{"podcast":{"title":"Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations","slug":"dakota-spotlight-true-crime-cold-case-investigations-783746","podcast_index_feed_id":783746,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/EELCL3827885072","website_url":"https://dakotaspotlight.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/fb86126c-acc6-11ee-84aa-875b938fd05e/image/5ced801af181d641452bb88f25be3806.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"James Wolner","episode_count":240,"summary":"Dakota Spotlight is a true crime series investigating unsolved murders, cold cases, and missing persons in North Dakota and the Midwest. Hosted by investigative journalist James Wolner, each season takes a deep dive into one case, from rural crime and small town murders to decades-old disappearances. Through meticulous research, exclusive interviews, and on-the-ground reporting, Dakota Spotlight brings forgotten crimes back into the public eye and gives voice to victims and their families. Alongside full investigative seasons, the show also features shorter standalone episodes that explore individual mysteries in a single sitting. If you are drawn to investigative journalism, small town true crime, and real crime stories based on actual events, Dakota Spotlight offers gripping and respectful storytelling you will not forget.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-09T20:20:46.624356+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/dakota-spotlight-true-crime-cold-case-investigations-783746"},"episode":{"title":"More Than a Missing Hiker - Talking Valley of Shadows with Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd","slug":"more-than-a-missing-hiker-talking-valley-of-shadows-with-hayley-fox-and-betsy-shepherd","published_at":"2026-04-23T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/dakota-spotlight-true-crime-cold-case-investigations-783746/more-than-a-missing-hiker-talking-valley-of-shadows-with-hayley-fox-and-betsy-shepherd","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/dakota-spotlight-true-crime-cold-case-investigations-783746","url":"https://dakotaspotlight.com/","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/pdcn.co/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/GShUDppPATUMmMhYllkv/traffic.megaphone.fm/EAISI3721587409.mp3?updated=1776371588","summary":"James is joined by Dakota Spotlight researcher Mari Zoerb Hansen for a conversation with investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd about the making of Valley of Shadows, their deep dive into the disappearance of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Jon Aujay. It’s a discussion about reporting, persistence, and what happens when a case refuses to stay buried. Following the interview, you’ll hear Episode 1 of the series. Listen to Valley of Shadows: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/valley-of-shadows About Valley of Shadows: How the search for a missing deputy uncovered the Mojave Desert's meth epidemic, the outlaw bikers supplying it, and the corrupt police force covering it up. On June 11, 1998, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in California’s Devil’s Punchbowl park. A long-distance runner and former military, Aujay felt at home in the rocky terrain, but when he didn’t return home by nightfall, his wife reported him missing. Nearly 30 years later, Aujay has yet to be found and 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 dig into what the sheriff’s department has kept hidden all these years. Told over 8 episodes, Valley of Shadows follows the hairpin turns of the Aujay case, and breaks new ground in the search to uncover what really happened t…","meta_description":"James is joined by Dakota Spotlight researcher Mari Zoerb Hansen for a conversation with investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd about the m…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4365,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/dakota-spotlight-true-crime-cold-case-investigations-783746/episodes/more-than-a-missing-hiker-talking-valley-of-shadows-with-hayley-fox-and-betsy-shepherd/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/dakota-spotlight-true-crime-cold-case-investigations-783746/more-than-a-missing-hiker-talking-valley-of-shadows-with-hayley-fox-and-betsy-shepherd.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}