National Park After Dark

Episode: Introducing Valley of Shadows: The Devil’s Punchbowl

Date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: Danielle & Cassie (National Park After Dark)
Guest Podcast: Valley of Shadows
Featured Investigators: Betsy Shepard & Hayley Fox

Episode Overview

This special episode gives listeners a gripping preview of the new true crime podcast, Valley of Shadows: The Devil's Punchbowl. The featured series investigates the mysterious 1998 disappearance of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy John Ajay in Southern California's Devil’s Punchbowl park. The episode promises an atmospheric journey through wilderness, corruption, and the underworld, exploring persistent suspicions that Ajay’s vanishing is entangled with criminal networks and a departmental cover-up.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Valley of Shadows

• Cassie expresses excitement about the new series, noting its blend of true crime, wilderness, and lingering mysteries.
  • “It has the eerie combination of vast wilderness, unanswered questions, and the sense that the truth has been buried on purpose.” (00:54)
• The podcast is hosted by investigative journalists Haley Fox and Betsy Shepard, who explore Ajay's disappearance and the cloud of corruption that lingers around the case.

2. Overview of Deputy John Ajay’s Disappearance

• Ajay, described as an ultramarathon runner and survivalist, vanished while running in Devil’s Punchbowl park in June 1998.
  • “He was an elite loner… the guy was doing 50 mile runs. He was an animal.” – Mike Bauer, retired LA sheriff captain (04:13)
• Despite being off-duty, Ajay maintained close contact with his unit the day he disappeared, making a call to inquire about a job assignment just before heading out.
• Search efforts were immediate and intense, involving Ajay’s own colleagues and friends in law enforcement.
  • “We took our teams out and deployed in two man teams over the edges of the trails into the little nooks and crannies and the gullies that he could have slipped and fallen into.” – Search and Rescue Team Member (06:31)
• No trace of Ajay was ever found.

3. Suspicion and Corruption Within the Sheriff’s Department

• Mike Bauer, Ajay’s former team leader, is a key voice expressing skepticism and frustration at how the department handled the case:
  • “Who has a missing deputy sheriff and doesn’t seem to care what the hell happened?” – Mike Bauer (08:51)
  • Bauer details how Ajay’s personal effects—work jackets, running shoes, family memorabilia—are now preserved as potential evidence, underscoring the unresolved pain and questions.
• The podcast delves into the unsettling possibility that Ajay did not simply get lost, but may have uncovered illegal activity—possibly within his own department or through its ties with criminal or biker gangs.

4. Journalistic Perspective & Investigation

• Betsy Shepard and Hayley Fox team up, underscoring the rarity of a missing persons case involving law enforcement where answers seem deliberately obscured.
  • “You’d expect the LA County Sheriff’s Department to turn over every stone to find their guy. So the claim that the LESD may have an interest in not solving the case, now that’s a story.” – Narrator (09:18)
• The series promises deep investigative work, including use of police files, exclusive interviews, and wiretaps.
  • “There's a code of silence in law enforcement. You break that code of silence, you’re done.” – Search and Rescue Team Member (10:11)

5. Tone & Atmosphere

• The preview emphasizes an eerie, suspenseful mood—balancing personal tragedy with systemic critique, and intertwining the unforgiving landscape with the secrets it may guard.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Bauer’s frustration and suspicions:
  • “It’s an obstruction of justice of a very large scale.” (10:19)
  • “His death certificate says cause of death unknown. Manner of death unknown. No body.” (08:19)
• On the Code of Silence in Law Enforcement:
  • “Hey, if you don’t fucking kill a cop in the—what are they going to do to me?” – Betsy Shepard (10:16)
• Personal Impact:
  • “A birthday party for their daughter Chloe, who was just five when he disappeared. And puppy pics of Bosco, Ajay's department issued canine…” (07:35)

Important Timestamps

• 00:01 – Cassie introduces the preview, summarizing the main case and podcast theme.
• 02:00 – Mike Bauer is introduced; investigation into Ajay’s background and disappearance begins.
• 04:13 – Bauer describes Ajay’s personality and skills as a survivalist and elite officer.
• 05:43 – Notification about Ajay being missing; search operations commence.
• 07:02 – Sorting Ajay’s personal belongings, underlining the gravity of his disappearance.
• 08:19 – Bauer questions the official handling and lack of resolution.
• 09:18 – Betsy Shepard and Haley Fox jump into the investigation.
• 10:11 – Law enforcement’s code of silence and implications for the case.
• 10:44 – Cassie returns to urge listeners to follow Valley of Shadows.

Tone & Style

Capturing the blend of reverence for wild places and the hard edge of true crime, the preview is both haunting and provocative. The hosts maintain a conversational, down-to-earth style, with ex-law enforcement and journalists speaking candidly, often with grit and emotion: “I get pissed off. Pissed off old cop.” – Mike Bauer (02:02)

Final Thoughts

This episode successfully stokes intrigue around Valley of Shadows, positioning it as must-listen true crime for fans of outdoor mysteries and systemic investigations. It balances the human story of Ajay’s family and colleagues with broader questions about power, loyalty, and silence within law enforcement.

Note:
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