Famed Tennessee sheriff who inspired Hollywood movie 'Walking Tall' implicated in wife's murder
It was long believed that Pauline Mullins Pusser, the wife of the legendary Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser, was shot and killed in an ambush meant for her husband, but new evidence suggests that it was the late sheriff who killed his wife.A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation report uncovered "inconsistencies in Buford Pusser's statements to law enforcement and to others," District Attorney Mark Davidson said at a press conference Friday.Law enforcement uncovered physical, medical, forensic, ballistic and reenactment evidence that contradicted the McNairy County sheriff's account of his wife's 1967 murder.The sheriff's story inspired the movie "Walking Tall" in 1973 and several sequels, a 2004 remake and several books, Davidson said.Buford Pusser died in a car accident in 1974."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," Davidson said.This undated photo provided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Aug.29, 2025, shows the location in Guys, Tenn., where then McNair County Sheriff Buford Pusser said his wife was killed on Aug.
12, 1967.TBI via APThe sheriff had reported that his wife volunteered to ride along with him in the dark, early morning hours on a disturbance call.He claimed that a car pulled alongside his and fired several shots toward them, killing Pauline and injuring him in what he claimed was an ambush intended for him carried out by unknown assailants, according to Davidson.MORE: Baby Emmanuel Haro timeline: How the search for a missing 7-month-old turned into an alleged murderThe sheriff, who was also shot in the ambush, recovered from his injuries and no viable suspects were found and no charges were filed.Investigators now believe that Pauline Pusser was shot outside the vehicle then placed inside the vehicle, which is not what Buford Pusser has told investigators at the time of the murder."This was a cold case for decades b...