Case Details
- Photo URLs:
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- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 06/11/1998
- Missing From:
- Missing From Angeles National Forest, California
- Classification:
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Gender:
- Male
- Race:
- Race White
- Date of Birth:
- Date of Birth 10/12/1959 (65)
- Age:
- Age 38 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 6’0, 165 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A light-colored t-shirt, olive green shorts with pockets, black crew socks, hiking boots, a Casio running watch, a blue and white or green and white baseball cap, and black sunglasses with oval frames. Carrying a forest-green Jansport day pack.
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Aujay’s nicknames are Jon and O.J. He has a United States Army eagle emblem tattooed on his upper left arm and the word “SEB” inside a triangle tattooed on his upper right arm.
- Details of Disappearance:
- On June 11, 1998, Aujay, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy with 15 years on the force, went for a hike in Devil’s Punchbowl, a remote area in the Angeles National Forest. He was a very fit and experienced hiker and runner, even completing several ultramarathons. He told a group of schoolchildren he’d be hiking to the summit of Mount Baden-Powell and back by sunset.
Several people saw someone matching his description heading towards the mountain that day. The last confirmed sighting was around 6:00 PM, near the parking lot. Shortly after, nearby residents heard a gunshot.
Aujay never came home. His wife reported him missing at 11:00 PM, and a massive search involving helicopters, search dogs, and many people turned up nothing but some footprints in the snow near Mount Baden-Powell. The search ended after a week.
Before he disappeared, Aujay had mentioned wanting a divorce and moving to the mountains. Police even looked into a nearby drug operation (Operation Silent Thunder) for possible connections, but found nothing. To this day, his disappearance remains a mystery.
- Agency:
- Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 323-890-5500
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 06/11/1998