Gone South – BONUS: The Real Buford Pusser: Part 3

Host: Jed Lipinski
Date: November 5, 2025
Podcast: Audacy Podcasts

Episode Overview

In this gripping bonus installment, Jed Lipinski follows up on his season-four deep dive into the legend—and reality—of Buford Pusser, the famed McNary County, TN, sheriff whose gritty, violence-plagued story inspired the "Walking Tall" movies. The episode focuses on new developments in the decades-old murder of Pusser's wife, Pauline, including the exhumation of her body for a long-awaited autopsy, and scrutinizes the foundational myths of Pusser’s legacy with perspectives from critics, supporters, and those whose lives were forever altered by his actions. As the host joins local investigator Mike Elam’s tension-filled "Truth Has No Agenda" tour, voices from Adamsville highlight how the town continues to wrestle with the complicated legacy of its most famous (or infamous) citizen.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Revisiting the Buford Pusser Legend (02:13–08:00)

• Background: Buford Pusser is remembered as a folk-hero sheriff who "cleaned up" vice along the TN-MS border—a story immortalized by Hollywood.
• The 1967 Ambush: Central to the legend is the supposed roadside assault where Buford’s wife Pauline was killed and he was shot in the face. To this day, her killer was never officially identified.
• Recent Twist: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) exhumed Pauline's body 56+ years later due to claims an autopsy was never performed and suspicions about Buford’s actual involvement.
• Quote:

  “The TBI had gotten a new tip showing that an autopsy was never performed on Pauline’s body. With the family’s support, agents had requested the exhumation to answer what they called ‘critical questions’ and to gather evidence that might identify who was responsible for her death.” – Jed Lipinski (04:13)

2. The Truth Has No Agenda Tour (08:00–13:00)

• Mike Elam: An Arkansas man and former sheriff's deputy, Mike runs a YouTube channel and self-published a controversial book, arguing Buford was involved in his wife’s death. He faces skepticism and threats from Adamsville locals but insists he’s motivated by uncovering the truth.
• Town Pushback: The city’s devotion to Buford is evident—parks, streets, and landmarks bear his name—but rumors swirl these honors may be reevaluated pending autopsy results.
• Quote:

  “Adamsville’s a little concerned… they’ve already started taking Buford’s name off of certain things.” – Mike Elam (08:56)

• Personal Risk: Mike’s bus was vandalized prior to the tour; his wife Connie admits she felt unsafe joining him in the past due to hostile locals.

3. Analyzing the “Ambush” Route (10:52–15:00)

• Suspicious Choices: Buford took a much longer, winding backroad route rather than the direct highway when responding to the alleged disturbance the night Pauline died.
• Skepticism Grows: Both Mike and Connie Elam recount how physically traveling this convoluted route convinced them that Buford may have had sinister motives, possibly intending to kill Pauline or stage an ambush.
• Quote:

  “The only thing I can figure is he was looking for seclusion.” – Mike Elam (13:25)
  “When they took me this route… it just made the hair on my neck stand up.” – Connie Elam (12:39)

4. Theories and Motives: What Really Happened? (14:05–15:38)

• Conflicting Accounts: Eyewitnesses and stepdaughter testimonies suggest a gun was fired in the house before the “ambush,” and Pauline’s unconscious body may have been transported by Buford.
• Elams’ Theory: Buford and Pauline fought, leading to her being rendered unconscious and taken by Buford to a secluded location where she was murdered, rather than being killed in a roadside attack as legend holds.

5. At the "Ambush" Sites—Eyewitness Testimony (20:52–41:33)

• First and Second "Ambush" Locations: The bus tour stops at both sites associated with the shooting. Tour bus driver Dennis Hathcock reveals himself as the first civilian at the second ambush location.
• Alternative Story: Dennis, whose family members were allegedly victimized by Buford, claims the crime scene evidence (shell casings, blood splatter) contradicted the official version and suggested staging.
• Quote:

  “How could they be shooting here and [the] shell casings [be] in a straight line under here? I mean, it’s impossible.” – Dennis Hathcock (22:55)

• Allegations of Corruption & Violence: Dennis recounts stories of bribery, intimidation, and Buford’s violent behavior, including allegations he extorted club owners and murdered his aunt Louise Hathcock.
• Quote:

  “He had come down there and told her he was raising [the payoff] again. She told him, ‘I can’t pay it’. He threatened her. She threatened him... Just like Pauline, she threatened him. Mistake. The next thing, he come down there the next morning, killed her.” – Dennis Hathcock (27:01)

• Dennis's Eyewitness Account: On the night of the ambush, Dennis claims to have followed Buford, witnessed suspicious exchanges involving weapons, and later discovered crucial forensic evidence before police arrived. His observations—like blood patterns and the location of Pauline’s wounds—contradict Pusser’s narrative.
• Quote:

  “Ray Charles, if he’d have been there, would have known what [Buford] was telling wasn’t true.” – Dennis Hathcock (39:48)

6. The Community, the Myth, and the Wait for Autopsy Results (41:33–43:05)

• Culture of Silence & Mythmaking: Despite eyewitness doubts, Buford’s story took hold in books and movies, many locals remaining fiercely loyal to the myth.
• Quote:

  “I’ve been praying that exactly what’s happening right now would happen… The truth would come out.” – Dennis Hathcock (41:23)

• Pending Justice: The episode concludes with the news that, after months of waiting, autopsy results for Pauline’s exhumed body are finally about to be announced.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of myth:

  “He inspired a generation of men to go into law enforcement. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson… considered Buford his idol.” – Jed Lipinski (03:55)

• On the dilemma faced by Adamsville:

  “I wondered, if the autopsy results proved that Buford killed his wife, would the city be forced to rename all these things?” – Jed Lipinski (09:39)

• On observing oddities in the case narrative:

  “Her head was laying in his lap. If her head was laying in his lap, how in the hell did her brains and the top of her head get blowed out the window over there?” – Dennis Hathcock (40:23)

• On why the story persisted for decades:

  “If you’re church-going people, you’re not out at 1 and 2 o’clock in the morning… Being a young wild heathen, I was out and I knew what he was doing.” – Dennis Hathcock (28:41)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:13 – Season recaps & episode premise
• 04:13 – TBI exhumation of Pauline’s body
• 08:00 – “Truth Has No Agenda” tour begins
• 12:39 – Connie Elam describes her turning point
• 13:25 – Suspicious route analysis
• 15:06 – Elams' theory on what happened to Pauline
• 20:52 – Arrival at first ambush site
• 22:55 – Dennis Hathcock’s eyewitness critique
• 27:01 – Dennis’s account of Buford's extortion of Louise Hathcock
• 39:48 – Dennis’s skepticism of the official narrative
• 41:23 – The hope for truth and justice
• 43:05 – Preview for next episode—autopsy announcement imminent

Episode Tone and Style

The episode is tense, skeptical, and deeply human. Jed Lipinski approaches local myth with a journalist’s curiosity but an open mind, giving voice to both skeptics and believers. The community’s pride and pain are palpable, and firsthand testimonies are presented in a raw, colloquial Southern style. The show maintains a somber, investigative tone throughout, eschewing sensationalism in favor of direct witness accounts and careful narrative pacing.

Conclusion

This episode is a critical unraveling of legend, a community at a crossroads, and a murder mystery haunted by the ghosts of Southern justice and mythmaking. Listeners are left anxiously awaiting the long-delayed autopsy findings—which may finally bring closure or new controversy to one of the South’s most enduring crime tales.