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'That's not the Buford I knew': McNairy County residents react to new developments in investigation of Pauline Pusser's death
'That's not the Buford I knew': McNairy County residents react to new developments in investigation of Pauline Pusser's death
'That's not the Buford I knew': McNairy County residents react to new developments in investigation of Pauline Pusser's death

Published on: 08/29/2025

Description

ADAMSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nearly 60 years since her death, investigators released new information Friday on the fate of Pauline Mullins Pusser, the wife of famed Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser.

Generations of families grew up hearing the legendary tales of the lawman, who inspired decades of pop culture — but the history books will be read differently after Friday. 

McNairy County has now been faced with a new reality: their local hero, a man who has his own museum and whose name is plastered everywhere, didn't lose his wife in an ambush shooting, as had been previously reported.

Mark Davidson, District Attorney for the 25th Judicial District, said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has “produced evidence sufficient to create probable cause.” That means that “more likely than not,” if Buford Pusser were alive today, an indictment could be presented to the McNairy County Grand Jury for their consideration against him for the murder of his wife.

More than likely, Davidson explained, Pauline Mullins Pusser was shot outside the vehicle then brought into the vehicle. Davidson said there is probable cause that her death was “not an accident,” and instead an “act of intimate, deliberate violence.”

Every May, the town where Buford spent most of his life — Adamsville, Tennessee — holds a festival in his honor, just blocks away from where he lived. It's not far-fetched to say that most everyone in McNairy County, even more than 50 years since his death, either knows or has an opinion about the former sheriff.

News 2 was in McNairy County following Friday's ruling to hear locals' reactions. Many people who spoke with WKRN knew Buford, or his kids, personally. Some had theories about what happened that day. One theory was that the couple shot each other; Pauline first, then Buford in retaliation. Others said Buford killed Pauline, plain and simple, and that they've always thought that. 

In light of the newly-released investigative findings, one man who knew Pusser most of his life said he still believes what has always been reported. 

“I don't believe that. I don't think he would have done that. That’s not the Buford I knew,” said David Dickey, who grew up with Buford and was a pallbearer at his funeral. “We were friends. I loved Buford and his family, so whatever the facts are — they’ll pan out on their own — but I don’t believe it.” 

Dickey believes some people will change their perception of Buford, but he won't be one of them. He said Buford never spoke much about the day Pauline died, nor did he ever outwardly change his personality in his final years.

“I suspected it all along,” Denise, another McNairy County native, said. “That’s what I thought. He wasn’t what they portrayed him as in the movies. He was a mean guy from what I understand. My parents had a lot of different stories about him. Grandparents, you know. He wasn’t the legend of ‘Walking Tall’ like they said he was.”

News 2 presented the question: if you polled everyone in McNairy County and asked them if they thought Buford Pusser killed his wife, what do you think they would say?

“Yes,” Denise answered.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/reactions-pauline-pusser-update/

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