Listen to the Generation Why Podcast Episode on the case here-

The Ambush of Pauline Pusser

Buford Hayse Pusser was born in Finger, McNairy County, Tennessee, in 1937.
From 1964 to 1970, Pusser was the sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee. McNairy is a rural county of mainly farmland and hills, with a population of less than 25,000, and is located along the Mississippi border.

Buford's father before him was also in law enforcement and served as the police chief of Adamsville. At 6 ft 6 inches, Buford was a natural athlete and played multiple sports in school, and after graduating he went on to join the U.S. Marine Corps, although he was later medically discharged. He didn’t leave his love for sports behind, and in the late 1950s he relocated to Chicago, where he was a wrestler under the moniker “Buford the Bull.”

He was married a couple of years later to a woman named Pauline Mullins and returned to Tennessee. Soon after, despite being just 25 years old, he was elected to step into the role of the police chief of Adamsville, just like his father.

It didn’t take long before Pusser found himself in the role of the sheriff of McNairy County, and newspapers at the time praised Pusser’s fight against crime as he attempted to tackle gambling, prostitution, and organized crime, despite the threats made against him.

In 1969, The Tennessean reported that Pusser had been threatened by his enemies, who allegedly said they would burn down his home, take his children to the swamps, and kill Pusser and his father and “display their bodies in Selmer’s town square.”

His enemies included the State Line Mob, a criminal network that operated around the Mississippi–Tennessee state line throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
They were involved in crimes including gambling, prostitution, robberies, and murder. The threats toward Pusser reportedly came after he attempted to shut down their operations in his county.

He was also on the bad side of the Dixie Mafia, a criminal network that spanned much of the southeastern United States during the 1960s.
Individuals involved in bootlegging and other forms of organized crime were among those who had grievances with Sheriff Pusser.

On the night of August 12, 1967, tragedy struck when Buford Pusser’s wife, Pauline, was shot and killed.
That day, Buford Pusser said that he received a call regarding a disturbance in McNairy County and prepared to respond. He claimed Pauline said she wanted to join him.

He and his wife were driving along New Hope Road; a rural road that runs along the state line, when another vehicle began driving parallel to them.
According to Pusser, the person or persons in the other vehicle opened fire, and Pauline was shot and killed. Pusser himself was struck in the jaw and spent approximately two and a half weeks in hospital undergoing multiple reconstructive surgeries.

No autopsy was performed on Pauline’s body, and no suspects were identified. The case ultimately went cold.

In 2022, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reopened the file as part of a broader initiative to review unsolved cold cases using modern investigative methods.

In 2023, tips began to emerge, including information related to a possible murder weapon.

In 2024, Pauline’s body was exhumed from Adamsville Cemetery, and an autopsy was performed for the first time in nearly sixty years. The autopsy provided new insight into the injuries she had sustained and raised additional questions.

According to WBBJ Eyewitness News, who shared investigative files in October 2025, the investigation led agents to meet with Tami Johnson and Theresa Smith in late 2024.

Johnson’s mother and Smith’s aunt reportedly claimed to have overheard Buford and Pauline Pusser arguing in the parking lot of a grill restaurant in Guys, Tennessee, on the day Pauline was killed.

According to Johnson, her mother said she overheard the couple arguing about Buford Pusser’s alleged affair with a woman named Pearl Wade. Johnson further stated that Pauline was allegedly shouting that she would “ruin” Buford and expose what she knew about him, including claims that he had been “taking money from businesses.”

In the early 1970s, Hollywood became interested in Pusser’s story, resulting in the 1973 biographical vigilante action film Walking Tall, starring Joe Don Baker. For a brief period in the early 1980s, the film was adapted into a television series.

Multiple books were written about Pusser, along with songs by various artists.

Pusser’s home was later turned into a museum, much to the displeasure of his daughter, Dwana Pusser Alexander, who, according to a 1979 article in The Jackson Sun, came to resent the constant flow of tourists through the house where she lived.

In July 2023, TBI medical consultant Dr. Michael Revelle reviewed cold-case evidence, including post-mortem images and autopsy documentation. In his report, he stated that he believed “the events did not occur as described by Sheriff Buford Pusser in his official statement to TBI agents.”

Dr. Revelle added that, based on a reasonable degree of medical certainty, Pauline Pusser was more likely than not shot outside the vehicle and then placed inside it. He also noted that the cranial trauma depicted in the photographs did not align with the interior condition of the vehicle and that gunshot residue found on the victim’s chin was indicative of a close-range discharge. Apparent blood spatter was also noted on the exterior of the vehicle.

He further stated that the blast injury and surrounding tissue damage were consistent with close-range gunshot wounds.

The autopsy performed in 2024 by Dr. Messer documented missing bone fragments in the superior frontal and left temporal regions, as well as a well-healed antemortem nasal fracture. Investigators noted that this injury could be consistent with prior trauma, speculating it could have been linked to that of domestic violence. Contemporary reports also indicated that some witnesses claimed Pauline had been planning to leave Buford and had been seen with bruising.

Buford Pusser’s own injury from the incident also appeared consistent with a close-range gunshot wound, leading investigators to question the original account he gave, and wondering if the injury was self-inflicted.

At a press conference in late August 2025, the 25th Judicial District Attorney General and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation presented the findings of their investigation.

Buford Pusser died in 1974 at the age of 36 after losing control of his car near Adamsville, Tennessee. His vehicle struck an embankment, he was ejected, and the car subsequently caught fire.
According to state trooper Paul Ervin, who responded to the scene, Pusser was believed to have been driving while intoxicated and was not wearing a seat belt; no autopsy was performed.

Officials stated that if Pusser were alive today, the evidence would support pursuing charges.

District Attorney General Mark Davidson said of the findings:

“This case is not about tearing down a legend; it is about giving dignity and closure to Pauline and her family and ensuring that the truth is not buried with time. The truth matters. Justice matters. Even 58 years later. Pauline deserves both.”

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Listen to the Generation Why Podcast Episode on the case here-

The Ambush of Pauline Pusser