Breaking: New Evidence Ties Sheriff Buford Pusser to Wife’s 1967 Murder

ADAMSVILLE, Tenn., August 29, 2025 - In a long-awaited announcement today, authorities revealed evidence suggesting former McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser may have been responsible for the fatal shooting of his wife, Pauline Mullins Pusser, nearly six decades ago.

At an 11:00 a.m. press conference held at the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Somerville Center, District Attorney Mark Davidson and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch disclosed “significant details” uncovered after a rare 2024 exhumation and newly conducted forensic analyses. Investigators concluded that Pauline’s body was likely moved into the Pussers’ vehicle post-mortem and that key inconsistencies in Buford’s original account undermine his long-standing narrative.

“From the full strength of the Bureau as it exists today, our findings reshape the understanding of what transpired nearly 60 years ago,” said Rausch, noting that the investigation’s evidence would “bring closure” to Pauline’s surviving family.

Davidson went further, stating that “if Buford Pusser were alive today, the TBI could produce an indictment for the murder of his wife,” describing her death as “an act of intimate, deliberate violence” rather than a botched ambush intended for the sheriff.

Pauline’s brother, Griffon Mullins, delivered an emotional video statement, expressing relief at the long-delayed pursuit of justice and urging the public to acknowledge the truth of his sister’s death.

The City of Adamsville, home to the Buford Pusser Museum, responded via Facebook today, acknowledging the findings and pledging a transparent review of the museum’s future, including public study sessions and community meetings.

Buford Pusser, who died in a 1974 car accident, rose to fame in the 1960s for his “one-man war” against crime along the Mississippi-Tennessee line and inspired the 1973 film Walking Tall. For years, supporters hailed him as a hero; skeptics have long questioned the circumstances of Pauline’s death. Today’s revelations mark a dramatic turn in one of Tennessee’s most enduring legends.

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Sources:

  1. WBBJ-TV: “New evidence to be revealed in Pauline Pusser murder case” (Aug. 27, 2025)
  2. inkl: “Her husband’s life inspired a film starring The Rock. Now after 58 years, police have answers in Pauline Mullins Pusser’s murder” (Aug. 29, 2025)
  3. Hometown Connect: “New Information To Be Shared On Sheriff Buford Pusser’s Wife’s Death Investigation” (Aug. 27, 2025)
  4. WBBJ-TV: “City of Adamsville responds to evidence connecting Bufford Pusser to wife’s murder” (Aug. 29, 2025)