Valley of Shadows is a new Pushkin true crime podcast that digs into a nearly 30-year old secret buried in the California desert. On June 11, 1998, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in California’s Devil’s Punchbowl park...and never came back. Nearly 30 years later, the mystery surrounding his disappearance has only deepened. Some say Aujay is just another missing hiker, claimed by the inhospitable landscape of the Southern California desert. Some say he took his own life out there. But there’s another theory that many of Aujay’s friends and LASD colleagues are convinced is true—that he was the victim of foul play, and that his own department is covering it up. Through exclusive interviews, revealing wiretaps, and buried police files, investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd uncover vestiges of the Wild West in a small California town, where outlaw biker gangs crank out methamphetamine and local cops operate on both sides of the law.

(00:01:04) Find Valley of Shadows wherever you get podcasts. Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus.

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Jake sits down with his Season 6 co-host Jess McHugh at WBUR CitySpace for a live conversation. They discuss the value of trust, share some never-before-heard tape, and give an update on what’s happened with Sarah since our season ended.

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Jake sits down with Snowball creator Ollie Wards to discuss how a family mystery became an international hit. They trace Ollie’s journey from the first recorded conversation with his dad – recorded under a hotel duvet – to the heart-pounding moment he found himself face-to-face with the con artist herself: Lezlie Manukian.

Along the way, they touch on the challenges of reporting on family, the psychology of scammers and their victims, and the strange kind of closure that comes when truth is messier than justice.

Listen to Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he been
charmed just like everyone else in this story?

Lezlie left promising Ollie she would meet for a proper interview the next day. Will she turn up... or
leave him and his family hanging?

More details come to life about the consequences of Lezlie's reckless lifestyle and how little she has
prospered. Ollie asks himself if he should be feeling sorry for her.

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Ollie and Simon have criss-crossed California to find themselves parked in their American muscle car
staking out exits from a supermarket they think Lezlie works in. They may only have one shot to talk to
her and finally get some answers.

In preparation, Ollie speaks with psychologist and professional poker player Maria Konnikova, who tells him the real meaning of the term "con artist". Her most potent tip is to beware the charm offensive...and be prepared to use it in return.

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Ollie and Simon follow the trail of broken dreams and failed restaurants to Paso Robles, California. Ollie discovers his former sister-in-law has manufactured an image of a successful restauranteur in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and New Zealand. Her exotic CV and exciting stories pull a new family into her web... with disastrous consequences.

Finally, they get a tip-off that might lead them directly to Lezlie. Her lies may be about to catch up to
her.

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Ollie turns to Lezlie's emails for clues of her whereabouts. Here, he uncovers a bizarre story involving a book deal, a ghost writer and a famous actress. Could this web of lies reveal Lezlie's motivations as a scammer? Ollie and Simon then take a flight to California and hit the road. When the trail runs cold, they decide to chase down a lead at Lezlie's first restaurant in the resort town of Lake Tahoe.

If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents: Snowball early and ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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The stories Lezlie Manukian has told people about her time in Hawaii usually end with murderous local mobsters running her off the island. But this is also coming from the tall tale telling Californian trickster we've heard can even swindle a bank. When Lezlie left New Zealand, never to be seen again, it seemed like the only way for Greg Wards to understand who he really married was to ask the Hawaiian police what really happened.

If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents: Snowball early and ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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What looks like a dream marriage for Ollie Wards' brother Greg soon morphs into a nightmare. With the whole family drawn into the mess, his parents go from a comfortable retirement to being homeless and squatting in the basement at his Aunty's house.

Even though she was on a tourist visa in New Zealand, Greg's American wife had secured a massive loan from the country's state-owned bank. After she flies off, never to be seen again, a box of documents from the bank transaction surfaces.

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Ollie Wards was MC at his brother's wedding. "It was a fun party," he recalls, "kind of rowdy. But inside I had a sense of unease. I couldn't explain it." He ignored the feeling. Greg met his bride while backpacking in London. He was in his twenties and partying hard. But he always had his eye on America. He loved everything to do with the place. So, when he met a dark-haired, older, well-travelled, fast-talking Californian woman named Lezlie Manukian he says he was 'a sitting duck'.

If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents: Snowball early and ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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