For decades, Sheriff Buford Pusser of McNairy County, Tennessee, was celebrated as a fearless lawman who inspired the Walking Tall films. His story was framed as one of courage and justice, centered around a 1967 ambush in which his wife, Pauline Mullins Pusser, was believed to have been killed by organized crime figures. Now, new findings suggest a very different version of events.
According to investigators, recent evidence points to Pusser himself as the person responsible for Pauline’s death. A cold case review revealed inconsistencies in his account, forensic clues that contradict the original story, and signs that the supposed ambush was staged. Authorities now believe Pauline was killed outside the car and later placed inside, while the wound to Pusser’s face may have been self-inflicted to support his version of events.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and local prosecutors reopened the case in 2022, leading to the exhumation of Pauline’s body. A modern autopsy exposed details that did not match the sheriff’s account, including signs of injuries inconsistent with the official report at the time. District Attorney Mark Davidson confirmed that, had Pusser still been alive, prosecutors would have sought an indictment.
This revelation overturns decades of storytelling that turned Pusser into a folk hero. His battle against crime was immortalized in film, celebrated in local festivals, and honored at a dedicated museum. Now, the narrative is clouded by questions of truth, mythmaking, and justice delayed.
For Pauline Pusser’s family, the findings offer a measure of long-awaited clarity. While the legend of Buford Pusser may endure in popular culture, the investigation serves as a reminder that history must be revisited when evidence points to new truths—even if it reshapes long-held beliefs about heroes and villains.