 11: I was nice to him. I said, do you know 380 00:22:28,102 --> 00:22:29,222 Speaker 11: I know the area pretty well? 381 00:22:29,262 --> 00:22:32,782 Speaker 1: If you guys want help, Ranger Jack Farley again, the. 382 00:22:32,742 --> 00:22:35,542 Speaker 11: Guy goes, no, we're search and rescue. We pretty much 383 00:22:35,542 --> 00:22:41,462 Speaker 11: know what we're doing, you know. So I go okay, okay. 384 00:22:40,582 --> 00:22:43,582 Speaker 2: But it doesn't take long for the pros realize they're 385 00:22:43,582 --> 00:22:44,662 Speaker 2: in over their heads. 386 00:22:45,342 --> 00:22:47,342 Speaker 11: So then they're going, hey, are you the guy that 387 00:22:47,462 --> 00:22:49,342 Speaker 11: knows the area? You know, maybe you could give us 388 00:22:49,382 --> 00:22:50,022 Speaker 11: a little help. 389 00:22:50,982 --> 00:22:54,062 Speaker 2: So Farley leads a few groups of deputies and bloodhounds 390 00:22:54,142 --> 00:22:55,742 Speaker 2: down the local trails. 391 00:22:56,182 --> 00:22:59,102 Speaker 11: At one time thought they caught a scent and it 392 00:22:59,182 --> 00:23:01,982 Speaker 11: went up on the trail going toward the Burckhart Trail, 393 00:23:02,022 --> 00:23:04,662 Speaker 11: And we had talked about someone saying they heard a gunshot. 394 00:23:05,382 --> 00:23:08,462 Speaker 11: You can't see the house from here, but it's like 395 00:23:09,262 --> 00:23:11,462 Speaker 11: a half mile below the trail up there where the 396 00:23:11,542 --> 00:23:12,662 Speaker 11: people lived that said. 397 00:23:12,502 --> 00:23:17,222 Speaker 2: They heard that the dogs pick up a scent, possibly Aujay's, 398 00:23:17,662 --> 00:23:21,262 Speaker 2: on a trail that's near a local resident. That guy 399 00:23:21,302 --> 00:23:24,062 Speaker 2: reported to searchers that he heard a single gunshot at 400 00:23:24,102 --> 00:23:28,262 Speaker 2: sunset the day Auja vanished. It's a detail the Sheriff's 401 00:23:28,302 --> 00:23:30,462 Speaker 2: Department registers as a potential clue. 402 00:23:31,502 --> 00:23:34,062 Speaker 11: So I took a group of deputies over there and 403 00:23:34,102 --> 00:23:36,742 Speaker 11: we went that really rugged, wooded canyon. 404 00:23:37,262 --> 00:23:41,702 Speaker 2: They didn't find anything, but searchers do spot some footprints 405 00:23:41,862 --> 00:23:44,382 Speaker 2: on the mountain where Auj told people he was going. 406 00:23:45,382 --> 00:23:48,742 Speaker 2: So Aujay's captain, Mike Bauer, takes to the skies to 407 00:23:48,742 --> 00:23:49,542 Speaker 2: see where they lead. 408 00:23:50,982 --> 00:23:52,902 Speaker 6: And that was the first time I ever stepped out 409 00:23:52,902 --> 00:23:56,422 Speaker 6: of a huge helicopter on the side of a mountain 410 00:23:57,462 --> 00:24:01,622 Speaker 6: with one skid touching, And then that helicopter flew off 411 00:24:01,982 --> 00:24:05,542 Speaker 6: while we examined the openings the Big Horn Mine to 412 00:24:05,582 --> 00:24:08,342 Speaker 6: see whether or not it had been broken into. 413 00:24:09,222 --> 00:24:11,702 Speaker 2: Corn is a mine on top of the mountain leftover 414 00:24:11,702 --> 00:24:14,622 Speaker 2: from the gold rush days. Its entrance has been welded 415 00:24:14,662 --> 00:24:17,942 Speaker 2: shut to keep out hikers, and when the helicopter lands, 416 00:24:18,182 --> 00:24:22,462 Speaker 2: nineties action movie style Bowers crew finds no signs of 417 00:24:22,462 --> 00:24:27,182 Speaker 2: a break in. Auj's reported missing late Thursday night. 418 00:24:27,822 --> 00:24:28,382 Speaker 1: By the end of the. 419 00:24:28,422 --> 00:24:32,102 Speaker 2: Day Sunday, the Sheriff's department kicks things into high gear. 420 00:24:32,982 --> 00:24:36,342 Speaker 2: They call in the US Army and Air Force along 421 00:24:36,342 --> 00:24:40,302 Speaker 2: with the LASD heavy hitters. It's a specialized squad called 422 00:24:40,462 --> 00:24:43,582 Speaker 2: Emergency Services Detail or ESD. 423 00:24:45,222 --> 00:24:48,542 Speaker 5: They do search and rescue, underwater search and recovery, and 424 00:24:48,662 --> 00:24:53,262 Speaker 5: they support the special weapons team with medical skills. 425 00:24:54,502 --> 00:24:57,782 Speaker 2: Dave Rathbin was one of the ESD members sent out 426 00:24:57,822 --> 00:24:58,862 Speaker 2: to search for Auj. 427 00:24:59,822 --> 00:25:02,982 Speaker 5: And the adrenaline that you get from ESD is different 428 00:25:03,342 --> 00:25:04,822 Speaker 5: from any other adrenaline. 429 00:25:06,022 --> 00:25:08,982 Speaker 2: ESD deputies are equipped to handle all types of a 430 00:25:09,142 --> 00:25:13,102 Speaker 2: emergency scenarios. But it wasn't just the rocky ledges and 431 00:25:13,142 --> 00:25:14,142 Speaker 2: wild animals they. 432 00:25:14,142 --> 00:25:15,142 Speaker 1: Had to worry about here. 433 00:25:15,862 --> 00:25:19,062 Speaker 2: The area was full of all kinds of criminal activity. 434 00:25:21,222 --> 00:25:25,422 Speaker 5: One of the things they told our search teams on 435 00:25:25,542 --> 00:25:31,502 Speaker 5: day one was John may have stumbled into a meth 436 00:25:31,662 --> 00:25:35,422 Speaker 5: lab by accident. So that was told to us when 437 00:25:35,462 --> 00:25:37,942 Speaker 5: we were out searching. And the reason they told us 438 00:25:38,102 --> 00:25:40,182 Speaker 5: is they recommend that we take weapons. 439 00:25:41,462 --> 00:25:43,662 Speaker 2: Rathman and his team of searchers come to the punch 440 00:25:43,702 --> 00:25:48,342 Speaker 2: Bowl armed and ready for action because maybe Auj isn't 441 00:25:48,382 --> 00:25:52,702 Speaker 2: lost or injured or running for the hills. Maybe he's 442 00:25:52,742 --> 00:25:56,582 Speaker 2: the victim of foul play. The command post doesn't expand 443 00:25:56,582 --> 00:25:58,902 Speaker 2: on why they thought Aj may have been taken out 444 00:25:58,942 --> 00:26:03,222 Speaker 2: by meth related violence, but to Rathbun, this theory doesn't 445 00:26:03,222 --> 00:26:07,302 Speaker 2: sound too far fetched because the Anelo Valley is isolated 446 00:26:07,702 --> 00:26:12,382 Speaker 2: outlawsh and on account of its size, difficult to police. 447 00:26:13,862 --> 00:26:17,302 Speaker 5: There are a lot of people who just don't want 448 00:26:17,342 --> 00:26:20,302 Speaker 5: to be around other human beings out there, which makes 449 00:26:20,342 --> 00:26:24,182 Speaker 5: them sometimes dangerous. There's people cooking meth. 450 00:26:25,262 --> 00:26:25,462 Speaker 14: Ah. 451 00:26:26,102 --> 00:26:29,782 Speaker 5: It was a little bit like the Old West in 452 00:26:29,822 --> 00:26:34,302 Speaker 5: a way. I mean, this is a very unusual, strange place. 453 00:26:35,382 --> 00:26:39,102 Speaker 2: And remember that abandoned mind searcher scoped out. Well, it 454 00:26:39,182 --> 00:26:42,702 Speaker 2: turns out they're everywhere and they are a prime location 455 00:26:43,102 --> 00:26:44,182 Speaker 2: for body dumping. 456 00:26:45,542 --> 00:26:49,062 Speaker 5: One of the things ESD did was recover dead bodies 457 00:26:49,102 --> 00:26:50,342 Speaker 5: from minds. 458 00:26:51,022 --> 00:26:54,342 Speaker 2: And it wasn't just the mines. Corpses turn up all 459 00:26:54,382 --> 00:26:55,262 Speaker 2: over these parts. 460 00:26:56,582 --> 00:26:58,462 Speaker 5: You know, if all the dead bodies that were up 461 00:26:58,462 --> 00:27:01,742 Speaker 5: there from being deliberately disposed of, stood up and once 462 00:27:01,782 --> 00:27:03,542 Speaker 5: they'd be shoulder to shoulder. 463 00:27:05,502 --> 00:27:09,702 Speaker 2: It's a chilling image of the area's darker side. AJ 464 00:27:09,822 --> 00:27:12,622 Speaker 2: would jog from the Devil's Punch Bowl into the Angelus 465 00:27:12,742 --> 00:27:16,142 Speaker 2: National Forest, which has been called the most dangerous national 466 00:27:16,182 --> 00:27:19,822 Speaker 2: forest in America. Around the time of Auj's disappearance, it's 467 00:27:19,942 --> 00:27:22,942 Speaker 2: estimated that two to three dozen corpses turned up in 468 00:27:22,942 --> 00:27:25,782 Speaker 2: the forest every year, and those were just the ones 469 00:27:25,782 --> 00:27:29,742 Speaker 2: that were found. So Rathman understands the danger he faces, 470 00:27:30,382 --> 00:27:34,542 Speaker 2: but pushes on. In search of footprints, you have to. 471 00:27:34,462 --> 00:27:37,382 Speaker 5: Look at the ground and look at bushes that have 472 00:27:37,462 --> 00:27:40,142 Speaker 5: been pushed in. We walked and walked, and walked and walked, 473 00:27:40,142 --> 00:27:41,062 Speaker 5: and walked and walked. 474 00:27:42,902 --> 00:27:47,702 Speaker 3: The search is taxing for Rathban physically and emotionally, because 475 00:27:47,702 --> 00:27:49,862 Speaker 3: he and Auj were friends and back in the early 476 00:27:49,942 --> 00:27:51,982 Speaker 3: nineties they were even partners. 477 00:27:52,862 --> 00:27:55,022 Speaker 5: If it was me that needed cover, he'd be there. 478 00:27:55,782 --> 00:27:59,502 Speaker 5: Didn't even think about it. Someone you could definitely depend on. 479 00:28:01,222 --> 00:28:04,142 Speaker 3: Rathban and Auj spent a lot of time driving around together, 480 00:28:04,982 --> 00:28:07,502 Speaker 3: but they didn't sit around riffing like partners in a 481 00:28:07,502 --> 00:28:08,422 Speaker 3: Buddy Coock movie. 482 00:28:09,662 --> 00:28:14,022 Speaker 5: He was laconic, didn't have a lot to say unless 483 00:28:14,062 --> 00:28:18,702 Speaker 5: you worked on him, and he was always kind of 484 00:28:18,782 --> 00:28:20,782 Speaker 5: severe serious. 485 00:28:21,342 --> 00:28:24,982 Speaker 3: Auj was hardly two dimensional, though he used his dead 486 00:28:24,982 --> 00:28:27,502 Speaker 3: pan personality to mess with people. 487 00:28:28,902 --> 00:28:33,382 Speaker 5: He had this secret sense of humor, but it was 488 00:28:33,422 --> 00:28:36,782 Speaker 5: really hard to tell which CARDI was playing, the funny 489 00:28:36,822 --> 00:28:39,662 Speaker 5: card or the I'm John and I'm dead serious card. 490 00:28:41,902 --> 00:28:44,702 Speaker 3: One time, Rathbin and Auj had to chase down a suspect. 491 00:28:45,462 --> 00:28:48,222 Speaker 3: Rathbn was driving and he ends up reversing down a 492 00:28:48,262 --> 00:28:52,462 Speaker 3: one way street. They got the guy, but Auj looked. 493 00:28:52,262 --> 00:28:55,822 Speaker 5: Pissed, and he added that Dave, I need to talk 494 00:28:55,862 --> 00:28:56,102 Speaker 5: to you. 495 00:28:57,622 --> 00:29:01,782 Speaker 3: Rathven's gotten pretty good and impersonating John Auj's baritone voice, 496 00:29:02,582 --> 00:29:04,582 Speaker 3: he says he sounded a lot like Lurch from the 497 00:29:04,622 --> 00:29:05,382 Speaker 3: Adams family. 498 00:29:06,502 --> 00:29:10,742 Speaker 5: What you just did was a violent in California state law, 499 00:29:11,782 --> 00:29:13,742 Speaker 5: and if you do something like that again, I'll have 500 00:29:13,782 --> 00:29:14,422 Speaker 5: to write you up. 501 00:29:15,902 --> 00:29:16,182 Speaker 2: John. 502 00:29:16,342 --> 00:29:19,422 Speaker 5: We were chasing a suspect, and we are law enforcement 503 00:29:19,422 --> 00:29:25,102 Speaker 5: officers and so we get exemptions during those things that 504 00:29:25,182 --> 00:29:29,942 Speaker 5: may be true, but it was illegal. Is this John 505 00:29:30,142 --> 00:29:33,982 Speaker 5: being funny? You would not know, and he will never 506 00:29:34,062 --> 00:29:34,542 Speaker 5: let you know. 507 00:29:37,462 --> 00:29:41,942 Speaker 3: Auj was hard to read. In fact, there's even confusion 508 00:29:41,982 --> 00:29:45,942 Speaker 3: over the pronunciation of his last name. His family says Oj, 509 00:29:46,742 --> 00:29:48,062 Speaker 3: but to his friends. 510 00:29:48,502 --> 00:29:51,822 Speaker 5: It was Auj, and he never corrected us. And he's 511 00:29:51,862 --> 00:29:52,782 Speaker 5: not very bashful. 512 00:29:54,422 --> 00:29:56,662 Speaker 3: We'll never know why he didn't tell people how to 513 00:29:56,662 --> 00:30:00,102 Speaker 3: pronounce his name, but it seems fitting for someone who 514 00:30:00,142 --> 00:30:04,182 Speaker 3: remains a mystery to so many. Auj was an enigma 515 00:30:04,262 --> 00:30:07,382 Speaker 3: to just about everyone around him, so when he disappeared, 516 00:30:07,622 --> 00:30:12,022 Speaker 3: he became an easy target for conspiracy theories. Stories begin 517 00:30:12,142 --> 00:30:15,422 Speaker 3: to circulate that Auj's alive and well living in Alaska. 518 00:30:15,782 --> 00:30:19,102 Speaker 3: Others say Mexico. Some say he was recruited by a 519 00:30:19,142 --> 00:30:24,182 Speaker 3: mercenary group or join the CIA. These theories were fueled 520 00:30:24,182 --> 00:30:27,902 Speaker 3: by weird comments Auj had made to friends like Dave Rathbun. 521 00:30:29,102 --> 00:30:35,542 Speaker 5: Dave, Yes, you guys think you can find people with 522 00:30:35,622 --> 00:30:38,182 Speaker 5: your searches, and you think you're pretty good at it. Right. 523 00:30:39,462 --> 00:30:42,062 Speaker 5: I could go on the mountains and you'd never find me. 524 00:30:43,342 --> 00:30:45,622 Speaker 5: And I said, there are people who want to be 525 00:30:45,742 --> 00:30:49,102 Speaker 5: found that we can't find. So I'm not really impressed 526 00:30:49,142 --> 00:30:54,462 Speaker 5: with your with your declaration there. If you don't want 527 00:30:54,502 --> 00:30:57,062 Speaker 5: to be found, I oh, pretty sure I wouldn't be 528 00:30:57,102 --> 00:30:57,742 Speaker 5: able to find you. 529 00:30:57,862 --> 00:30:58,582 Speaker 14: So I agree. 530 00:30:59,582 --> 00:31:03,062 Speaker 3: And of course that conversation takes on extra meaning a 531 00:31:03,182 --> 00:31:05,222 Speaker 3: searchers keep coming up empty handed. 532 00:31:06,142 --> 00:31:09,902 Speaker 5: I participated in that search until my feet were bloody, 533 00:31:10,622 --> 00:31:15,902 Speaker 5: as did several of my peers. But day six they said, well, 534 00:31:15,982 --> 00:31:18,702 Speaker 5: shut it down. What do you mean shut it down? 535 00:31:19,942 --> 00:31:22,622 Speaker 5: Who said that? Who gave that order and shut the 536 00:31:22,622 --> 00:31:23,782 Speaker 5: thing down? What are you talking about? 537 00:31:23,862 --> 00:31:27,902 Speaker 3: Day six, the Sheriff's department folds the search after six 538 00:31:27,982 --> 00:31:31,702 Speaker 3: days and gives a statement to the press Sergeant Sower, 539 00:31:31,862 --> 00:31:35,782 Speaker 3: one of the deputies overseeing the operation, says, quote, a 540 00:31:35,822 --> 00:31:38,302 Speaker 3: good analogy would be someone coming up to you and 541 00:31:38,342 --> 00:31:40,942 Speaker 3: giving you two to three pieces of a five hundred 542 00:31:40,982 --> 00:31:43,782 Speaker 3: piece puzzle and asking you to guess what the picture is. 543 00:31:44,742 --> 00:31:48,062 Speaker 3: Throw into that a few pieces of an entirely different puzzle, 544 00:31:48,622 --> 00:31:51,422 Speaker 3: and that is what we work with. We might never 545 00:31:51,462 --> 00:31:51,942 Speaker 3: get it right. 546 00:31:52,782 --> 00:31:53,902 Speaker 1: End quote. 547 00:31:54,302 --> 00:31:57,142 Speaker 5: You want to trust the department that they're doing the 548 00:31:57,222 --> 00:32:00,382 Speaker 5: right thing, But no one asked us if we should 549 00:32:00,382 --> 00:32:03,582 Speaker 5: shut it down. If I'm the search and rescue guy, 550 00:32:04,782 --> 00:32:07,502 Speaker 5: and my partners are search and rescue guys, and the 551 00:32:07,542 --> 00:32:10,582 Speaker 5: helicopter pilots have been on hundreds of searches, why are 552 00:32:10,622 --> 00:32:13,102 Speaker 5: we asking them what they think and their input. 553 00:32:14,302 --> 00:32:17,822 Speaker 3: Rathmin says searches for missing hikers typically last seven to 554 00:32:17,862 --> 00:32:22,022 Speaker 3: fourteen days, depending on the viability of the person. Auj 555 00:32:22,382 --> 00:32:25,502 Speaker 3: was not your typical hiker, and given his personal and 556 00:32:25,542 --> 00:32:29,182 Speaker 3: professional connection to the Sheriff's Department, it seems like the 557 00:32:29,302 --> 00:32:31,702 Speaker 3: LASD would go the extra mile to find it. 558 00:32:32,662 --> 00:32:36,222 Speaker 5: So it's six days you cancel a search for somebody 559 00:32:36,262 --> 00:32:38,902 Speaker 5: who can run fifty or one hundred miles in the 560 00:32:38,942 --> 00:32:43,262 Speaker 5: wilderness really knows the wilderness is good or better than 561 00:32:43,302 --> 00:32:46,342 Speaker 5: anybody in ESD. They've set it down. Why are you 562 00:32:46,382 --> 00:32:47,022 Speaker 5: shutting it down? 563 00:32:48,462 --> 00:32:52,102 Speaker 3: The Sheriff's Department tells the public that Auj disappeared without 564 00:32:52,102 --> 00:32:55,302 Speaker 3: a trace and that they're ending the search because they're 565 00:32:55,342 --> 00:32:59,302 Speaker 3: just spinning their wheels. But behind the scenes, they're telling 566 00:32:59,422 --> 00:33:00,782 Speaker 3: a very different story. 567 00:33:01,862 --> 00:33:23,022 Speaker 5: Well. They say that they decided he committed suicide. 568 00:33:31,022 --> 00:33:34,702 Speaker 2: Internal LASD reports claimed that Auj was distraught over his 569 00:33:34,742 --> 00:33:37,582 Speaker 2: failing marriage and took his own life in the punch bowl. 570 00:33:38,702 --> 00:33:41,622 Speaker 2: That gunshot the area resident heard that could have been 571 00:33:41,662 --> 00:33:44,102 Speaker 2: the sound of Auj just putting an end to it all. 572 00:33:45,382 --> 00:33:48,622 Speaker 2: But the Sheriff's Department makes that determination without a body. 573 00:33:49,222 --> 00:33:53,662 Speaker 2: They don't find any remains, blood, bullets, or a suicide note. 574 00:33:54,262 --> 00:33:54,662 Speaker 1: Nothing. 575 00:33:55,782 --> 00:33:57,582 Speaker 2: The only thing they think they may have found of 576 00:33:57,622 --> 00:34:00,542 Speaker 2: Aujay's was an energy bar wrapper left on one of 577 00:34:00,542 --> 00:34:03,782 Speaker 2: the trails. From what we can tell, there's not a 578 00:34:03,822 --> 00:34:07,142 Speaker 2: lot pointing to suicide, so we reach out to Aujay's 579 00:34:07,142 --> 00:34:09,062 Speaker 2: colleagues and friends to get their thoughts. 580 00:34:10,142 --> 00:34:13,782 Speaker 14: He was obviously down, he was obviously upset, but was 581 00:34:13,862 --> 00:34:15,302 Speaker 14: it enough to commit suicide. 582 00:34:16,542 --> 00:34:19,662 Speaker 2: Sergeant Vince Burden is still on the fence on the 583 00:34:19,662 --> 00:34:22,102 Speaker 2: one hand, a Jay did appear torn up over his 584 00:34:22,142 --> 00:34:25,702 Speaker 2: marital problems. On the other he seemed to be coping. 585 00:34:26,622 --> 00:34:30,262 Speaker 14: Would you be telling me about your ultra marathon if 586 00:34:30,262 --> 00:34:32,702 Speaker 14: you were just going to end it all? Would you 587 00:34:32,782 --> 00:34:35,742 Speaker 14: even be planning to go run at the punch Bowl, 588 00:34:35,742 --> 00:34:37,262 Speaker 14: which is an ugly area anyway? 589 00:34:38,022 --> 00:34:40,382 Speaker 2: For fact checking purposes, we want to make clear the 590 00:34:40,382 --> 00:34:41,862 Speaker 2: punch Bowl is not ugly. 591 00:34:42,702 --> 00:34:45,662 Speaker 14: But go on, Vince, None of that made sense to me. 592 00:34:45,742 --> 00:34:47,182 Speaker 14: With the suicide. 593 00:34:47,742 --> 00:34:51,822 Speaker 2: Fraday's running buddy, Randy Meggerdley, there's no question. 594 00:34:52,382 --> 00:34:55,182 Speaker 7: Plain and simple. I think he killed himself. That's the 595 00:34:55,182 --> 00:34:57,742 Speaker 7: only way I can explain, because he. 596 00:34:57,702 --> 00:35:01,462 Speaker 2: Says Aujay was acting strangely, even more strangely than usual 597 00:35:01,782 --> 00:35:03,462 Speaker 2: in the weeks before his disappearance. 598 00:35:04,302 --> 00:35:07,262 Speaker 7: He says, you know, there's a bunch of caves and 599 00:35:07,262 --> 00:35:11,582 Speaker 7: stuff out here, you can very much disappear I think 600 00:35:11,822 --> 00:35:14,502 Speaker 7: was the word that he used, and nobody would ever 601 00:35:14,542 --> 00:35:14,982 Speaker 7: find yet. 602 00:35:16,422 --> 00:35:20,022 Speaker 2: Auj said similar things to Dave Rathbin, but he didn't 603 00:35:20,022 --> 00:35:22,022 Speaker 2: put a lot of stock into any of the statements 604 00:35:22,622 --> 00:35:25,422 Speaker 2: because he says Aujay is just a weird guy. 605 00:35:26,662 --> 00:35:30,222 Speaker 5: Our unit was next to a big giant duck pond, 606 00:35:30,262 --> 00:35:32,342 Speaker 5: and one of the ways we used to make jokes 607 00:35:32,342 --> 00:35:34,422 Speaker 5: about each other is kind of like, where do you 608 00:35:34,462 --> 00:35:37,542 Speaker 5: fit in the in the duck pond? John was an 609 00:35:37,622 --> 00:35:40,222 Speaker 5: I don't malign him, but he was one of the 610 00:35:40,222 --> 00:35:43,062 Speaker 5: oddest ducks in the pond, which is good, right, you 611 00:35:43,182 --> 00:35:45,582 Speaker 5: need him, you don't want everybody swim in the. 612 00:35:45,542 --> 00:35:51,022 Speaker 2: Same Initially, Rathbin was open to the possibility of suicide, 613 00:35:51,622 --> 00:35:55,822 Speaker 2: but he's become increasingly skeptical over time because if Aja 614 00:35:55,942 --> 00:35:59,382 Speaker 2: had killed himself, he thinks his body or some trace 615 00:35:59,422 --> 00:36:02,902 Speaker 2: of him would have turned up by now. So Auji's 616 00:36:02,902 --> 00:36:06,222 Speaker 2: colleagues are divided on what happened to him. It's kind 617 00:36:06,222 --> 00:36:08,102 Speaker 2: of like those faces seen in the rocks at the 618 00:36:08,102 --> 00:36:12,462 Speaker 2: Devil's punch Bowl. Same details, but interpreted in different ways. 619 00:36:13,302 --> 00:36:16,782 Speaker 2: And that makes sense because we feel conflicted about it too. 620 00:36:18,022 --> 00:36:21,742 Speaker 2: Aujay did say some eerie things about disappearing, but this 621 00:36:21,862 --> 00:36:25,342 Speaker 2: disappearing act would be pretty hard to pull off. I mean, 622 00:36:25,422 --> 00:36:27,982 Speaker 2: how could he have buried himself and stay buried for 623 00:36:28,022 --> 00:36:34,262 Speaker 2: almost three decades. Rathmin asked the Sheriff's department to explain 624 00:36:34,302 --> 00:36:34,862 Speaker 2: that one. 625 00:36:35,702 --> 00:36:38,182 Speaker 5: They said, well, we think he might have sat on 626 00:36:38,262 --> 00:36:41,302 Speaker 5: the edge of one of those minds and blown himself 627 00:36:41,302 --> 00:36:47,102 Speaker 5: into the mind figure. Okay, we are really stretching now 628 00:36:47,342 --> 00:36:52,982 Speaker 5: for an explanation as to why we can't find him. 629 00:36:53,062 --> 00:36:58,502 Speaker 6: I didn't accept it. Just common sense told me you 630 00:36:58,582 --> 00:37:01,302 Speaker 6: probably ought to see whether there's any evidence of self. 631 00:37:01,022 --> 00:37:06,822 Speaker 3: Infliction, pissed off Old Capp. Mike Bauer is evangelical in 632 00:37:06,862 --> 00:37:11,462 Speaker 3: his belief that the suicide theory bullshit, because he says 633 00:37:11,782 --> 00:37:15,822 Speaker 3: the Sheriff's Department didn't arrive at this conclusion, they led 634 00:37:15,862 --> 00:37:19,542 Speaker 3: with it, and that poisoned the investigation from the start. 635 00:37:20,822 --> 00:37:23,822 Speaker 3: Bower says that as early as day three, an LASD 636 00:37:23,902 --> 00:37:27,942 Speaker 3: official was pushing the suicide narrative during search team briefings. 637 00:37:28,542 --> 00:37:32,422 Speaker 3: To Bauer, this was equivalent to telling searchers to let up. 638 00:37:33,902 --> 00:37:37,662 Speaker 6: I took that person outside, and I said, what and 639 00:37:37,742 --> 00:37:40,622 Speaker 6: the hell did you say that for? How could you 640 00:37:40,742 --> 00:37:44,302 Speaker 6: possibly know that at this point? How could you possibly 641 00:37:44,422 --> 00:37:47,622 Speaker 6: discourage them to search for somebody that worked for you? 642 00:37:49,102 --> 00:37:52,582 Speaker 3: The Sheriff's Department was even sharing this theory with the press. 643 00:37:53,062 --> 00:37:55,662 Speaker 9: We haven't ruled out the possibility of suicide, but we 644 00:37:55,702 --> 00:37:57,862 Speaker 9: don't have any evidence to support that that's what he 645 00:37:57,902 --> 00:37:58,422 Speaker 9: came here to do. 646 00:37:59,782 --> 00:38:03,102 Speaker 3: Bower thinks it's irresponsible to promote the suicide theory without 647 00:38:03,102 --> 00:38:06,222 Speaker 3: a high degree of certainty, so he prodded the department 648 00:38:06,382 --> 00:38:07,382 Speaker 3: to keep investigating. 649 00:38:08,342 --> 00:38:12,622 Speaker 6: I kept contacting homicide and saying, something's wrong. 650 00:38:12,782 --> 00:38:14,582 Speaker 5: I'm telling you there's a problem. 651 00:38:15,502 --> 00:38:17,822 Speaker 3: But he says, the apartment ignored the case to such 652 00:38:17,822 --> 00:38:20,902 Speaker 3: an extent. But he began to question their motives. 653 00:38:21,582 --> 00:38:24,622 Speaker 6: Nobody was in charge of it, and nobody wanted any 654 00:38:24,662 --> 00:38:27,942 Speaker 6: of it once they saw how stinky it was getting. 655 00:38:32,462 --> 00:38:36,222 Speaker 2: Randy meggerdly represents the other end of the spectrum, so 656 00:38:36,262 --> 00:38:38,902 Speaker 2: we ask him what he thinks about the possibility of 657 00:38:38,982 --> 00:38:39,582 Speaker 2: foul play. 658 00:38:40,662 --> 00:38:43,342 Speaker 7: I referred to myself as a mushroom. They just feed 659 00:38:43,342 --> 00:38:45,222 Speaker 7: me a little bit of poop every once in a while. 660 00:38:45,582 --> 00:38:47,942 Speaker 7: I wasn't in the know on that whole thing. 661 00:38:48,582 --> 00:38:50,742 Speaker 1: I've never heard the mushroom poop batafore before. 662 00:38:51,102 --> 00:38:53,062 Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, oh, you seed you a little bit of poop, 663 00:38:53,102 --> 00:38:54,742 Speaker 7: et you grow a little bit. 664 00:38:57,342 --> 00:39:00,582 Speaker 2: At first, the mushroom poop analogy went way over my head. 665 00:39:01,142 --> 00:39:03,902 Speaker 2: It sounded like a Southern expression. My mom just forgot 666 00:39:03,902 --> 00:39:04,502 Speaker 2: to teach me. 667 00:39:05,302 --> 00:39:06,302 Speaker 1: But then it clicked. 668 00:39:06,502 --> 00:39:09,662 Speaker 2: While I was watching The Departed, the Martin Score Seats movie, 669 00:39:09,742 --> 00:39:12,342 Speaker 2: about corruption within the Boston Police Department. 670 00:39:13,102 --> 00:39:15,942 Speaker 12: My theory, Unfeeds is they're like mushrooms, feed him shit 671 00:39:16,022 --> 00:39:16,782 Speaker 12: and keep them in the dock. 672 00:39:18,302 --> 00:39:20,822 Speaker 2: I think what Megerdley is saying is that he doesn't 673 00:39:20,822 --> 00:39:23,342 Speaker 2: ask a lot of questions because he prefers to be 674 00:39:23,422 --> 00:39:25,982 Speaker 2: kept in the dark about things that don't concern him 675 00:39:26,742 --> 00:39:29,822 Speaker 2: and who can really blame him? I mean, law enforcement 676 00:39:29,862 --> 00:39:33,662 Speaker 2: agencies are not exactly known for their culture of transparency. 677 00:39:34,822 --> 00:39:38,822 Speaker 5: That file. You'd have to get special, special permission to 678 00:39:38,822 --> 00:39:39,582 Speaker 5: touch that file. 679 00:39:40,822 --> 00:39:44,742 Speaker 2: Dave Rathman, Auj's former partner, says, the Sheriff's department is 680 00:39:44,822 --> 00:39:48,902 Speaker 2: unusually protective of the AUJ case file, and they. 681 00:39:48,742 --> 00:39:53,022 Speaker 5: Don't even like to hear you talking about it. Well, 682 00:39:53,702 --> 00:39:57,582 Speaker 5: to me, that's what you would call a red flag. 683 00:39:59,822 --> 00:40:03,222 Speaker 2: So Rathman asked his buddy, a retired detective working cold 684 00:40:03,262 --> 00:40:06,222 Speaker 2: cases for the Sheriff's apartment to review the AUJ case. 685 00:40:07,302 --> 00:40:10,942 Speaker 5: Could you maybe grab that case file? And he went, 686 00:40:11,022 --> 00:40:14,302 Speaker 5: oh no. I said, what do you mean, Oh no, 687 00:40:15,422 --> 00:40:17,582 Speaker 5: Why wouldn't you want to take a look at it? 688 00:40:17,662 --> 00:40:19,782 Speaker 5: He said, no, that's a hot potato. No one's allowed 689 00:40:19,822 --> 00:40:22,422 Speaker 5: to touch that. If I start poking around that case 690 00:40:23,022 --> 00:40:26,902 Speaker 5: they'd let me go. I said, well, that's interesting. Why 691 00:40:26,942 --> 00:40:31,782 Speaker 5: it's a suicide. He said, I don't know. I just 692 00:40:31,902 --> 00:40:34,342 Speaker 5: know that that case can't be touched. 693 00:40:36,342 --> 00:40:39,702 Speaker 2: Those red flags are another reason Rappit and others just 694 00:40:39,862 --> 00:40:41,702 Speaker 2: can't get behind the party line. 695 00:40:42,862 --> 00:40:45,862 Speaker 5: As my father would say, God bless him. There's some 696 00:40:46,102 --> 00:40:50,342 Speaker 5: rotten in the woodpile and it stinks and I can 697 00:40:50,382 --> 00:40:53,302 Speaker 5: smell it, and. 698 00:40:53,222 --> 00:40:56,382 Speaker 1: That brings us back to the poop mushroom. 699 00:40:56,822 --> 00:41:00,062 Speaker 2: It might thrive in darkness, but to me, that's not 700 00:41:00,182 --> 00:41:04,262 Speaker 2: an ideal environment for policing. I mean, the whole concept 701 00:41:04,302 --> 00:41:07,782 Speaker 2: behind law enforcement is it watchful eyed, deter crime. Right 702 00:41:09,222 --> 00:41:12,542 Speaker 2: who is watching the police? There's very little oversight of 703 00:41:12,582 --> 00:41:15,862 Speaker 2: law enforcement agencies, and it's hard to hold them accountable 704 00:41:15,942 --> 00:41:19,462 Speaker 2: since they control the collection and release of information about 705 00:41:19,502 --> 00:41:20,422 Speaker 2: internal problems. 706 00:41:21,062 --> 00:41:23,822 Speaker 6: The philosophy of the Sheriff's department is to hide it, 707 00:41:24,622 --> 00:41:27,182 Speaker 6: and the philosophy of government in a lot of respects 708 00:41:27,702 --> 00:41:30,382 Speaker 6: is that way. Now, with the terrible way they handle 709 00:41:30,542 --> 00:41:34,582 Speaker 6: public records requests and stuff, they just basically stonewall you. 710 00:41:34,702 --> 00:41:37,142 Speaker 6: They gave you the middle finger. If you're asking for 711 00:41:37,222 --> 00:41:38,982 Speaker 6: something that the public has a right to know. 712 00:41:40,982 --> 00:41:44,142 Speaker 3: Tell me about it. Bauer. We tried with those public 713 00:41:44,182 --> 00:41:48,622 Speaker 3: records requests and got the proverbial middle finger. Without access 714 00:41:48,662 --> 00:41:51,062 Speaker 3: to the information, it's hard for us to know how 715 00:41:51,102 --> 00:41:54,982 Speaker 3: the Sheriff's department handled the Auj case, and we'd remain 716 00:41:55,022 --> 00:41:57,382 Speaker 3: in the dark if it weren't for Mike Bauer and 717 00:41:57,462 --> 00:42:03,902 Speaker 3: other deputies coming forward. Bauer retired in two thousand and 718 00:42:03,942 --> 00:42:06,302 Speaker 3: two and has spent the better part of his retirement 719 00:42:06,382 --> 00:42:11,302 Speaker 3: investigating Auj's disappearance, and he's uncovered what looks like some 720 00:42:11,422 --> 00:42:14,142 Speaker 3: pretty damning information about the Sheriff's department. 721 00:42:15,102 --> 00:42:15,782 Speaker 5: They lied to me. 722 00:42:15,982 --> 00:42:17,742 Speaker 16: They lied to me as a fucking captain of the 723 00:42:17,822 --> 00:42:20,102 Speaker 16: fucking Sheriff's department with thirty three years on the job. 724 00:42:20,262 --> 00:42:23,462 Speaker 16: They fucking lie to me while I'm in charge of 725 00:42:23,502 --> 00:42:26,302 Speaker 16: Sheriff's intelligence. They're fucking lying to me about what they're 726 00:42:26,302 --> 00:42:28,382 Speaker 16: doing at homicide to shut this thing up. 727 00:42:28,622 --> 00:42:29,822 Speaker 6: They don't want me involved in it. 728 00:42:31,382 --> 00:42:35,022 Speaker 16: Oh imagine that's how fancy that is. 729 00:42:37,142 --> 00:42:40,462 Speaker 3: We know that law enforcement has its problems, but they're 730 00:42:40,462 --> 00:42:42,942 Speaker 3: not usually laid out for us by dyed in the 731 00:42:42,982 --> 00:42:46,822 Speaker 3: wool cops, people who know this world from the inside 732 00:42:47,222 --> 00:42:50,662 Speaker 3: and can show us where the bodies are buried. Figuratively speaking, 733 00:42:51,902 --> 00:42:53,702 Speaker 3: we tell Bauer, we want to do a deep dive 734 00:42:53,742 --> 00:42:56,742 Speaker 3: on the Aujay case, beginning with his investigation. 735 00:42:58,502 --> 00:43:01,262 Speaker 6: You guys have stumbled into a cluster of shit. 736 00:43:02,902 --> 00:43:05,462 Speaker 3: But he's not as encouraging as we expect him to be, 737 00:43:06,782 --> 00:43:07,902 Speaker 3: and for good reason. 738 00:43:09,262 --> 00:43:13,382 Speaker 2: Any advice for us while looking into this disappearance. 739 00:43:14,542 --> 00:43:18,942 Speaker 6: I wouldn't do it alone. In the event somebody did 740 00:43:18,982 --> 00:43:21,702 Speaker 6: decide that you were getting too close to something, you 741 00:43:21,782 --> 00:43:26,382 Speaker 6: will not be found killed. You will simply disappear. 742 00:43:32,702 --> 00:43:35,382 Speaker 3: This season on Valley of Shadows. 743 00:43:35,502 --> 00:43:39,182 Speaker 5: Early on, I let the suicide theory sit at fifty 744 00:43:39,222 --> 00:43:43,782 Speaker 5: to fifty. As I've learned more and more, I'm at 745 00:43:43,822 --> 00:43:49,542 Speaker 5: about murder five to ten percent suicide. 746 00:43:50,222 --> 00:43:54,342 Speaker 1: They ruler around the drug scene, was that a deputy 747 00:43:54,942 --> 00:43:58,782 Speaker 1: stumbled onto something he shouldn't have and he was taken 748 00:43:58,822 --> 00:44:01,622 Speaker 1: care of. I'm here, it's shit on the street minute. 749 00:44:01,702 --> 00:44:04,142 Speaker 5: I he didn't kid suicide, he was murdered. 750 00:44:04,222 --> 00:44:05,982 Speaker 1: I'm here for more than one person. 751 00:44:06,102 --> 00:44:09,622 Speaker 12: And I started hearing some rumors that there. 752 00:44:09,302 --> 00:44:14,182 Speaker 15: Was and yet there's no indication that gun was ever 753 00:44:14,222 --> 00:44:15,102 Speaker 15: booked into evidence. 754 00:44:15,662 --> 00:44:17,702 Speaker 12: If you're at it or they thought you were gonna rat, 755 00:44:18,302 --> 00:44:21,702 Speaker 12: there wasn't. Hey don't do that ever again, you're done. 756 00:44:22,262 --> 00:44:24,342 Speaker 12: They got rid of you. So that's where the murders 757 00:44:24,342 --> 00:44:24,662 Speaker 12: came in. 758 00:44:25,342 --> 00:44:28,662 Speaker 8: He was describing with his hands and his arms and 759 00:44:28,702 --> 00:44:31,822 Speaker 8: his whole body where this cop was buried at. 760 00:44:32,062 --> 00:44:34,702 Speaker 6: In other words, it's not safe not because of criminals, 761 00:44:35,022 --> 00:44:37,782 Speaker 6: it's not safe because of law enforcement. And there's nothing 762 00:44:37,822 --> 00:44:38,382 Speaker 6: worse than that. 763 00:44:39,262 --> 00:44:41,302 Speaker 3: Hey, dude, we're getting like pretty far out in the 764 00:44:41,342 --> 00:44:43,182 Speaker 3: middle of nowhere and no one knows where out here. 765 00:44:43,942 --> 00:44:45,342 Speaker 5: You've got to be careful where you go and who 766 00:44:45,422 --> 00:44:45,862 Speaker 5: you talk to. 767 00:45:06,822 --> 00:45:10,342 Speaker 3: If you have any information or tips to the disappearance 768 00:45:10,382 --> 00:45:14,342 Speaker 3: of John Aujay, please call two one three two six 769 00:45:14,502 --> 00:45:19,822 Speaker 3: two nine eight eight nine for email Shadows at pushkin 770 00:45:20,182 --> 00:45:24,862 Speaker 3: dot FM. Valley of Shadows is reported, written and produced 771 00:45:25,062 --> 00:45:29,702 Speaker 3: by us Haley Fox and Betsy Shepherd. Our editor is 772 00:45:29,782 --> 00:45:35,142 Speaker 3: Diane Hodson. Our executive producers are Jacob Smith and Alexandra Garreton. 773 00:45:35,742 --> 00:45:39,942 Speaker 3: Original music by Jake Gorsky, Ray Lynch, Mike Jersich, and 774 00:45:40,022 --> 00:45:45,022 Speaker 3: Hayden Gardner. Sound designed by Jake Gorsky, fact checking by 775 00:45:45,062 --> 00:45:50,382 Speaker 3: Onica Robbins, additional production support by Sonya Gurwitt and Our 776 00:45:50,422 --> 00:45:53,862 Speaker 3: show art was designed by Sean Karney and Betsy Sheppard 777 00:45:54,822 --> 00:45:59,062 Speaker 3: Special thanks to Nick White for show art photography. Additional 778 00:45:59,102 --> 00:46:03,662 Speaker 3: thanks to Jeremy Tabb. Vallely of Shadows is a production 779 00:46:03,822 --> 00:46:08,182 Speaker 3: of Pushkin Industries. To find more Pushkin podcasts, listen on 780 00:46:08,222 --> 00:46:11,742 Speaker 3: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 781 00:46:11,822 --> 00:46:16,582 Speaker 3: podcasts from Type two Fun, We're Haley and Betsy. See 782 00:46:16,582 --> 00:46:20,142 Speaker 3: you next week.