As they were driving through the quaint Tennessee town towards the location of the commotion, a vehicle came up next to theirs. Despite the early hour, Pauline, his wife, made the decision to join him in investigating. Sheriff Buford Pusser of McNairy County received a phone call about a disturbance that occurred on a road adjacent to the town right before sunrise on August 12, 1967.
Suddenly, the occupants of Pusser’s car were left dead, as Pusser and Pauline were struck by two rounds on the left side of Pusser’s body. It took him several surgeries and 18 days to finally recover.
Buford Pusser made a solemn promise to himself that he would ensure all the individuals responsible for his wife’s death faced the consequences, even if it meant being his final act. With his disfigured jaw and the absence of his wife, revenge became the sole focus in his mind as he made his way back home.
Before becoming a local wrestler and moving to Chicago, he was medically discharged from the Marine Corps due to his asthma, even though he joined after high school. He excelled at two things, playing football and basketball in high school, thanks to his height of 6 feet 6 inches. He had been raised and born in McNairy County, Tennessee. Buford Pusser was a quite respectable man, but he became a revenge-driven widower.
Pusser relocated to his childhood residence in his later years, where he met his future wife Pauline in Chicago in December 1959. He gained local fame and achieved success, earning the nickname “Buford” due to his strength and impressive size.
In the history of Tennessee, he achieved the distinction of becoming the most youthful sheriff, as he was merely 27 years old at that particular time. Following the unfortunate demise of the previous holder of the position due to a car accident, he earned the title of sheriff through his election in the year 1964. For a span of two years, he fulfilled the responsibilities of both chief of police and constable, a role to which he was elected at a remarkably early age of 25.
After being elected, Buford Pusser immediately directed his focus towards the Dixie Mafia and the State Line Mob, two criminal organizations that profited from the illicit trade of moonshine along the Tennessee-Mississippi border, generating substantial revenue. He wholeheartedly dedicated himself to his duties.
Regarded as a beloved figure in the community, Pusser had suffered three gunshot wounds by 1967, eliminated multiple hired killers who attempted to murder him, and managed to survive several plots to assassinate him in the following three years. Crime bosses from the entire tri-state region were determined to eliminate him, as his endeavors to eradicate unlawful behavior in the town had been remarkably effective.
Ruthless vengeance compelled him to overwhelming remorse regarding his spouse’s demise. His wife had become an unintended victim, and numerous people speculated that the attack was a deliberate plot to target Buford Pusser. The tragic event occurred when Pauline was killed.
The illicit activity in the area was cracked down on and others would be ensured justice, but Nix was never brought to justice. Kirksey, the leader of the Dixie Mafia, orchestrated the ambush, as well as his four named assassins, who did not wait long after the shooting.
Pusser was never convicted, although there were rumors that he killed both of them again in Texas. The rumors were never confirmed, but many people believed that Pusser hired the assassin to kill him. Many people believed that Pusser himself hired an assassin to kill him in later years. Several years later, Pusser’s life was ended by being gunned down by a hitman named “Towhead” Carl.
Expelled from the vehicle, he met his demise upon colliding with a slope on his journey back from the nearby county fair in 1974. He never had the opportunity to witness the occurrence, but Pusser would have regarded Nix’s seclusion as a fitting retribution. Ultimately condemned to seclusion for the remainder of his existence, Nix subsequently found himself incarcerated for a distinct homicide.
Finally, justice was served for the long fight that seemed to have never had the claims investigated. However, Nix was able to order several unrelated hits from prison, leading to the belief that Buford Pusser’s mother and daughter had been murdered.
A memorial now exists in the house where Buford Pusser was raised, located in McNairy County. Numerous films titled Walking Tall have been produced, portraying his life and showcasing his efforts to reform a town, his involvement in an assassination plot, and his relentless pursuit of revenge against those who harmed his family.