Pushkin Industries has released Valley of Shadows, an eight-episode investigative podcast in which journalists Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd examine the Aujay case — a mystery surrounding a missing deputy sheriff and the internal police files the sheriff's department has allegedly worked to keep hidden from the public.
At the heart of Valley of Shadows lies the question of what really happened to a deputy sheriff who vanished under circumstances that authorities have refused to explain publicly. Over the course of several years, Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd assembled documentation that, according to the podcast, points to a systematic withholding of information by the sheriff's department.
The series promises listeners a rare look inside the internal power structures of American law enforcement — a theme that speaks directly to a growing international interest in police accountability. For fans of investigative true crime podcast, the premise will feel familiar: one case, many layers, and institutions fighting to keep the truth buried. But Valley of Shadows sets itself apart by drawing on actual wiretap recordings — audio that typically remains sealed for decades.
The most striking element of the series is its use of exclusive wiretap recordings obtained by the editorial team. Wiretaps from criminal investigations are rarely available to the public and often require lengthy legal battles to release. That Fox and Shepherd secured these recordings signals a level of journalistic commitment comparable to Serial podcast true crime and In the Dark — the two series Pushkin itself points to as reference points for the new production.
Buried police archives form the second pillar of the evidence. Documents that never reached the public, internal reports, and correspondence collectively paint a picture of what the reporters describe as a systematic cover-up within the sheriff's department.
The two reporters behind the series are both seasoned investigative journalists. Their approach combines traditional long-form investigative reporting with the particular strengths of the audio format: real-time interviews, authentic voices, and the narrative momentum that has made the true crime podcast one of the most popular media formats in the world.
Pushkin Industries, previously known for true crime Pushkin Industries Malcolm Gladwell, has a track record of producing journalistically ambitious audio with broad international reach. With Valley of Shadows, the network continues in that tradition.
With eight episodes, Valley of Shadows has the room to develop the case in depth without cutting corners. The format sets up a season-long arc in which evidence is presented gradually and listeners follow the investigation as it unfolds — precisely the model that made Serial a cultural phenomenon in 2014 and has defined the genre ever since.
For true crime listeners accustomed to American true crime podcast, the series offers dense research, primary sources, and a system-critical perspective that reaches beyond the individual crime to examine the institutions surrounding it.
Valley of Shadows is available through Pushkin Industries at pushkin.fm.
Get an email when a new episode of Pushkin Podcast Uncovers Buried Police Files in Aujay Case is released.