TBI exhumes body of Sheriff Buford Pusser’s wife after new tip in case

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The body of Pauline Pusser, the wife of “Walking Tall” Sheriff Buford Pusser, was exhumed from an Adamsville, Tenn. cemetery Thursday following a recent tip to authorities.

Pauline Pusser was fatally shot on August 12, 1967, in McNairy County. Her husband also was wounded in the shooting but survived.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the successor to the state agency that originally investigated the shooting, said the case remains active but unresolved.

“A recent tip prompted a new review of the case file and the discovery was made that an autopsy was never performed on Mrs. Pusser’s body,” TBI said in a release. “With the support of Pauline’s family and in consultation with 25^th Judicial District Attorney General Mark Davidson, TBI requested the exhumation in an attempt to answer critical questions and provide crucial information that may assist in identifying the person or persons responsible for Pauline Pusser’s death.”

The story of Sheriff Buford Pusser and his dealings with organized crime rings in McNairy County became legend, inspiring a 1974 and 2004 remake. His former home in Adamsville is now a museum.

Many in the Adamsville community were caught off guard as TBI agents swarmed the cemetery and moved Pusser’s headstone from where it laid since her burial.

“I was really surprised when I started getting text messages from people saying it was happening. It was shocking,” said Jennifer Burks.

After more than 50 years, Joe Vaughn and many others believe Pusser’s surviving family members deserve to know the truth.

“I believe we should have truth and justice and so if there is someone that hasn’t paid a price for doing that, then justice should be paid. That’s what I believe,” Vaughn said.