The death of Pauline Pusser, long told as a 1967 mob ambush that killed the wife of McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser, was reclassified in August 2025 after a three-year Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reinvestigation found probable cause that Buford Pusser shot her himself and staged the scene. Because Pusser died in 1974, no charges can be brought.
The 1967 Account Investigators Rejected
In the early morning of August 12, 1967, Buford Pusser told investigators he had taken a call about a disturbance and that Pauline rode along. Near New Hope Methodist Church, close to the Tennessee-Mississippi state line, he said another vehicle pulled alongside their car and someone fired several shots, killing Pauline and wounding him in the face.1ABC7 New York. McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser Implicated in Murder of Wife Pauline Mullins Pusser was hospitalized for 18 days and had multiple surgeries on his jaw and cheek.
No one was ever charged. The accepted theory for decades was that the State Line Mob or Dixie Mafia had targeted the sheriff for his crackdowns on bootlegging, gambling, and prostitution, and Pusser publicly blamed Dixie Mafia figure Kirksey McCord Nix Jr.2All That’s Interesting. Buford Pusser TBI Director David Rausch later said the original case was closed “perhaps too quickly” and rested largely on the sheriff’s own statements.3ABC News. Famed Sheriff Inspired Walking Tall Movie Implicated in Wife’s Murder
What the Reinvestigation Found
TBI agents reopened the archived file in 2022, and the work accelerated in 2023 after a tip about a possible murder weapon.3ABC News. Famed Sheriff Inspired Walking Tall Movie Implicated in Wife’s Murder Agents worked with 25th Judicial District Attorney General Mark Davidson and the University of Tennessee at Martin. In February 2024, with her family’s permission, investigators exhumed Pauline from Adamsville Cemetery. She had never been autopsied in 1967, so the 2024 examination was the first forensic assessment of her body.4The Tennessean. Buford Pusser Wife Autopsy Sealed McNairy County
The resulting file ran more than 1,000 pages and pulled together physical, medical, forensic, ballistic, and crime-scene reenactment evidence. On every major point, it contradicted Buford Pusser’s account.
Investigators concluded Pauline was shot outside the car and then placed inside it. Blood spatter on the hood and exterior of the vehicle was inconsistent with a shooting that happened in the passenger seat.3ABC News. Famed Sheriff Inspired Walking Tall Movie Implicated in Wife’s Murder The cranial trauma shown in crime scene photographs did not match the interior layout of the car. The autopsy showed Pauline had been shot twice in the back of the head.5Rolling Stone. Walking Tall Buford Pusser True Story
Pusser’s own wound was reexamined too. Forensic examiner Dr. Michael Revelle concluded the gunshot to the sheriff’s cheek was a close-contact wound, not long-range fire from a passing car. Investigators determined it was likely self-inflicted.1ABC7 New York. McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser Implicated in Murder of Wife Pauline Mullins
Evidence of Prior Abuse
The 2024 autopsy also revealed a healing fracture on the right side of Pauline’s nose, unrelated to the fatal injuries. Authorities said the fracture was most commonly caused by “interpersonal trauma,” and that reviewed statements and interviews together with the autopsy were consistent with her having been a victim of domestic violence. Her brother, Griffon Mullins, said Pauline had not openly discussed her problems but that he “knew deep down, there were problems in her marriage.”6WREG. New Details Arise 58 Years After Death of Sheriff Buford Pusser’s Wife District Attorney Davidson described the totality of the evidence as pointing to “an act of intimate violence” rather than an outside attack.3ABC News. Famed Sheriff Inspired Walking Tall Movie Implicated in Wife’s Murder
Why No Charges Can Be Brought
At the August 29, 2025, news conference at the UT Martin Somerville Center, Davidson said that if Buford Pusser were alive, prosecutors would have presented an indictment to the McNairy County grand jury for the murder of his wife.7WSMV. New Developments Released Following Pauline Pusser’s Death Pusser died on August 21, 1974, in a single-car Corvette crash on U.S. Route 64 near Selmer, Tennessee, hours after agreeing to star in a sequel to the film about his life. His blood alcohol level was reported at twice the legal limit.5Rolling Stone. Walking Tall Buford Pusser True Story With no living defendant, the finding of probable cause carries no criminal consequence. Davidson framed the purpose of the work as “giving Pauline truth and justice decades later.”8ABC 33/40. New TBI Evidence Suggests Sheriff Pusser May Have Killed Wife
Where to Read the Files
The full investigative file was released to the public on October 10, 2025, through the University of Tennessee at Martin. The transfer used Tennessee Code Annotated 10-7-510, which lets a district attorney permanently transfer original criminal investigation records to a university or nonprofit for historical preservation.9Nashville Scene. Buford Pusser TBI Files Printed files can be viewed by appointment at the UTM McNairy County Center in Selmer. As of mid-2026, the university was still digitizing the collection, and no searchable online version was yet available.10University of Tennessee at Martin. Pusser Files to Be Made Public Through UT Martin
Reaction in McNairy County
The findings upended decades of local mythology. The Buford Pusser Museum in Adamsville said it would remain open and declined to comment on the controversy, after promoting and then deleting a social media post offering “I still believe in Buford” T-shirts.11WKRN. Sheriff Buford Pusser Support Unwavering Despite New TBI Findings The City of Adamsville, which hosts an annual festival in Pusser’s name, said Mayor Jackie Hamm and the Board of Commissioners planned to review the findings before deciding on an “appropriate course of action” for the city’s dedications to the former sheriff.12NewsChannel 5. Investigators Say They Found Probable Cause That Legendary Sheriff Buford Pusser Murdered His Wife Pauline
State-designated historian Steve Sweat and other supporters called the TBI’s conclusions lacking in “solid proof,” and some described the allegation as an “outrageous accusation.” Pauline’s family and investigators who worked the case described the announcement as a long-overdue correction of the record.11WKRN. Sheriff Buford Pusser Support Unwavering Despite New TBI Findings