Buried in the Backyard is an intense true-crime series on Oxygen that covers horrifying cases in which victims are found buried in unsuspecting locations, including backyards, deserts, or woods. The series blends investigative reporting, reenactments, and first-person stories to uncover the secrets behind these shocking finds. Season 6 resumes on July 26, 2025, with Episode 3, City of Silence, at 8/7c on Oxygen.This episode examines the 2020 killing of Juan Carlos Hernandez, a 21-year-old Los Angeles college student whose body turned up in the Mojave Desert after he disappeared from an off-the-books marijuana dispensary. Fans can stream Buried in the Backyard on Oxygen or view it the following day on Peacock.The story behind Buried in the Backyard: City of SilenceBuried in the Backyard (Image via Unsplash/ @ Grav)The Juan Carlos Hernandez case, featured in the Buried in the Backyard episode 3, City of Silence, which airs on July 26, 2025, with Episode 3, at 8/7c on Oxygen, is a tragic tale of a young life cut short in Los Angeles, California. In September 2020, Hernandez, a 21-year-old engineering student at El Camino College, disappeared after a shift at an illegal marijuana dispensary, as per the LA Times.His body was later found buried in the Mojave Desert, leading to a complex investigation that uncovered a web of deceit involving coworkers and a deleted security video, as per KFI. The case, which shocked the community, highlighted the dangers of unregulated businesses and the determination of a grieving family seeking justice.Juan Hernandez’s disappearanceBuried in the Backyard (Image via Unsplash/ @ LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR)Juan Carlos Hernandez was a dedicated student with dreams of transferring to USC. On September 22, 2020, he went to work at VIP Collective LA, an illegal dispensary in South Los Angeles, and texted his mother, Yajaira, that he would be home soon. He never returned, and his phone went offline, raising immediate concern, as per the LA Times.Two days later, his 2020 Honda Civic was found running in a high-crime area near Figueroa and 64th Street, undamaged but abandoned. Yajaira filed a missing person’s report with the LAPD, which initially considered Hernandez a possible runaway. However, his reliability and close family ties prompted a deeper investigation by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, with FBI assistance, as per the LA Times.Yajaira’s tireless efforts, including distributing thousands of flyers and organizing community searches, kept the case in the public eye, despite cruel extortion attempts by opportunists unrelated to the crime. The mysterious circumstances of his disappearance pointed to foul play, setting the stage for a broader investigation, as per the LA Times.Investigation and discovery View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe investigation took a grim turn when Juan’s remains were found on November 15, 2020, in a shallow grave in the Mojave Desert, east of Interstate 15. A volunteer and cadaver dog located the site during a search coordinated by the LAPD, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, and FBI, as per Oxygen.Detectives uncovered deleted surveillance footage from the dispensary, recovered by a Glendale Police Department expert, showing Hernandez being attacked by coworkers. The footage revealed Ethan Astaphan, the dispensary manager, restraining Hernandez while Weijia Peng, the owner, allegedly injected him with a lethal dose of ketamine, as per KFI.The perpetrators then transported his body to the desert in an SUV driven by Peng’s girlfriend, Sonita Heng. Cell phone data confirmed their route. This breakthrough shifted the case from a missing person’s inquiry to a homicide investigation, exposing the violent events that occurred at the dispensary on the night Hernandez vanished, as per KFI.Legal proceedings of the caseBuried in the Backyard (Image via Unsplash/ @ Tingey Injury Law Firm)In 2020, Ethan Astaphan and Sonita Heng were arrested. Astaphan faced a murder charge with a potential 25 years-to-life sentence, while Heng was charged as an accessory, facing up to three years. Both pleaded not guilty. Weijia Peng fled to Turkey but was extradited in 2022 to face murder charges, as per The Union.The trial faced delays, including a postponement in 2021 due to Astaphan’s COVID-19 quarantine. Heng accepted a plea deal to testify against Astaphan and Peng, potentially receiving a 112-day sentence, as per the LA Times. In February 2024, a Los Angeles jury convicted Astaphan and Peng of first-degree murder after brief deliberation, with Peng’s use of a syringe noted as a deadly weapon.On April 25, 2024, Weija Heng was sentenced to life imprisonment, and Ethan Astaphan received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison, as per The Union. The case’s resolution brought some closure to Hernandez’s family, though the motive remains unclear, possibly tied to workplace disputes at the illegal dispensary.Watch Buried in the Backyard season 6 episode 3, City of Silence, on Oxygen.