A Man to Be Afraid Of
Summary
This podcast explores the legend of Sheriff Buford Pusser, famous for fighting crime and inspiring the movie "Walking Tall," juxtaposing his public persona with a darker reality. It details the 1967 ambush that killed his wife Pauline and the subsequent investigation. New forensic evidence and an autopsy conducted decades later suggest Pauline's death was not a mob hit, but rather an act of intimate violence, contradicting Pusser's long-held account and leading investigators to believe the crime scene was staged. The episode also highlights the community's struggle to reconcile the heroic legend with these unsettling new findings.Episode description
Sheriff Buford Pusser said he and his wife had come under gunfire early one morning on a country road - leading to her death. He told one reporter, “I'm pretty sure about who did it, and I'm pretty sure about where he is."
Jason Guerrasio's article about Buford Pusser is called "A Bullet, A Legend, A Lie." Oakley Dean Baldwin's book is called "Sheriff Buford Pusser: Final Chapter."
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