Tennessee authorities: Sheriff who inspired 'Walking Tall' film killed his wife in 1967
- Buford Pusser, the sheriff who inspired the film 'Walking Tall', is suspected of murdering his wife Pauline in 1967, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
- The investigation revealed probable cause to believe that Pauline's death was an act of intimate, deliberate violence, as stated by District Attorney General Mark Davidson.
- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reopened the cold case and found forensic evidence contradicting Pusser's claims about the incident.
- Pusser's wife was exhumed in 2024, leading to a new investigation that indicated her death was likely a murder instead of an accident.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Buford Pusser Museum to remain open in Adamsville
ADAMSVILLE, Tenn. — Following new evidence released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation last week on the 1967 murder of Pauline Pusser, one local attraction has a message for the community. The Buford Pusser Museum in Adamsville announces that it will not be closing. In a Facebook post made Tuesday morning, museum staff clarifies that the museum was closed last weekend due to a family medical issue. According to its Facebook page, the regul…


Sheriff who inspired ‘Walking Tall’ films killed his wife, authorities say
A sheriff whose crusade against corruption inspired a string of Hollywood films is now suspected by Tennessee authorities of killing his wife before 1973′s “Walking Tall” was released, in a dramatic fall for a small-town hero whose fabled deeds are honored with an annual festival and museum in his name.
Residents react to recent findings in Sheriff Pusser's case
SOMERVILLE, Tenn. -- An investigation implicating Sheriff Buford Pusser in the death of his wife Pauline Pusser in 1967 a big topic of conversation in the county where he became the "Walking Tall" legend. On Friday, it was announced inconsistencies were found in the story Sheriff Pusser told and it was determined his wife did not die in an ambush. In February of 2024, TBI agents swarmed Adamsville Cemetery and exhumed the remains of Pauline Puss…
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