'Walking Tall' Sheriff Buford Pusser implicated in wife Pauline's 1967 death Sarah Best, Jackson Sun August 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM Former McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser the focus of the 1973 cult film "Walking Tall" and several sequels and remakes is believed to have been responsible for his wif...
- - 'Walking Tall' Sheriff Buford Pusser implicated in wife Pauline's 1967 death
Sarah Best, Jackson Sun August 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Former McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser - the focus of the 1973 cult film "Walking Tall" and several sequels and remakes - is believed to have been responsible for his wife Pauline Pusser's death, authorities in Tennessee announced Aug. 29.
Mark Davidson, District Attorney for the 25th Judicial District, pointed to inconsistencies in Pusser's account and said that the famous sheriff, who died in 1974 at the age of 36, would likely face indictment if her were alive today. Decades after Pauline Pusser was buried, her body was exhumed in February 2024 by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in an effort to determine how she died. No previous autopsy was done.
Davidson said Pauline was slain in hat he described as "an act of intimate, deliberate violence" and that Buford Pusser was responsible.
"Justice for Pauline has been a long time coming," Davidson said.
The Pussers have been the subject of books, movies and websites, including "Walking Tall" (which starred Joe Don Baker in 1973, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in 2004). Buford Pusser, the McNairy County Sheriff, became a legend in the aftermath of the 1973 film which showed him as a sympathetic southern lawman trying to clean up corruption.
In a press conference held at the University of Tennessee at Martin campus in Somerville on Aug. 29, TBI and various officials gathered before local law enforcement officials from neighboring counties to discuss findings of the more than 1,000-page case file.
On Aug. 12, 1967, Pusser said he was answering a disturbance call south of Selmer, Tennessee. The story in popular culture was that Pusser took his 33-year-old wife with him, and they were ambushed. Pusser said Pauline was shot and wounded, then the couple was ambushed again and she was shot and killed about three miles from the Mississippi border. Buford said he was inside the car when he was shot in the jaw in the second ambush.
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Mark Davidson, District Attorney General of the 25th Judicial District, speaks during a press conference on the Pauline Pusser murder case inside UTM Somerville in Somerville, Tenn., on Friday, August. 29, 2025.New analysis of evidence
"The events did not occur as stated by Buford Pusser, and . . . Pauline Pusser was more likely than not, shot outside the vehicle and then placed inside the vehicle," Davidson said. "The blood spatter on the hood outside of the vehicle contradicts Buford Pusser's statements."
Davidson added that the gunshot wound to Buford's cheek was likely self-inflicted at close range, as opposed to long range, as Buford reported. Blood stain patterns point to someone being injured both in and out of the car.
"Ballistics expert Dr. Eric Warren states in his report that the physical evidence in the case does not support Buford Pusser's version of events and instead is indicative of a staged crime scene," Davidson said. "The autopsy of Pauline revealed a healing prior to death of a nasal fracture on the right side of her nose, most commonly caused by interpersonal trauma."
Davidson added that if Buford Pusser were alive today, probable cause based on sufficient evidence would lead to a request for his indictment from a McNairy County Grand Jury for his role in Pauline's murder.
History of Pauline and Buford Pusser
On August 12, 1967, Pauline voluntarily accompanied her husband on a disturbance call in the early morning hours. Based on Buford's statement, a car drove alongside theirs while the couple drove down New Hope Road.
Bullets from the other vehicle flooded the side of the Pusser vehicle, striking Pauline in the head, previous accounts say. She succumbed to her injuries, while Buford was shot in the face and spent nearly three weeks in the hospital recovering.
A photographof the location of the Pauline Pusser ambush site shown during a press conference on the Pauline Pusser murder case inside UTM Somerville in Somerville, Tenn., on Friday, August. 29, 2025.
Buford said the attack was executed by unknown assailants, who were never charged or prosecuted, in what he said was an ambush intended for him.
The ambush led to the production of the 1973 film "Walking Tall," along with several sequels, series, and books, largely based on Buford's account of events from that Aug. 12 morning.
What prompted law enforcement to revisit Pauline's death?
TBI Director David Rausch shared that a concerted effort by the agency to revisit cold cases, Pauline's included, began in 2022.
"The case, built largely on Buford's own statement, closed quickly — perhaps too quickly," Rausch said.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation David Rausch speaks during a press conference on the Pauline Pusser murder case inside UTM Somerville in Somerville, Tenn., on Friday, August. 29, 2025.
He noted that the agency received a tip in spring 2023 concerning a possible murder weapon, which propelled TBI's investigation.
Rausch concluded by citing five key takeaways from the investigation: the significant inconsistencies in Buford Pusser's story, recent statements provided by individuals associated with the case, Pauline Pusser's autopsy findings, evidence examined by TBI, and conclusions made by experts external to TBI.
Pauline Pusser's family speaks out
In a video played after the speaker's remarks, Pauline's younger brother, Griffon Mullins, spoke to his sister's character and what the new developments mean for his journey of seeking closure.
"She was the most caring, personable person that you would ever want to meet," Mullins said. "You would fall in love with her. She was a people person, and of course, my family would always go to Pauline if they had an issue or they needed some advice, and she was always there for them. She was just a sweet person, and I loved her with all my heart, and I've missed her horribly this last 57 years.
"Lord knows I've missed her."
Griffon Mullins, brother of Pauline Pusser, speaks in a video taped message during a press conference on the Pauline Pusser murder case inside UTM Somerville in Somerville, Tenn., on Friday, August. 29, 2025.
Mullins added he was devastated to learn of the new developments, but says he wasn't completely surprised by the findings.
"She didn't tell me a whole lot, she was not the type of person to tell you her problems, but I knew, deep down, there was problems in her marriage," Mullins said. "To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not totally shocked."
Mullins concluded by noting that he thanks God for the newfound sense of closure.
Law enforcement encourages public review of the case
Both Rausch and Davidson encourage the public to review the case file in its entirety for themselves and draw their own conclusions.
Chancellor of UT-Martin Yancy Freeman speaks during a press conference on the Pauline Pusser murder case inside UTM Somerville in Somerville, Tenn., on Friday, August. 29, 2025.
"This is a rare step, but it's one that we support," Rauch said. "It provides more transparency and demonstrates the exhaustive nature of our work in an extremely controversial and historic case."
Rauch added that TBI is nearly complete with its redactions and will soon transfer the case over to the University of Tennessee at Martin
University of Tennessee at Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman said the institution possessing the case file will allow students to study and review the file as a primary resource.
"For UT Martin, accepting the collection is an act of service aligning with our mission to engage, educate, and preserve the stories that shape the communities we serve," Freeman said.
"This case file will support not only criminal justice students, but also scholars in communications, history, sociology and law. It offers rare access to primary resources that can inspire new research, publications, and conversations around justice and transparency."
Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Buford Pusser responsible for wife's 1967 death, investigators say
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