He was supposedly shot by Buford Pusser in Lubbock, Texas. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Mr. Pusser, who was 36 years old, died when his red sports car careened off Highway 64 near Selmer, Tenn., crashed into an embankment and caught fire. Was Buford Pusser murdered? Brewer, Wiley. Pusser died in a car wreck on August 21, 1974. You are using an out of date browser. This weeks recommended Dixie Mafia Books include: Walking On: A Daughters Journey with Legendary Sheriff Buford Pusser, Ghost Tales of The State Line Mob: Novel Based on Actual Events. [15], Local speculation as to the cause included rumors of sabotage to the steering mechanism and the tie rods. Doctors said he was struck on the left side of his jaw by at least two, or possibly three, rounds from a .30-caliber carbine. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon. Dwana was a feisty person that cared a lot for her father and his legacy and law enforcement and her family, Mullis said. In 2000, Highway 64 was named the Buford Pusser Highway, in his honor. No one put much effort into the investigation. He died in a 1974 car crash at age 37. It may not display this or other websites correctly. His death resulted from the crash of his Corvette on Highway 64 near Adamsville. It seemed, that Pussers long fight for justice was finally over. [citation needed] Bufords daughter, Dwana Pusser, a passenger in another car, came upon the scene of the accident minutes later. n 1969, White was shot and killed outside a motel in Mississippi. During his six years in office, Pusser, known for carrying a big hickory stick he used as a weapon, fought a gang of bootleggers and con men who were operating along the Mississippi-Tennessee state line. Walking Tall became a box-office smash, but Pusser died in a car wreck . McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser is remembered as a hero who cleaned up corruption in the 1960s. The official verdict was that it was an accident, but Bufords family and fans still maintain that he was murdered. SHE WAS 57. On August 21, 1974, Sheriff Buford Pusser died in a fiery crash four miles west of Adamsville when his Corvette left the road, hitting an embankment. He still refuses to respond to questions about Pauline Pusser. The crash site is marked with a monument, and Hwy 64 has been named the Buford Pusser Highway in his honor. His career as sheriff ended in 1970, but his fame was just beginning. Buford Pusser's last days as Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee in 1970 and his subsequent death in 1974. Then, disaster struck when Pauline was killed. His daughter, who followed a few minutes behind, did indeed come upon the burning wreck of his car, with Buford dead beside it from a broken neck. Paperback - January 1, 2020. Create a password that only you will remember. Both Pusser's mother, Helen (19081987) and his daughter, Dwana (1961) believed he was murdered. The daughter of famed Walking Tall Sheriff Buford Pusser has died, officials confirmed Thursday morning. Note: I see this post as history, so I do not mean any disrespect to Mrs. Pusser (Pauline) who did not make it, but instead a celebration of a hero who was not afraid to take on the bad guys and vindicate h is wife's tragic. No autopsy of Pusser's body was performed. At sunrise, as they passed the New Hope United Methodist Church, a car pulled out from behind the church and started shooting a hail of bullets. The Tennessee State Trooper who worked the accident, Paul Ervin, later became McNairy County sheriff. Success! Because of that legacy hed left, law enforcement was something that was really important to her, Mullis said. She turned him over only to hear his last words. At the time of his death, Buford Pussers blood-alcohol level was 1.8. Shock and sadness gripped Mullis and Pusser family members in the museum Thursday morning. Dwana died Wednesday night. He signed a contract with Bing Crosby productions in 1972 to film his life story. A Buford Pusser Festival is held each May in his hometown of Adamsville, Tennessee. Although everyone in town knew he had a price on his head, the case was closed quickly and the records were sealed by court order. Pusser promptly began trying to eliminate the Dixie Mafia and the State Line Mob. "Sheriff Slays Killer of Four In McNairy". Silenced by the Dixie Mafia is about a big sister who has fought for answers for over five decades. $48,900, Hard decisions will pay off! Buffet, who had been drinking, could not find his rental car and decided to climb up on a Cadillac for a better view. Somehow his death was tied to the legend of Buford Pusser anyways. ? Much of the root of the problem stemmed from the crime rings local to the area, which included the notorious Dixie Mafia. PHOTO COURTSEY OF ROADSIDEAMERICA.COM Buford Pussers memory continues to live on in, , an annual county fair, the 1973 film, . In December of 1959, the two married, and two years later moved back to Pussers childhood home. Bivins published this book about the wild times along the state line back in the 60s. [10], Already a local hero, Pusser's "war" on the State Line Mob was brought to national prominence when his wife, Pauline, was killed on August 12, 1967, during an assassination ambush intended for Pusser and instigated by Hathcock's common-law husband. But Hollywood rarely cares about the facts. . No autopsy of Pusser's body was performed. Today, a memorial stands in McNairy County in the house that Buford Pusser grew up in. He joined the United States Marine Corps when he graduated from high school. Synova works directly with the victims families to give them a voice and to generate leads for law enforcement. By 1967, hed been shot three times, killed several hitmen who tried to kill him, and was considered a local hero. In 1964, he was elected sheriff after the former position holder was killed in a car accident. For a giant of a man 6 ft 6 in tall 250 lb that would not have affected him very much. As they drove through the small Tennessee town toward the site of the disturbance, a car pulled up alongside theirs. I did find a guy that fit the description of a mafia hitman named CARMEN R. Gagliardi, but he was not found floating in the harbor. On Aug. 12, 1967, Sheriff Pusser received a disturbance call on the TN/MS Stateline, which was a setup call. Earlier in the day, Pusser contracted with Bing Crosby Productions in Memphis to portray himself in the sequel to Walking Tall. There is no evidence he voluntarily jumped ship to avoid Buford Pusser. As a way of saying Thank You when you sign up for Synovas true crime newsletter, you will get herGrim JusticeeBook as a free gift! Hwy 64 On August 21, 1974, Sheriff Buford Pusser died in a fiery crash four miles west of Adamsville when his Corvette left the road, hitting an embankment. All information used to create this content is a matter of public record and can be easily found online. But a variety of sources, including FBI documents, suggest there may have been more to the story. I think otherwise. His daughter spotted his car ahead. With Bo Svenson, Lurene Tuttle, Forrest Tucker, Leif Garrett. Unanswered questions that linger more than 30 years after the death of the Mid-South's most legendary Sheriff. I do not own the photos used in this post. His daughter and mother however believe that his death was planned by his enemies. As the law states, an individual is Innocent until PROVEN guilty. These are the last four, said Tina Mullis, the curator of the museum, looking down at a short stack of books in the gift shop, with Pussers signature on the opening page just inside the front cover. The Buford Pusser Museum[2] was established at the home he lived in at the time of his death in 1974. With his wife Pauline Pusser along for the ride in Tennessee, things were about to take a dramatic twist. Gambling, bootlegging, drugs and theft were a major problem. Apparently the TBI had an idea there was a Cadillac and followed up on it they had suspects and the car was still being mentioned eight months later in the investigation. DWANA PUSSER, THE DAUGHTER OF LEGENDARY MCNARIY COUNTY SHERIFF AND ADAMSVILLE POLICE CHIEF BUFORD PUSSER, DIED WEDNESDAY EVENING. Sheriff Buford Pusser identified Kirksey McCord Nix Jr as the man behind his wife, Pauline Bussers murder. Rumors began immediately after his death. What road did Buford Pusser die on? drive-by truckers the buford stick - Google Search, Red 1967 Fury III 'Vert 4-Speed "H"-code 383 in M.A. This is most likely the cause of his death, and again other than being loosely tied to the Dixie Mafia and Kirksey Nix theres no definitive link to Buford Pusser. Bettmann/Getty ImagesBuford Pusser in 1973. Any participation or alleged involvement of any party mentioned within this site is purely speculation. On April 11, 1980, Helen Pusser filed suit against S. Ralph Gordon, a Nashville attorney, and Stephen V. Ellspermann, a certified public accountant, alleging that the defendants were guilty of professional negligence, willful fraud, and conspiracy to defraud, in connection with funds which were improperly paid by the plaintiff from the . Much of the root of the problem stemmed from the crime rings local to the area, which included the notorious. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); DIXIE MAFIA BLOODBATH: THE REVENGE OF BUFORDPUSSER. He knew more than anyone because he and Buford were very close and he often went on calls with him. He inspired thousands of people to stand up for what they believe in. The names Carmine Raymond Gagliardi, Gary Elbert McDaniel, and George Albert McGann were also mentioned. As sheriff, Pusser was credited with surviving seven stabbings and eight shootings. [15] Earlier that day, he contracted with Bing Crosby Productions in Memphis to portray himself in the sequel to Walking Tall. His tireless work for three years to rid Tennessee of its notorious crime rings won him the gratitude of the beleaguered locals. Hello, my name is Cameron Walters and Im the author of KnowMoreStuff.com, a news blog that covers a variety of topics. She says this autopsy shows Hatchcock was shot by Pusser in the back. Over the course of the next three years, Pusser survived several assassination attempts. But to me it's my family and it opens wounds like it is today." "Pusser Shot After Stopping Speeding Auto". As the law states, an individual is Innocent until PROVEN guilty. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. On FB. Struck by two rounds on the left side of his jaw, Pusser was left for dead. They killed his wife and took his face. ). Find out what fuelled this intriguing story of murder and revenge. Carl Douglas Towhead White was apparently the man who ordered the hit from prison and his friend Kirksey Nix, Jr. was the one to carry out the hit. He died in a 1974 car crash at age 37. He was killed during a poker game on September 30, 1970. And it's been 40 years since the day Pusser died. However, no-one was ever charged with Pauline Bufords murder. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers!!!. Last edited on 13 November 2022, at 18:13, Learn how and when to remove this template message, United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, "Buford Pusser, Sheriff Depicted In 'Walking Tall' Film, Is Dead", "Buford Pusser Died Here, Adamsville, Tennessee", "25 Aug 1974, Page 2 - The Times (SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA) at Newspapers.com", "Eddie Bond - Sings The Legend Of Buford Pusser (Vinyl, US, 1973)", "Buford Pusser - It Happened In Tennessee Pt. Where did Buford Pusser live when he died? We may never know. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. One of the hitmen, Carl Towhead White, ended up being gunned down by a hitman several years later. Buford Pusser was sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, and was portrayed in the 1973 movie Walking Tall., The festivals website says Pusser was elected McNairy County Sheriff in 1964 and that he was shot eight times, knifed seven times and destroyed 87 whiskey stills in 1965 alone.. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. He spent 18 days in the hospital before returning home, and needed several more surgeries to restore his appearance. As sheriff, Pusser survived seven stabbings and eight shootings. Pusser's daughter Dwana says the claim is ridiculous. "I think Louise Hatchcock was murdered. His co-conspirator, Biloxi Mayor Pete Halat, had, in his capacity as Nix's attorney, stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars that Nix had amassed in a massive lonely hearts scam, blaming it on his law partner, Judge Sherry. Pusser died on August 21, 1974 from injuries sustained in a one-car automobile accident. Several years after that, two of the other killers were found shot to death in Texas. But it's a small part. In January 1975, Gagliardi died in prison of a drug overdose. [14], Pusser died on August 21, 1974, of injuries sustained in a one-car automobile accident at .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}351221N 882735.7W / 35.20583N 88.459917W / 35.20583; -88.459917 (Buford Pusser crash/death site).