'Walking Tall' sheriff likely murdered his wife in 1967, Tennessee officials say

[4th]

I remember the movies, though I forgot all about them since about 1975.
I you like adolescent male revenge fantasy (and I did) they were great.

But ...

‘Walking Tall’ sheriff likely murdered his wife in 1967, Tennessee officials say
https://www.al.com/crime/2025/08/walking-tall-sheriff-likely-murdered-his-wife-in-1967-tennessee-officials-say.html

A renewed investigation into the unsolved 1967 murder of the wife of McNairy County, Tenn. sheriff Buford Pusser debunks what has for decades been depicted in movies and implicates the long-dead lawman in his wife’s shooting.

The sheriff, who died in a 1974 car crash, long said Pauline Pusser went with him on a call on Aug. 12, 1967 when a car pulled up alongside them and shots were fired, killing her and leaving Buford shot in the face.

She was 33.

The scene was depicted in the 1973 movie “Walking Tall,” with Buford Pusser depicted by Joe Don Baker. The movie spawned sequels and remakes. Baker died earlier this year at age 89.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and District Attorney General Mark Davidson said today that the evidence instead shows Buford Pusser most likely shot his wife, put her in a car and then shot himself.

...

[LeftInTX]

1. Well with a name like Buford Pusser..... Never saw "Walking Tall"....Not my type of movie...

[JanMichael]

2. Yee haw. Probably true.

Most stories like that are bullshit. No witnesses just the survivor with their story.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. In 1975, They Couldn't Have Determined...

...that both of them were shot at close range?
By 1975, the wax/diphenylamine test was over 20 years old.
Any police department could do the wax mold, and any laboratory could do the test.
Pretty crappy police work. Or, sheer negligence because they all knew he did it.

[Sibelius Fan]

9. Unreliable

The wax/diphenylamine test, also known as the paraffin test, was a now-obsolete forensic technique used to detect gunshot residue (GSR) by applying melted wax to a suspect's hands to create a cast. This wax cast was then treated with a chemical solution of diphenylamine and concentrated sulfuric acid; the presence of deep blue flecks, indicating nitrates, would suggest recent firearm discharge. However, the test was found to be unreliable due to false positive results from other sources, including fertilizers, and the ease with which residue could be removed by washing.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. I Know The Test

And, I certainly won't argue that is not a high precision test.
It's also very technique sensitive, so operator to operator variation is quite poor.
But, we didn't know all that in 1975. So, that wouldn't have been an excuse to not initiate a full investigation based on the results.
The techniques used today didn't exist, or were their infancy in 1975. So, that test was still widely used 50 years ago.
All your information is correct. It doesn't explain the lack of legal action back then.
BTW: the test would have worked on facial wounds because both of them would have been hit with close range shots. But, the bigger point is that, back then, this was still the accepted test

[Sibelius Fan]

26. Dunking was once the accepted test for a myriad of crimes.

Just sayin.

[LeftInTX]

24. I read they didn't do an autopsy on her.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

4. Damn, can I get my money back?

[LeftInTX]

5. Here it is:

[Iggo]

23. One dollar, Mortimer.

[murielm99]

6. I watched those movies years after they came out.

They seemed to me to be stupid propaganda.

[regnaD kciN]

7. ACAB...

As I recall, Pusser also once beat up Jimmy Buffett in a parking lot after one of his shows.

[bluedigger]

8. He shot himself in the face?

That's hard to imagine.

[JanMichael]

12. If you are determined it would be easy to shoot through your cheek

Lot of blood but no teeth or bone breaks.

[LudwigPastorius]

16. If it was self inflicted, that was likely what he was going for, but...

he must have flinched because the shot took out a good chunk of his jaw.

[JanMichael]

21. Maybe murder suicide attempt then.

Although I would think that a cop would know how to kill themselves with a hand gun.

Shooting low into the mouth isn't going to do it.

He may have tried my cheek plan and nerves from the murder screwed it up.

[bluedigger]

20. I think our definitions of easy differ.

You seem to lean hard on the "technically possible" side.

[mucholderthandirt]

18. Failed murder/suicide attempt. When he didn't die, he had to come up with some story.

[marshall]

19. Nt just once but twice

Possibly shot three times in the face. That would be a long shot.

[AStern]

10. There's a facebook page created by a former cop that grew up in the area.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100059287764401

and a youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bufordpusser1122

Pusser was the very criminal he supposedly fought against and was known as a bully. 'Walking Tall' is basically a remake of a 1955 film 'The Phenix City Story'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phenix_City_Story

[valleyrogue]

28. Yes, he was. He was a lot like the infamous Ken McElroy.

At least the citizens of Skidmore, Missouri, enforced justice on that bully.

[ImNotGod]

11. OMG, this will tank the value of my walking tall action figures collection 😭

seriously though it did make great entertainment for the time, a hero fighting corruption and crime, made for Hollywood.

[Johonny]

14. Mitchel was a better movie anyway

[B.See]

15. I see "adolescent male revenge fantasies"

carried out by, say, the lone wolf type whose daughter was kidnapped or family murdered differently from the bully cop stories like Popeye Doyle, or that Dirty Harry bs,

Though frankly I never was a fan of crime dramas in general.

I also never was a fan of the Michael Corleone, Nicki Santoro and "say hello to my little friend" types either.

Again, having something to do with the bully element in all of them.

And from what little I remember of the Pussar movie, I felt he pretty much fit that description. Didn't like him.

So if the portrayal was indeed accurate, I can't say learning he might have been the PERP in his wife's murder, comes as much of a surprise.

[4th]

17. Gimme a break. I was 15.

[B.See]

22. Wasn't meant as a criticism, 4th.

Apologies if you though it was directed at you. And yeah, I still like some of those too.

But like I said, I feel differently of the characters who aren't underdogs raging against the machine,

but who misuse and/or abuse their power and authority.

Kinda like Trump and his sycophants are doing now, if you get my point.

Anyway, again, I meant no offence.

[4th]

25. None taken.

[valleyrogue]

27. I completely missed this story.

Buford Pusser was not a nice man, and it doesn't surprise me at all he was a wife killer.

In a way, karma got him in the end.

[AStern]

29. And justice for Pauline

Like many, I initially bought the Pusser myth until I found Mike Elam's page. The story makes no sense. Who gets up at 4AM to accompany your spouse on a call? It's a shame it took so long to come to light.

[valleyrogue]

30. I am sorry for her family. He really was a POS. n/t