Episode 7: The Trial

Summary

Valley of Shadows – Episode 7: The Trial

Date: February 16, 2026
Host/Reporters: Betsy Shepard & Haley Fox
Podcast: Pushkin Industries

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Episode Overview

The seventh episode, “The Trial,” delves into the long and tumultuous fallout from the investigation into Deputy Jon Aujay’s disappearance, focusing on the whistleblower lawsuit of former LASD investigator Darren Hager against the LA County Sheriff's Department (LASD). The episode examines how attempts to solve Aujay’s case exposed deep corruption, deputy gangs, and interlocking coverups within the department. Through trial transcripts, court records, and first-person accounts, the hosts dissect both the personal cost to whistleblowers and the institutional lengths to which LASD would go to protect itself.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Operation Silent Thunder and Hager’s Downfall

• Recap: Hager and his colleagues orchestrated Operation Silent Thunder, one of the biggest drug busts in Antelope Valley (03:17). Despite earning federal accolades, the LASD ostracizes Hager, ultimately firing him for “reckless investigation” and making alleged false statements.
• Motivation for Firing: The department cited Hager’s supposed rogue investigation into fellow deputy Rick Engels and communicating false findings. Hager contended it was retaliation for attempting to expose internal corruption (08:21–08:59, 09:01).

Notable Quote:

“We did our job, and we did it right, and we did it honestly. But the Sheriff's Department is covering up the corruption, and that's why they did it.” – Darren Hager (06:45)

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2. Unearthing Court Records & Evidence of Coverup

• Archive Dig: Betsy and Haley describe digging through digitized records in the county courthouse archives, uncovering Hager’s discharge notice and mounds of investigative files that became public record via the lawsuit (07:56–09:22).
• Key Evidence: These files include taped interviews, internal affairs reports, and inconsistent accounts regarding Deputy Engels and his involvement in the Aujay case.

Notable Moment:

“Do you know what the most beautiful word in the English language is?... Tape. Tape. Look at all those tapes.”
— Betsy Shepard & Haley Fox (09:48–09:52)

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3. The Flawed LASD Internal Investigation

• Detective Joe Holmes’ Dismissal: Holmes, who took over the investigation of Aujay’s disappearance, repeatedly cleared key suspects (notably Tom Hinkle and Rick Engels) using questionable tactics:
  • Supposed “malfunctioned” tape recorder during a crucial Hinkle interview (12:11)
  • Accepting alibis on thin evidence, refusing to record or properly document interviews (16:05)
  • Lied to federal agents about Hinkle’s polygraph results—Hinkle failed, but Holmes claimed he passed (14:44–14:58).
• Selective Justice: Holmes’ trust in fellow deputies and disregard for informant leads suggest institutional bias and minimization of scrutiny into LASD personnel.

Notable Quotes:

“If Hinkle had any knowledge about criminal activity or foul play…he would be spilling his guts all over his table…But he doesn’t. And I’m convinced of that.” – Joe Holmes (13:33)
“I said, you’ve got rumor and innuendo. That’s my opinion. And in fact, I told them, I said boy, you’re gonna ruin a lot of guys’ careers.” – Joe Holmes (17:46)

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4. LASD’s Pattern of Corruption and Scandals

• Broader Context: Haley details prior corruption scandals, including the ‘Big Spender’ case (22:52) and the reign of Sheriff Lee Baca, who was later convicted for federal crimes and cover-ups (24:25–25:27).
• Deputy Gangs: The existence of violent deputy gangs (‘Executioners’, ‘Grim Reapers’) and the Linwood Vikings, some of whom were implicated in civil rights abuses and named as part of Hager’s narrative, were cited as evidence of systemic corruption.

Notable Quote:

“We were in competition to see who could be more corrupt… I'd like to say LAPD won, but when I look back on it now, I think we bested them.” – Captain Mike Bauer (19:18)

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5. Retaliation against Whistleblowers

• Hager as Scapegoat: Rather than investigate illicit deputy activities, LASD turned its focus to Hager, amassing allegations from six deputies (led by Engels) against him (29:23).
• Personal Consequences: Hager’s career and reputation were ruined—he was blacklisted, bankrupt, and isolated (49:38); even his friendship and business partnership with Larry Brandenburg dissolved under strain (50:10–50:42).
• LASD’s Tactics: The department manipulated narratives, warned informants about cooperating with Hager, and accused Hager of presenting “false theories” (32:09).

Notable Quote:

“I had too much information. They had to get rid of the messenger.” – Darren Hager (31:41)

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6. The Whistleblower Lawsuit – “Hager v. LA County”

• Trial Breakdown: Hager’s civil case took nearly a decade, culminating in a 2011 trial where both sides presented extensive evidence (489 exhibits) and witness lists, including informants, DEA agents, and Rick Engels (37:20–42:15).

• Engels’ Evasive Testimony: Under oath, Engels waffled on his alibi for the day Aujay disappeared, contradicting previous claims and undermining Holmes’ investigation (44:23–46:09).

• Critical Courtroom Exchange:

  • [Co-host (Haley Fox)]: “Did you tell Detective Holmes that your wife had a beauty shop appointment on June 11, 1998?”
    [Engels]: “No, my wife never goes to the beauty shop. She’s uglier than a mud fence.” (44:29)
    Hosts react, highlighting how Engels’ denial erases his own supposed alibi.

• LASD Focuses on Discrediting Hager: The defense steered the case away from Aujay’s disappearance or systemic corruption, attempting to paint Hager as reckless and dishonest (43:56, 43:48).

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7. Systemic Biases in Credibility

• Informant Dismissal: The department dismissed meth-user informants’ testimony as “tweaker talk,” while simultaneously accepting Engels’ account (47:57).
• Bigfoot Irony: Hager’s attorney highlights that Engels himself reported seeing Bigfoot ([47:28–47:43]), yet he is viewed as credible simply due to his badge.

Notable Quote:

“It’s really like Engels is just getting a carte blanche get out of jail free card.” – Haley Fox (48:20)

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8. Jury Verdict and Aftermath

• Jury Decision: After two days of deliberation, the jury rules in Hager’s favor, awarding him $4.5 million (51:22).
• Aftermath: The payout is reduced on appeal and quickly spent on legal fees and debts. But Hager’s main victory is proving he was fired for uncovering corruption, not misconduct (51:54).
• Ongoing Shadow: Despite Hager’s small triumph, suspected corrupt deputies kept their jobs, and the Aujay case remains unsolved and possibly covered up (53:04–53:37).

Notable Quote:

“They lost the battle, but not really sure if they won the war yet or not.” – Darren Hager (52:57)

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9. Preview of the Series Finale

• New Revelation: The hosts tease a 2006 incident involving a shooting in Engels’ home (54:31), hinting at further concealed violence and the department’s ongoing culture of cover-up—suggesting the story is far from over.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-------------|-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:45 | Hager | “We did our job… But the Sheriff's Department is covering up the corruption, and that's why they did it.” | | 09:52 | Betsy | “Tape. Tape. Look at all those tapes.” | | 14:44–14:58 | Agent Bailey | “To find out from the LA County Sheriff's polygrapher that...no, he didn't pass it, he failed it.” | | 19:18 | Mike Bauer| “We were in competition to see who could be more corrupt… I think we bested them.” | | 31:41 | Hager | “I had too much information. They had to get rid of the messenger.” | | 44:29 | Engels | “No, my wife never goes to the beauty shop. She’s uglier than a mud fence.” | | 47:28–47:43 | Engels | “Deputy Engels, you saw Bigfoot, didn’t you? ... I did.” | | 48:20 | Haley Fox | “It’s really like Engels is just getting a carte blanche get out of jail free card.” | | 51:22 | Hager | “Rick gives me the big hug and everything. And he goes, congratulations.” | | 52:57 | Hager | “They lost the battle, but not really sure if they won the war yet or not.” | | 53:18 | Hager | “I won’t forget about till the day I die, until my brain’s not working anymore.” |

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Important Timestamps

• [03:17]: Hager & team complete Operation Silent Thunder, ignite departmental pushback.
• [08:21–09:22]: Search through Hager case files in county records.
• [12:11–13:51]: Holmes clears Hinkle—lies about polygraph, no recording of interview.
• [17:46–18:14]: Holmes expresses worry about “ruining careers,” department begins targeting Hager.
• [22:52–25:27]: The history of LASD corruption—Big Spender, deputy gangs, Lee Baca era.
• [29:23]: Engels leads other deputies in complaints against Hager.
• [37:20–42:15]: Trial exhibits, witnesses, cross-examination of Rick Engels.
• [44:23–46:09]: Engels undermines his own alibi under oath.
• [47:28–47:43]: Bigfoot anecdote—highlighting double standards in credibility.
• [51:22]: Jury delivers verdict, Hager wins lawsuit.
• [53:37–54:31]: Teaser for the final episode—Engels’ shooting incident.

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Conclusion

“Episode 7: The Trial” lays bare how the search for answers in Jon Aujay’s disappearance exposed not only the Antelope Valley meth crisis, but also the deep rot within the LA County Sheriff's Department. The episode humanizes the cost of whistleblowing through Hager’s harrowing journey—from lawman to outcast to reluctant victor—while deftly critiquing law enforcement’s pattern of self-protection, willful ignorance, and the dangerous consequences for truthseekers. With unresolved deaths and coverups continuing even after the trial, the stage is set for a dramatic series finale.

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Next Episode Preview:
A shocking case of double shooting in Engels’ home, department stonewalling, and an unexpected reunion—with hints that the cover-ups and suspicious deaths in the Devil’s Punchbowl are far from over.

Transcript

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[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

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[Darren Hager]

He said that he received information that Ingalls was a dirty cop and he assisted Tom with his meth sales and his meth labs and the relationship was that they had their own little enterprise out there in parablossom and it was narcotic sales, manufacturing and illegal firearm distribution.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

So we rolled out with 23 different search warrant teams, DEA, FBI, SWAT, and then simultaneously hit these doors across the valley.

[Darren Hager]

We took down five out of six cells that nobody else could. These are names that I knew for 15 years that nobody could get to jail and we took them all to jail federally.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

I was wondering if you could tell us about your wall over here.

[Darren Hager]

I just put up some of the plaques that I received some awards and makes me feel good once in a while. Look at.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

In his home near his hand built Bar Dierenhager has a wall covered with mementos from his career in law Enforcement. And it includes a sendoff from the Operation Silent Thunder team.

[Darren Hager]

It's like a going away presence. So your whole group that you worked with would sign it as a farewell.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Operation Silent Thunder completes one of the biggest drug busts in in the Antelope Valley and then disbands in 2001. But not without a little fanfare. Hager and his task force buddies receive nearly a dozen awards for their work.

[Darren Hager]

That's an award I got from the mayor of Los Angeles. This is. DEA flew us back to Washington D.C. to receive the Administrator Awards, the second highest award. But nothing from. Nothing from the sheriff's department.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

The LASD doesn't share in the accolades. One of Hager's superiors even orders him not to attend the DEA award ceremony.

[Darren Hager]

He goes, darren, I'm telling you, I'm giving you a direct order. You're not going. I go, chief, do what you want. You can come arrest me in dc. I'm going to that.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

There's a photo of Hager at the ceremony, but his facial expression doesn't match the occasion. His eyes are fiery and ringed with dark circles. I mean, it is a very intense look that you have on your face.

[Darren Hager]

I'm not happy in any of these pictures. I knew it was coming down the pike.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

After Silent Thunder wraps, Hager hears through the rumor mill that his days at the LASD are numbered. When he eventually gets his walking papers, Hager's shattered.

[Darren Hager]

In my heart, I know I didn't do anything wrong. To be fired, dismantled the way they did on purpose.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Homicide Detective Larry Brandenburg calls his old pal as soon as he hears the news.

[Darren Hager]

He goes, I'm coming right over. And I go, if I'm still around, knock yourself out. He goes, don't you do anything stupid. I'll be right there. He came hauling ass up and we just sat here and had some chocolate milk and talked.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Brandenburg shows up for Hager in his moment of crisis because he understands what it's like to have your reputation smeared by the department. How did your friendship with Brandenburg kind of evolve after you were terminated?

[Darren Hager]

We became closer. The families got together and then we got in the buffalo business and all that.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

This is when Hager turns cowboy and starts a buffalo farm with Brandenburg. They've got their work cut out for them, though, because buffalo do not like to be herded. They're unwieldy and they stand their ground.

[Darren Hager]

Buffalo don't have the flight like cattle have.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Oh, say more.

[Darren Hager]

They'll rather stand and fight than run. And they win.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Buffalo are unique in that they don't run from a storm. Some even run towards it, straight into it. And in a sense, Hager isn't much different. He never shied away from the Ajay case, and he's not about to turn tail now.

[Darren Hager]

I go, I don't know what to do, Larry. He goes, oh, no, you'll get it back. You know, you gotta fight it, do all this stuff. And I'm like, I'm gonna fight it. No doubt about it. But good Lord, I'm scared.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Hager steals himself, rears back, and rushes headfirst into a legal shitstorm. He sues the Sheriff's department over his firing.

[Darren Hager]

We did our job, and we did it right, and we did it honestly. But the Sheriff's Department is covering up the corruption, and that's why they did it.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Hager versus the LA County Sheriff's Department will take nearly a decade to resolve. And in the process, the lawsuit drags the LASD's dirty laundry out into open court. We track down the court filings and go through a mass of internal LASD documents and recordings to get to the bottom of why Hager was fired and to find out what was wrong, really, going on at the Sheriff's Department during the John Auge investigation. I'm Betsy Shepard.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

I'm Haley Fox. And this is Valley of Shadows. Episode seven, the Trial. So they won't even give you the whole case file anymore. The paper case file, you have to go on the computer, and it's all digitized, and you kind of just gotta click through that way.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Got it.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Second floor.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Okay, this way.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Betsy and I are in downtown Los Angeles, descending two floors below ground to the county courthouse archives, and we're on a mission to find the case file for Hager's lawsuit against the Sheriff's Department. Do you want to just take these.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Two in the corner?

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Yeah. We set up camp at two computers in what looks like an old bomb shelter with gray concrete on all sides. All right, so here we go. We discover Hager's discharge notice, an official letter from the LASD informing him that he's been fired. They cite two reasons for it. One, that Hager carried out a rogue and, quote, reckless investigation into fellow deputy Rick Engels. And two, that Hager made false statements about these findings to his superiors. But Hager's legal team argues that he's a whistleblower who was canned simply for exposing wrongdoing within the Sheriff's department between 2003 and 2015. There's a volley of filings, motions, and appeals, but the outcome of Hager's lawsuit against the sheriff's department is eye opening. Oh, yeah. See, this is. Holy moly.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Look at all of those documents. So we should just take up residence here?

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Oh, for sure. We're just gonna have to, like, read through all these things. During the lawsuit, the LASD is forced to turn over a massive amount of investigative files related to the Auge case. Hager's legal team uses this as evidence during the trial, and that makes them public records.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Do you know what the most beautiful word in the English language is?

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

No way.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Tape. Tape. Look at all those tapes.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

I know. There's a trove of recorded interviews that the Sheriff's department conducted in connection to Ajay's disappearance.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Ajay disappeared on June 11, Thursday at about 23:30 hours.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

This is a recording of Detective Joe Holmes, aka Joe Friday. He was handpicked to take over the Ajay case from Detective Larry Brandenburg.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

I don't want to pound myself in the chest, but just let you guys know I am a good investigator. I really am.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Holmes is talking to the LASD's internal affairs bureau. It's a key interview because the department uses Holmes statements to discredit Hager and the DEA task force.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

The basic belief is that RJ had stumbled across some methamphetamine lab during this run, and he was murdered. And Rick Ingalls, Tom Hinkle, and several other people were involved in it.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Remember, Brandenburg says that after he was taken off the case, he overheard his captain, Frank Merryman, tell Joe Holmes to, quote, take care of me on this. This being the Ajay case, Brandenburg presumes, but Holmes denies it.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Merriamy made that decision in, you know, the politics involved. He said, joe, you're gonna do it. Somebody on the outside who knows nothing about anything. Here it is.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Holmes is not exactly an outsider. He's had previous interactions with Deputy Bigfoot angles and meth dealer Tom Hinkle while investigating the bombing death of a woman near Hinkle's home. Nevertheless, Holmes gets the Ajay case, which means he gets first crack at Hinkle after the Silent Thunder agents bring him in.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

We asked him what he knows about Deputy Engels, his knowledge of the dispense of the deputy, the whole nine yards, you know, what do you know? And what he said is he doesn't know anything about. He doesn't even know Deputy Engels. He said he's heard of him, doesn't know him. He's heard of him. That's it.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Tom Hinkle tells Internal affairs the same Thing. But in his own colorful way, I.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Know jack about any of it. I don't have any idea.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

This IA interview is the only recording we have of Hinkle because Holmes says that his tape player malfunctioned during his interview. And great investigator that he is, Holmes didn't even write a report on it. So the department re interviews Hinkle. When Hinkle's asked about his connection to Deputy Engels, he says, I never heard.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Of Rick Ingles doing a jack shit.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

I gotta say, he sounds a lot like I imagined someone called Bearded Methoclaus would gravely voiced surly cussin like a sailor. When asked about Scary Jeff Sherry, his close associate who implied Hinkle was involved in Ajay's disappearance, Hinkle says, I don't know.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

God damn tramp. I don't know if Jeff Sherry told him is out of his head.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And that story from multiple informants about Hinkle saying Ajay stumbled on a meth lab and was taken care of.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

It's all a bag of shit.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

The man has a way with words. When asked if there's anything else he could share about Ajay, I wish the fuck there was. Hinkle agrees to take a lie detector test.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

I have no reason to fucking tell him. Bullshit.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

So Holmes calls in a polygrapher.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

I believe Hinkle gave him a polygraph plastered with fine colors. Let me tell you something. If Hinkle had any knowledge about criminal activity or foul play involved in the disappearance of Deputy Audrey, he would be spilling his guts all over his table. And if he did, I wish he would. But he doesn't. And I'm convinced of that.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And with that, Holmes clears Hinkle. He's still got to answer for the drug charges, but he's out of the Homicide Bureau's hot seat.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

When Hager hears the news, he feels totally deflated. Because to him, Hinkel's the LASD's best chance of solving Audrey's alleged murder. With the right amount of pressure, Hager thinks he could have gotten Tom Hinkle to roll on Ingalls. But now, after Holmes gives Hinkle a pass, Hager has no leverage.

[Darren Hager]

I looked him straight in the eyes and I said, tom, you got anything to say? He goes, no, don't know what you're talking about, because Joe Holmes had his back. The lead homicide investigator here had his back. He was good to go.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

What pissed me off was they come back, said, oh, yeah, knew nothing. And then they tell me he passed a polygraph.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

DEA Special Agent Kent Bailey was head of the Silent Thunder Task force and.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

I'm like, oh, I find that surprising, but all right. And then to find out from the LA County Sheriff's polygrapher that he goes, no, he didn't pass it, he failed it.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Detective Holmes lied to Agent Bailey. Hinkle did not pass the lie detector test, and yet Holmes cleared him anyway. Henkel's polygraph results aren't the problem per se because polygraphs aren't considered all that reliable. The dishonesty in question here involves Holmes. Why would he lie about Hinkel's test results for Bailey and Hager? It's just another indication that Holmes investigation is a total snow job. I'd think that Holmes wouldn't be so quick to send Hinkle on his way given the severity of the allegations against him. But as Holmes explains to Internal affairs, he never put stock into those claims in the first place.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

They have no factual basis for anything.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

It's all rooms and his mind is made up by the time he talks to Deputy Rick Engels. Listening to Holmes interview, we discover just how toothless his investigation was. I mean, Holmes didn't even bother to record his conversation with Angles.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

And I'm going to say why we didn't take record at this point in time. We didn't feel that he was a suspect in a case and we were not going to insult him to that degree.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Holmes didn't want to insult Engels. He didn't get a recording of his interview with Tom Hinkle either. But he assures the department he did his due diligence.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

We went through his phone records, financial record, we went through everything on it. There was nothing to suggest that Rick is guilty of anything.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Holmes says Angles is accounted for on the day of Ajay's disappearance.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Well, we established of that day, of that day his wife is getting her hair done. He was at home that day. He was at home.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Holmes seems to be arguing that Engels couldn't have murdered Ajay because Ingalls was at home that day while his wife was out getting her hair done. But if his wife's not home to vouch for Angles, that's not much of an alibi. Holmes lets him off the hook anyway.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

My gut feeling, I think that's a straight hard working cop. That's what I think he is. And if he's dirty, he's the best crook I ever dealt with in my life.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Informants and witnesses allege that Engels is able to get away with things by hiding behind his badge. In reviewing these court Exhibits, we can certainly see that at play here. Holmes says he's got a gut feeling that Angles is a straight, hard working cop and so he doesn't feel the need to scrutinize him. And he certainly doesn't want to tarnish his reputation.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

I said, you've got rumor in the innuendo. That's my opinion. And in fact I told them, I said, boy, you're gonna ruin a lot of guys careers.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Instead, the Sheriff's department ruins Darren Hager's. The LESD claims Hager conducted illegal searches and misrepresented what informants reported to him. But Bailey says he was the one who wrote the search warrants. The DEA vetted its informants and everything was done by the book.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Did anyone from the sheriff's department reach out about like, behavior on the case?

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Nobody from Internal affairs ever talked to me. I started thinking, wow, did I not brush my teeth? Did I not take a shower? I'm starting to feel no love here.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Bailey was shocked by how the Sheriff's department responded to the DEA's findings. Just trying to wash its hands of it.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

I don't think that they wanted that to be true.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

He says this is all happening in the wake of the Rampart scandal, one of the biggest police corruption scandals in American history. In the late 90s, 70 Los Angeles police Department officers were implicated in misconduct, drug dealing, planning, false evidence, bank robbing. And it brought the LAPD to its knees.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

So that was heavy in the news. I did. Now all of a sudden, that big scandal in the fucking lash, they were like, no way can we let this go up?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

The LA County Sheriff's Department was no less corrupt than the lapd. Captain Mike Bauer says they were just better at hiding their secrets.

[Darren Hager]

We were in competition to see who could be more corrupt than the other. I'd like to say LAPD won, but when I look back on it now, I think we bested them.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Hey, this is U.S. olympic gold medalist Tara Davis Woodhull. And I'm U.S. paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhull. As athletes, our lives are about having a clear path and a team that you can absolutely trust. So when it came to getting the best mortgage, we chose PennyMac. PennyMac is proud to be the official mortgage provider of Team USA.

[Darren Hager]

And you learn more at pennymac.com pennymac loan services LLC. Equal Housing Lender NMLS ID 35953 licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Conditions and restrictions may apply.

[Redfin Advertiser]

Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped forward foot in all from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script with listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app you can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it? That's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2,200 agents with local expertise and Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait. This could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com Now I'd like to introduce.

[Meaningful Beauty Advertiser]

You to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skincare simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types and it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the Amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that [e-mail].

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

I've reported on the LA County Sheriff's Department for years and the type of COVID up that Hager and his legal team allege in their lawsuit isn't unprecedented. The department has a long history of corruption and that history can offer some insight into the way the department handled the Auge case. So we're going to try to understand Hager's lawsuit within the broader context of the LASD's legal troubles.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

A stinging rebuke Today for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, a long investigation into drug money skimming culminated today in more than a dozen criminal indictments.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

In 1989, there was the Big Spender scandal, in which it was discovered that an elite drug unit at the LASD was embezzling and extorting money from narco traffickers.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

The deputies skimmed large amounts of seized drug money before turning it into the department. Then they allegedly divided it among themselves and bought boats, swimming pools, vacation homes.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And helicopter lessons, hence the name Big Spender.

[Darren Hager]

They discovered cash walled up behind deputies drywall in their houses. And they found scores of deputies involved in this.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Retired Captain Mike Bauer was stunned by his colleague's behavior. The scandal was exposed by then Sheriff Sherman Block, who invited the feds in to help investigate the dirty deputies.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Sherman Block is the sheriff of Los Angeles County. I think we had individuals who succumbed to temptation. I just can't accept that.

[Darren Hager]

The philosophy of Block and Big Spender was if we did something wrong, we're.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Going to admit it and we're going.

[Darren Hager]

To make it right. We're not going to hide it.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

But Sherman block died in 1998, the same year Ajay disappeared and there was a new sheriff in town, the notorious Lee Baca. Under him, Bauer says the LASD's philosophy changed to protect the department above all else.

[Darren Hager]

If the inside people are making political decisions and not professional law enforcement decision decisions, you get favoritism and you get corruption.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Baca was the Los Angeles county sheriff from 1998 until 2014, when he was pushed out and later jailed on federal corruption charges.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Former LA County Sheriff Lee Baca is now a convicted criminal.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Baca convicted on three federal charges. Obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements or lying.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Baca and nine of his deputies were sent to prison for their role in interfering with a federal investigation into LASD civil rights abuses. Baca was found guilty of witness tampering and threatening an FBI agent. But that was just a fraction of the misconduct under Baca. His reign saw the growing terror of deputy gangs. There's a different kind of gang problem.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

In Los Angeles County.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

The people meant to serve and protect a population of more than 9 million people, allegedly part of powerful gangs going back decades. These groups form within individual sheriff stations. They have menacing names like the Executioners and the Grim Reapers, and they're known for their violent beatings and killings. In other words, they're gangs that operate under the COVID of the sheriff's department.

[Darren Hager]

Now, if you rat out the gang.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

You'Re not Backing the blue.

[Darren Hager]

You're supposed to back the blue under any circumstance, like unconstitutional policing, fabricating evidence, falsifying search warrants, using excessive and unnecessary.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Force, and then covering it up.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

According to the Office of the Inspector General, crimes committed by deputy gangs have cost the county more than 55 million in settlement payouts. One of those lawsuits was filed against members of the Linwood Vikings, which included none other than Deputy Joe Holmes. It accuses Holmes and company of being in a neo Nazi deputy gang and committing acts of racial violence. It also accuses the department of helping to conceal their misconduct.

[Darren Hager]

So when you see somebody like Holmes handling somebody like rj, a missing deputy, and allegations of corruption by deputies in Antelope Valley, well, you have to say, well, why was it the Linwood Viking that got this case?

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Bauer has a theory that the department hand picked Holmes for the Audrey case because he owed him one.

[Darren Hager]

What Joe Holmes did, he did not do on his own.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And Bauer thinks that's why the Auge case shook out like it did, because the department had a lot of dirt on a lot of people, and that meant they were loyal to the LASD's cause. Self preservation.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Operation Silent Thunder documented allegations against Rick Angles, of course, but it also kicked up dirt on a number of other deputies. One guy was said to be a patched and active member of the Vagos biker gang. Another sold guns to the bikers. And when one deputy's home was raided, the task force discovered a counterfeit money operation. Bailey was there at the search and discovered something even more disturbing in the process.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

It was a toy baby that was, I recall, painted black, hung in a hangman's noose from the ceiling. And then right behind it, on the chest drawer, was his class photo of the LA Sheriff Department. Jesus.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

It's just. It's really like, very near as unbelievable. I mean, like, when you see all this and then you guys turn this information over to the Sheriff's Department or what happens next?

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

I made one document. It was a growing document, and I think it ended up being three to five pages of bullet statements, bullet point.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Statements, detailing all the potential misconduct the task force witnessed during Silent Thunder.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

And I left the Sheriff's Department to do their Internal affairs investigation. To my knowledge, they didn't do anything with him.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Bailey says that LASD Internal affairs never contacted him about the disturbing noose effigy or any of the other misconduct he handed over to them. But some Antelope Valley deputies had gotten word of Silent Thunder, and. And they try to get in front of any possible accusations by preemptively filing complaints against Darren Hager. The group includes six deputies and is led by Rick Engels. They say Hager has it out for them and is acting out of turn as an Internal affairs investigator.

[Darren Hager]

Yeah, we weren't investigating deputies, but it's in your lap. You know, if I catch a deputy doing something bad, I can't just say, don't worry about it. You know, they're not above the law. But in this case, everybody was above the law except for Darren Hager.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Instead of going after Rick Engels and his cohort, the department goes after Hager. He admits his record isn't sterling.

[Darren Hager]

Am I an angel? Absolutely not. I've done a lot of things wrong. But all these criminal allegations they threw against us, this is all stupid. Absolutely. If they were that bad, why wasn't I prosecuted? Why did they wait till the court case?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

In the early 90s, the LA Sheriff's Department was trying to put a lid on use of force incidents among its deputies.

[Darren Hager]

They came out with a list of 100 guys that was costing the county too much money on lawsuits and things like that.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Hager was on that list. He says it's because he had a high arrest record, that he used force when needed and that ultimately the department ruled he was justified in doing so.

[Darren Hager]

The use of force, it starts with protection of yourself. You don't have time to think. You do what you got to do. You do what you're trained to do, and you take him to jail.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

The department brought up other things from Hager's past. Allegations of drinking and driving, and that he injured a man while intoxicated. Hager says that yes, he did have a drinking problem and did accidentally run over a guy's foot while leaving a bar.

[Darren Hager]

Jack Daniels and I became really close friends and got me in a lot of trouble. Made me embarrassed.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

And there was an accusation by an ex girlfriend who also worked at the LASD that Hager sexually harassed and physically assaulted her. She filed a civil suit against Hager and the department, which was ultimately settled out of court. Hager denies the incidents alleged by his ex girlfriend. If they did happen, those would be fireable offenses in my book. So would excessive force incidents. But the department never went after Hager for those things. They went after him for documenting misconduct by his fellow officers.

[Darren Hager]

I had too much information. They had to get rid of the messenger.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

From the start. The LASD is clear on who they're targeting now.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Anything we talk about here, we have to tell Hager.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Okay, this is a lead investigator for the department's Internal Criminal Investigation Bureau. And he's talking to Hager's main informant, Keith, the catalyst for the whole Silent Thunder task force.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

And anytime who we work for, we work for the sheriff directly. Okay, that worked for the Mac himself.

[Darren Hager]

I can step on Hager like a little cockroach.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

I can step on Hager like a little cockroach. He tells Keith. We don't know if this LASD official was trying to intimidate the witness. But if I was Keith and I saw the department going after one of its own guys, I'd stay as far away from the situation as possible, because working as an informant is incredibly, incredibly dangerous, Especially without full backing from the department. The LASD says Hager presented a false theory of what happened to Ajay because some of his informants later recanted their stories. But how many informants are going to stay the course after the department makes it clear they've got Hager in their crosshairs?

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

It should shock the system in their own letter saying, we were proposing you for termination because you presented a false theory to LA Sheriff's management. Are you freaking kidding me?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Special Agent Kent Bailey.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

It's just like, what are you talking about? Their theories? Until you collect the evidence to confirm or deny. You know what? I'd argue Joe Olmes theory is fucking false.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

This is what Hager argues. And after fighting seven long years to prove his case, he finally gets his day in court. And he finally gets some answers from the person at the epicenter of the Auge case, Resident Deputy Rick Engels. When trial day comes, Angles will be dragged out of the shadows and into the fluorescent lights of the courtroom, where he'll be ordered to take the stand.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Hey, this is U.S. olympic gold medalist Tara Davis Woodhull. And I'm U.S. paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhull. As athletes, our lives are about having a clear path and a team that you can absolutely trust. So when it came to getting the best mortgage, we chose PennyMac. PennyMac is proud to be the official mortgage provider of Team USA.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

And you learn more at pennymac.com pennymac.

[Darren Hager]

Loan services, llc/housing lender nmls.id 35953 licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Conditions and restrictions may apply.

[Redfin Advertiser]

Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or. Or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. All from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app. You can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win. Not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait. This could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com Now I'd like to introduce.

[Meaningful Beauty Advertiser]

You to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types. And it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next shelf generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the Amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that available@meaningful beauty.com.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

So yeah, this is the list of everything that's going to be submitted as evidence in the case.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

489 exhibits.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Betsy and I are back at the courthouse looking at the list of exhibits presented during Hager vs LA County.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Are there tapes of Rick Ingalls?

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Let's see.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Oh, here we go. Ingalls IAB interview.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

So that would be.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Internal Affairs Bureau.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Okay. Okay, cool.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Over the years, Engels has been questioned numerous times by all sorts of lawyers and LASD personnel. Recordings of these interviews are entered as evidence in Hager's case in the lead up to his trial. Darren Hager and his lawyer review these tapes and find plenty of inconsistencies between the LASD's claims and the testimony of Deputy Rick Engels.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

State your full name, spell your last name, and state your employee number, please. Richard Augustus Engels. E N G E L S. This.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Is an Internal affairs interview with Engels in which they ask about his irregular behavior in another Pear blossom case.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Back on September 12, 2001, you got a signed a call of a vehicle fire in the Angeles Forest. Do you remember that? Yes, I do.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Okay, this car that was on fire. Turns out it was Rodney Katsifs, that unofficial investigator who helped connect Hager with a key witness and then suddenly went missing. Katsif reportedly had information tying Ingalls and Hinkle to the Audje disappearance. But before he gets a chance to share these details with Hager, his car is found burned out and abandoned. Well, it happened in Rick Engels jurisdiction. And when someone reported that the car was on fire, Engels was assigned to the call. But curiously, he chose not to respond because he says he heard from a neighbor that the car wasn't on fire anymore. Plus, it was the end of his shift and he didn't want the hassle.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

And I thought to myself, okay, fire's been put out. I'll get it tomorrow, man. It's under the highway. It's burned out goes it.

[Darren Hager]

Burned up?

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Yeah, burned up. And okay, no big deal.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

It seems strange that Engels would choose not to respond to a call involving a car on fire right near a national forest. Especially since it's his job to be Mr. Johnny on the spot. No big deal, Angle says. But what are the chances that he would be directly tied to another disappearance near the Punch Bowl? The LASD doesn't dig into Engel's explanation of why he was so slow to respond to Catseff's disappearance. In fact, the department doesn't seem to push back at all. Not even when Engels admits that Detective Holmes gave him a soft toss interview and leaked information to him about the Ajay case.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

By the time Joe got around to talking to me, he just flat told me, we know you didn't do this. In so many words, it was more like, you know, I'm your best witness.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

That doesn't sound like something a homicide investigator should be telling a suspect. Especially given that Holmes had only been working on the Ajay case for three weeks at this point. The detective also tells angles his phone was being monitored by Operation Silent Thunder. After hearing the news, Engels changes the message on his answering machine, seemingly to taunt authorities.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

The FBI has a tap on the phone. DEA is watching the home to leave a message at the tone and I'll call you back with a phone that's not my own.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Engels is yucking it up with the IA investigators over this voice message in which he's basically making light of the John Ajay case and thumbing his nose at the feds. There was the DEA investigating him during Operation Silent Thunder. And the FBI mention is a reference to a widespread rumor circulating at the time that the FBI was also looking into Ajay's disappearance. They won't confirm or deny that, of course, but when Angles is being interrogated by the sheriff's department, they don't ask about this voice message or, it seems, any of his questionable behavior, because their internal affairs investigation is pretty much a gimme. Hager's attorney, on the other hand, a guy named Rick Love takes a much harder line of questioning. During the trial.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

The attorneys make their opening statements. On September 13, 2011, about eight long years after Hager first filed a lawsuit against the department, his lawyer, Rick Love, argues that Hager was fired as payback for exposing wrongdoing. The department says the wrongdoing was fabricated by Hager. But Hager's got evidence to back up his claims, which Love wheels into the courtroom.

[Darren Hager]

I think we have 17 file boxes every day in court. And he hired a moving company every day to move them back and forth.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Over the two week trial. Love calls dozens of witnesses to the stand. So Brandenburg with a witness? Yep.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

We see some informants on here.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Get Kent Bailey from the dea, various staff from the Sheriff's department, Joe Holmes, the mother load. Okay, so Rick Angles was called to testify for six hours, and then there were two hours of cross examination. There aren't any tapes of the trial itself. So we're going to read from the transcripts. Haley will be reading the questions asked by Hager's attorney, Rick Love, and I'll read the part of Deputy Rick Angles. Yes, we know there are a lot of Ricks in this show, but we're going to do our best to help you keep him straight.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

You were familiar with the trails and terrain around Devil's Punch bowl, right?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Yes.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And didn't you think that your expertise would be useful in a search for a missing deputy?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

At this point, the county attorney objects shutting down Love's line of questioning. The defense tells the jury, we're not here to try to solve the mystery of why the deputy was disappearing. Nobody knows. The evidence has shown what happened to him. He may have committed suicide. He may be living in some other part of the world. He may have been murdered. We just don't know. It's interesting to see the county attorney acting kind of like a defense lawyer for Rick Engels, being like, any of these other things could have happened to John Auge. Let's just get off this whole murder tip.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Oh, yeah. They don't want to go anywhere near the Ajay case. They're trying to keep it focused on Darren Hager and Darren Hager alone.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

But the Ajay case comes up again and again, because what this trial is ultimately about is whether Hager should have been pursuing the informants claims about Deputy Engels. Remember, Detective Joe Holmes says that Engels had an alibi for when Ajay disappeared. He says Engels was at home while his wife was at the beauty salon. It's a detail that Hager's attorney questions Angles about.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Did you tell Detective Holmes that your wife had a beauty shop appointment on June 11, 1998?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

No, my wife never goes to the beauty shop. She's uglier than a mud fence. What is wrong with this man? Who says that?

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Nobody says that. I've never heard that saying before in my life.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

It's his, like, folksy way of dunking on his wife. Dude, why you gotta bring his wife in town? I mean, what's even more confusing, though, is that he's doing something that's so obviously against his own self interest. Yeah.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

He's undermining what Holmes said. When Holmes was to trying. Trying to give him an alibi.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

I'm just like, no, I didn't say that. Which is essentially saying, no, I didn't have an alibi, which makes no sense. So one of these guys, Angles or Holmes, has to be lying. And I don't think it's the guy who's volunteering information about his wife being ugly.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Mm.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Hager's attorney continues to dig into this supposed alibi.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Once Joe Holmes told you you were not working on June 11, 1998, were you able to figure out what you were in fact doing that day?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

No.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Did Joe Holmes ever review any phone records that you had?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

I don't know.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Did he ever come to your house? No. Did Joe Holmes ever ask to search your house?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

No.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Did he ever ask to review your phone records?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Nope.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Did you tell Joel Holmes that you were home on June 11, 1998?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

I don't remember what I was doing then. It's very strange to me that 12 years after Ajay's disappearance, Engels still doesn't know what he was doing that day. I mean, thought experiment you're accused of murdering someone on a certain day, you'd figure out what you were doing then, right?

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Yeah. You would rack your brain and go through your receipts and try and put together some sort of timeline of where you were.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

And Engels is just like, I don't know.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

It's almost like he's bragging about how little effort the Sheriff's department put into their investigation.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

But Hager's attorney doesn't let Engels off so easily. He tees up Engels for his coup de grace. He presses him about why the Sheriff's department dismissed information from numerous informants.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Council asked you about this tweaker talk. It's not different than any other social group, is it? Where people get together and talk about things?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

It's very different.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And it's different because they're criminals? No, because they do drugs.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

They do drugs, they steal. If you ever had anyone come and tell you that they've seen a giant snake that's 60ft long and about 5ft around slithering across the desert in the buttes, that was a rumor that was going around in the tweaking community at one time. It's a little bit different than water cooler talk.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Deputy Engels, you saw Bigfoot, didn't you?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

I did. I believe it was.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And you reported a Bigfoot sighting to the Antelope Valley Sheriff's Department?

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

I did.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Were you a tweaker?

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

No.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

This courtroom scene distills for me what so much of this story is about. We have these two competing versions of reality.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Yeah.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Several informants come forward, say this is what happened, John Ajay was murdered, and they're automatically dismissed because of their history of drug use. On the other hand, we have Engels, and he's like, nope, didn't happen. And he's automatically given credible narrator status.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Totally.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Because he's a deputy in the LA County Sheriff's Department. Yeah.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

I mean, it's really like Engels is just getting a carte blanche get out of jail free card.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Literally. The LASD would have final say on all this if it weren't for the fact that Hager puts that whole line of reasoning on trial. Hager's lawyer, in his closing argument, says Darren Hager should still be a deputy sheriff. And Darren Hager is not a deputy sheriff because he did his job, he did as he was ordered, and he did it in a context of a sheriff's department that did not want to hear what they were being told, would not confront the issues they were being told, and instead decided to cover up and bury the entire issue. And the issue, ladies and gentlemen, is very simply corruption within the sheriff's department.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Darren Hager has been waiting a long time for this moment to tell his side of the story. He wants to be vindicated, to show that he was fired for doing the right thing. And for Hager, there's a lot riding on the outcome of the trial because the disgrace of the being fired followed him around like a dark cloud. Hager had tried to start again. He looked for jobs in security and private investigation.

[Darren Hager]

It's hard to get a job when you say, yeah, I just got fired because they said I was lying on all my police reports. A lot of those jobs just went nowhere. It was a dead end. As soon as I went through my.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Interview, nothing panned out. He filed for bankruptcy and didn't know how he was going to support his family. On top of everything, Hager was shunned and isolated. And the one friend he had held onto, Homicide detective Larry Brandenburg, that relationship would go south too.

[Darren Hager]

Him and I went into the Buffalo business together and that you never do business with friends.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

The two argued over finances and workloads and ultimately had a falling out that led to the dissolution of the company.

[Darren Hager]

We didn't see eye to eye, and I have nothing against Larry about what he did or what he didn't do. He had some things against me because I didn't put in the money that he did since I was fired and everything like that. So he was pretty upset with me and he just split and that was the end of that.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

After years of emotional turmoil and being put through the legal wringer, Hager is ready to put this chapter of life behind him.

[Darren Hager]

So you had to start from step one, and that's what I did. And the same time as fighting the case in court for years and years.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

And years, and now the time has finally come for the case to be decided. After two days of deliberation, the jury files back into the courtroom. Hager and his lawyer, Rick Love, brace for their judgment.

[Darren Hager]

I remember when the jury read the.

[Interviewee / Investigator (Kent Bailey or similar law enforcement figure)]

Verdict.

[Darren Hager]

Rick gives me the big hug and everything. And he goes, congratulations.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

Hager wins his suit, and the court awards him $4.5 million in damages.

[Darren Hager]

The one guy the foreman ordered me, he goes, I hope this will help you get your life back in order. And I go, thank you for seeing our side of the story. And Rick and I went out and had one beer after the court, and then that was it. And I went back to the hotel. I called my ex wife to tell her I think My son's gonna be all right. That's all I remember and left it at that.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

The county of LA later appeals the court's decision and Hager's payout is cut in half. The money he does get quickly dissipates between lawyer fees and living expenses. But Hager says it was never about the money. He accomplished what he set out to to prove that he was fired for doing his job. A job that towards the end included putting away some of the Antelope Valley's heavy hitting meth suppliers. Tom Hinkle was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to almost five years in 20 prison. And then there was outlaw biker Big Rick, the guy who allegedly bragged about killing Ajay in the Punch bowl and then showed a woman where the deputy had been buried. Big Rick was charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute meth and sentenced to 11 years in prison. After that, Hager took the LA County Sheriff's Department to task and slayed his Goliath.

[Darren Hager]

They lost the battle, but not really sure if they won the war yet or not.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

That's because the Sheriff's Department is still sitting on the Ajay case. They allow Deputy Angles to continue on as the resident deputy of Pear Blossom while Hager continues to be haunted by the whole ordeal.

[Darren Hager]

I won't forget about till the day I die, until my brain's not working anymore. I kick myself in the ass for it all the time because I think I could have solved it. At least John would have had maybe a burial or a closed case.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

We thought this was where the story was going to end. But then we discovered that back in 2006, something happened that seems to validate Hager and Brandenburg's investigation into Rick Angles. A young woman and her father were shot inside Deputy Angle's home with Deputy Angle's gun. It was a horrific scene. But most shocking of all, these suspicious deaths were quickly ruled suicides. And just like in the Ajay case, the LA County Sheriff's Department tried to bury the matter. But a long overdue reconciliation between two former buffalo farmers might help expose why so many suspicious deaths have piled up in the Devil's Punch bowl area.

[Darren Hager]

So with all the stink about Ingalls, wouldn't you think, you know what? This guy, if he did this, he is a stone cold blooded killer.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

That's next time on the final episode of Valley of Shadows.

[Co-host / Reporter (Haley Fox)]

If you have any information or tips related to the disappearance of John auge, please call 213-262-988. 9 or email shadowsoushkin FM Valley of Shadows is reported, written and produced by us, Haley Fox and Betsy Shepard. Our editor is Diane Hodson. Our executive producers are Jacob Smith and Alexandra Garriton. Original music by Jake Gorski, Ray Lynch, Mike Jersich and Hayden Gardner Sound design by Jake Gorski fact checking by Annika Robbins Additional production support by Sonya Gerwitt and our show art was designed by Sean Carney and Betsy Shepherd. Special thanks to Nick White for Show Art Photography. Valley of Shadows is a production of Pushkin Industries. To find more Pushkin podcasts, listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts from. Type 2 fun. We're Hailey and Betsy. See you next.

[Narrator / Host (Betsy Shepard)]

Subscribe to Pushkin plus to hear the entire season of Valley of Shadows ad free starting January 12th. You'll also get bonus episodes, full audiobooks and early ad free listening from your favorite Pushkin hosts and authors. Find Pushkin plus on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin FM plus. Thanks for your support.

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