Podcast Summary: Deep Cover Presents: Snowball – Introducing Valley of Shadows: Corruption in California’s Mojave Desert

Episode Release Date: January 12, 2026
Produced by: Pushkin Industries
Preview Host: Betsy Shepard
Reporting by: Betsy Shepard & Haley Fox
Featured Guests:

• Mike Bauer (Retired LASD Captain)
• Dave Rathbun (Former LASD ESD member & Ajay's partner)
• Vince Burton (Sergeant & Ajay’s colleague)
• Jack Farley (Retired Park Ranger)
• Randy Meggerdly (Sheriff's deputy & Ajay's running partner)

Episode Overview

This episode previews the new podcast series Valley of Shadows, a deep investigation led by journalists Betsy Shepard and Haley Fox into the 1998 disappearance of LA County Sheriff’s Deputy John Ajay in California’s Mojave Desert. The series not only explores Ajay’s mysterious vanishing but also delves into a tangled web of police secrecy, criminal underworlds, and possible corruption within the nation’s largest sheriff’s department. The inaugural episode sets the stage by recounting Ajay’s last known day, the initial search, and the subsequent suspicions and rumors that engulfed the case.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Deputy Ajay’s Disappearance

• Introduction to John Ajay

  • Ajay: a decorated, elite, and ultramarathon-running LASD K9 and SWAT deputy.
  • Described as a loner, an “elite loner,” and an “animal” for his extreme endurance (05:16–06:08, Mike Bauer).

• The Day of Disappearance (June 11, 1998)

  • Ajay planned a long run at Devil’s Punch Bowl park—a rugged canyon at the junction of California’s high desert and mountains (06:08–07:19).
  • Witnesses saw him call in to the department and head out alone, never to return (04:34–07:19).

2. The Search and Early Theories

• Immediate Response

  • “It’s an all-out manhunt for John Ajay. Every search and rescue team in LA County has been called in to help” (07:34–07:52, News Report).
  • Search led by friends and fellow deputies, with familiar but rugged terrain making it a formidable task (07:53–08:15).

• Artifacts and Questions

  • Ajay’s belongings—work jacket, running shoes, photos, trophies—assembled in boxes awaiting closure (08:34–09:54).
  • “His death certificate says, cause of death unknown. Manner of death unknown. No body.” (09:54–10:03, Mike Bauer).

3. Suspicion and Distrust

• Doubts about the Department’s Motives

  • Unsettling feeling among Ajay’s colleagues that the department wasn’t fully committed to the search.
  • “The only law enforcement agency in this country that I know of... has a missing deputy sheriff and doesn’t seem to care what the hell happened?” (10:26–10:42, Mike Bauer).

• Joining Forces: Shepard & Fox Begin Their Investigation

  • The journalists relate to the oppressive, desolate nature of the Antelope Valley—described with both nostalgia and unease (13:01–15:08).
  • “I get anxiety coming to places like this because it reminds me of, like, a town that I grew up in... I feel the oppressive weight of boredom.” (13:57–14:05, Betsy Shepard).
  • The first on-the-ground trip to the Devil’s Punch Bowl, meeting with longtime ranger Jack Farley (15:53–16:59).

4. Retracing Ajay’s Last Known Steps

• Witness Accounts and Terrain Details

  • Ajay last seen near picnic tables, heading for the distant 10,000-foot Mount Baden Powell (19:40–20:21).
  • Multiple witnesses saw him jogging later in the day, but truck remained in the lot till nightfall (20:27–21:21).

• Search Challenges

  • Searchers, including ultra-runner colleagues, emphasized Ajay’s unique ability to cover extreme terrain, vastly enlarging the search area (24:02–25:19, Vince Burton).
  • Bloodhounds picked up a scent near where a resident heard a gunshot at sunset—no body found (26:33–27:08, Jack Farley).

5. Theories and Darkness of the High Desert

• “Old West” Lawlessness and Meth Labs

  • The region’s criminal underbelly—active meth labs, outlaw biker gangs, body dumpings in abandoned mines—complicates the search (28:58–30:42, Dave Rathbun).
  • “If all the dead bodies that were up there from being deliberately disposed of stood up at once, they’d be shoulder to shoulder.” (30:33–30:42, Dave Rathbun).

• Ajay’s Character and Conflicting Legacy

  • Ajay’s colleagues describe his stoicism, sense of humor, and cryptic nature, fueling conspiracy theories about him intentionally disappearing (31:30–34:43).
  • “You guys think you can find people with your searches...I could go in the mountains and you’d never find me.” (34:06–34:22, Ajay, as quoted by Dave Rathbun).

6. Turn in the Search, Rise of Conspiracy, and Department Obstruction

• Search Abruptly Ended

  • Search called off after just six days, earlier than is typical for such cases (35:31–36:09).
  • “Why are you shutting it down?” (36:09, Dave Rathbun).

• Suspicions about Suicide Theory

  • Department soon asserts suicide due to marital problems—without physical evidence (37:08–38:21).
  • “There’s not a lot pointing to suicide... I mean, how could he have buried himself and stay buried for almost three decades?” (39:03–40:12, Betsy Shepard).

• File Secrecy and Official Stonewalling

  • Ajay’s case file is closely guarded, “a hot potato” no detectives want to touch (43:17–44:13).
  • “The philosophy of the Sheriff’s department is to hide it. Now, with the terrible way they handle public records requests... they just basically stonewall you.” (44:58–45:18, Mike Bauer).

• Blistering Criticism from Insiders

  • “They lied to me. They lied to me as a fucking captain of the fucking Sheriff’s department with 33 years on the job... they’re fucking lying to me about what they’re doing at Homicide to shut this thing up.” (45:52–46:14, Mike Bauer).

7. Danger for Investigators

• Warnings to Journalists

  • “You guys have stumbled into a cluster of shit.” (46:35–46:40, Mike Bauer).
  • “I wouldn’t do it alone. In the event somebody did decide that you were getting too close... You will simply disappear.” (46:51–47:09, Mike Bauer).

• Season Teaser: Rumors of Murder and a Cover-Up

  • Subsequent reports and street rumors point towards a murder, possibly involving meth or even departmental ties (47:12–48:16).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Law Enforcement Corruption:
  • “If they'll fucking kill a cop and bury him, what are they going to do to me?” – Dave Rathbun (11:46)
• On the Region’s Lawlessness:
  • “There are a lot of people who just don’t want to be around other human beings out there, which makes them sometimes dangerous. There’s people cooking meth. It was a little bit like the Old West.” – Dave Rathbun (29:51–30:12)
• On Institutional Stonewalling:
  • “The philosophy of the Sheriff’s department is to hide it... they just basically stonewall you.” – Mike Bauer (44:58–45:18)
• On Investigating Dangerously:
  • “You will not be found killed. You will simply disappear.” – Mike Bauer's warning to the journalists (46:51–47:09)
• The Chilling Image:
  • “If all the dead bodies that were up there from being deliberately disposed of stood up at once, they’d be shoulder to shoulder.” – Dave Rathbun (30:33–30:42)

Key Timestamps for Reference

• [03:33] Mike Bauer, retired captain, introduces Ajay and the day he disappeared
• [06:08–07:19] Ajay’s extreme running habits and disappearance at Devil’s Punch Bowl
• [10:26–10:42] Bauer’s suspicion: “They don’t seem to care”
• [15:53–16:59] Arrival at Devil’s Punch Bowl; meeting Ranger Jack Farley
• [19:40–20:21] Ajay’s planned route towards Mount Baden Powell
• [27:08] Gunshot heard near Ajay’s last known location
• [29:51–30:42] “Old West” description of Antelope Valley; lawlessness
• [34:06] Ajay’s claim he could disappear without a trace
• [35:31–36:09] Search called off after just six days
• [45:52–46:14] Bauer’s fiery accusation of deception and cover-up
• [46:51–47:09] Bauer’s warning about the risks of investigating the case

Episode Tone and Style

The episode balances investigative rigor with a gritty, cinematic sensibility. Shepard and Fox’s rapport is warm but laced with real unease as they traverse the Mojave’s desolate terrain, meet wary lawmen, and confront the chilling inertia—or obstruction—of the LASD. The voices of the “pissed off old cop” (Bauer), haunted ex-partner (Rathbun), and resigned searchers underscore the depth of the mystery and the entrenched suspicion around the case.

Conclusion: What’s at Stake

Valley of Shadows launches with more questions than answers: Did John Ajay die by suicide, was he murdered, or did he pull off the perfect vanishing act? As the journalists pursue leads amid secrecy, intimidating warnings, and regional lawlessness, the stakes grow ever higher—not just for justice for Ajay, but for anyone brave enough to expose the truth about who protects whom in the Californian desert.

For tips or information on the Ajay case:
Call 213-262-9889 or email Shadowsushkin FM.

For more gripping investigations, listen to Valley of Shadows from Pushkin Industries wherever you get your podcasts.