BONUS: The Real Buford Pusser | Part 4

Summary

Gone South – BONUS: The Real Buford Pusser | Part 4 – Summary

Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Jed Lipinski
Podcast: Gone South (Audacy Podcasts)

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Overview: The Shattering of a Southern Legend

In this bonus episode, Gone South host Jed Lipinski covers the seismic announcement by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the District Attorney regarding the 1967 murder of Pauline Pusser, wife of famed sheriff Buford Pusser. After nearly six decades, the results of a re-investigation challenge the legendary narrative of the “Walking Tall” sheriff — casting Buford not as a wronged hero, but as the likely perpetrator of his wife’s murder. The episode details reactions from lifelong investigators, the Pusser community, true believers, and doubters, while examining the profound impact of rewriting local history.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Announcement and Investigation [01:07–08:33]

• Mike Elam’s Tip-Off:
  Investigator Mike Elam alerts Jed that the TBI will announce findings on Pauline Pusser’s murder ([01:07]).

• Press Conference Details:
  District Attorney Mark Davidson and TBI Director David Rausch reveal the new findings on August 29, 2025 ([03:09]).

  • TBI reopened the case due to inconsistencies between Buford’s statements and the physical evidence ([04:12]).
  • Investigation included new autopsy after exhumation, expert forensic analysis, and review of historical documents.

• Forensic Findings Contradict Buford’s Story:
  Dr. Michael Revell, forensic expert, concluded:

  • Pauline’s head injuries did not match car interior ([05:00]).
  • Blood spatter on the car’s hood suggested she was shot outside the vehicle.
  • Buford’s facial wound was a close-contact, likely self-inflicted injury ([05:00]).

• Healing Nasal Fracture:
  Autopsy showed Pauline had a healing broken nose, consistent with domestic abuse ([06:38]).

• Conclusion:
  If Buford were alive, evidence would have led to probable cause for his indictment in Pauline’s murder ([06:38]).

Memorable Quote:

"There is probable cause to believe that Pauline's death was not an accident... but an act of intimate, deliberate violence."
– Mark Davidson, District Attorney ([06:38])

Historical Record:
Case file (over 1,000 pages) to be made public at University of Tennessee at Martin ([07:42]).

Aftermath: Community Upheaval and Reactions [11:27–14:35]

Mike Elam’s Return to Adamsville:

• Elam describes “nightmare” fallout in Adamsville ([11:46]).
• The Buford Pusser Home and Museum closed quickly after the news broke, citing “family emergency” ([12:07]).
• Historic “ambush site” markers removed/stolen within hours ([12:50]).
• Mike receives threats, hate mail, and legal threats from Buford’s relatives, but also experiences local gratitude ([13:22], [14:00]).

Memorable Quote:

"It's kind of like, look, dude, obviously I did know something because we finally got justice for Pauline."
– Mike Elam ([13:48])

Dissecting the Official Timeline and Evidence [14:35–19:40]

Newly Released Buford Statements:

• The mysterious 4:30 AM phone call that supposedly set up the “ambush” ([14:35]).
• Contradiction: Buford claimed Pauline was shot in the forehead but autopsy shows bullet entered the back of her head ([16:01]).
• Buford, though wounded, drove past the nearest hospital, possibly to avoid FBI/jurisdictional complications ([16:36]).
• Buford’s behavior — searching for the blue Cadillac instead of heading immediately for help ([16:57]).

Skeptical TBI Interview:
Why didn’t Buford fire his gun during the attack? His convoluted response fails to convince; the TBI concludes the crime scene was staged ([17:03]).

Mike Elam’s Theory:

1. No ambush occurred.
2. Buford shot Pauline himself.
3. Story was constructed to fit forensic inconsistencies ([18:25]).

The Larger Question:
What happens to the Buford Pusser legend now that the facts widely undermine it?

Legacy and Community Division [20:11–28:25]

Mike Elam’s Proposal ([20:11])

• Keep the museum but update it to reflect both Pauline’s story and Buford’s real-life impact.
• Acknowledge both the inspiration and the myth, allowing for more honest community healing.

“I would suggest that they rename it...and use it to tell the real story and to honor Pauline...but also give equal time to the good that he did.”
– Mike Elam ([20:11])

Perspectives from Buford’s Defenders: Steve Sweat ([22:11–27:50])

• Background: Steve Sweat, state-renowned Pusser historian and loyalist, attended the press conference.
• Viewpoint: Remains unconvinced by TBI’s findings — attributes conclusions to theory, not fact.
  • Downplays evidence discrepancies, chalks up Buford’s odd behavior to trauma/shock ([24:47]).
  • Suggests Pauline’s broken nose could be explained by past wrestling injuries ([26:23]).
  • Sees TBI process as a waste, refutes claims of abuse ([26:23], [27:02]).

“People are just so disgusted with why the TBI did this, you know, after 60 years and all the cases that they could be working on.”
– Steve Sweat ([27:02])

• Legacy Fears: Worries that the legend — and museum — could be erased if not protected from political winds; offers to buy the museum to secure the narrative ([27:50]).

“I've always said good, bad, right or wrong, it's McNairy County's history.”
– Steve Sweat ([27:50])

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Need for Truth:
  • “This case is not about tearing down a legend. It is about giving dignity and closure to Pauline and her family and ensuring that the truth is not buried with time. The truth matters. Justice matters. Even 58 years later, Pauline deserves both.”
    – Mark Davidson ([08:11])
• On Community Backlash:
  • “It’s a nightmare down there.”
    – Mike Elam ([11:46])
• On Museum’s Reaction:
  • “They closed on Friday, claiming that it was a family emergency. I think they were just doing anything they could to get out of the public view for a while.”
    – Mike Elam ([12:07])
• On Historic Marker Removal:
  • “Unless you know where it is, there’s nothing to tell you that anything happened there.”
    – Mike Elam ([13:05])
• On the Myth vs. the Evidence:
  • “History must be measured against the facts in plain view.”
    – Mark Davidson ([07:26])

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Reflections and Epilogue [28:25–End]

Jed Lipinski closes by pondering the human side of the legend’s unraveling — wondering what Buford felt as his myth grew and whether he ever felt guilt, while acknowledging the enduring divide between folklore (“history to be defended”) and revealed fact (“myth to be expelled”).

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Episode Segment Timestamps

• [01:07] Announcement of TBI and DA findings
• [03:09] Press conference begins
• [04:12–05:38] Forensic evidence and contradictions in Buford’s story
• [06:38] DA concludes probable cause to charge Buford
• [07:42] Public release of case file discussed
• [08:11] Remarks on justice for Pauline & the meaning of the case
• [11:27–14:35] Fallout and community reaction
• [14:35–19:40] Examination of new evidence; contradictions in Buford’s behavior and statements
• [20:11] Mike Elam’s suggestions for reconciling museum and legend’s legacy
• [22:11–27:50] Steve Sweat’s defense of Buford, pushback from supporters, and legacy concerns
• [28:25–End] Jed’s reflections on the intersection of story, myth, and history

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Tone

The episode maintains a somber, investigative, and at times emotional tone—capturing both the satisfaction of long-sought truth and the pain of upending a much-loved regional icon. Both supporting and dissenting voices are given space, but the weight of forensic evidence and official findings anchor the story.

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Transcript

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[Mike Elam]

Hey Jed, Mike Elam. I just got word that the District Attorney and the TBI is going to make an announcement about all this concerning Buford Pauline's murder. It's going to happen on Friday. Talk to you then.

[Jed Lipinski]

That's Mike Elam. It was late afternoon on August 27th and Mike was calling to say that in two days time, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the district attorney in McNary County, Tennessee were going to announce the results of their year long investigation into the murder of Sheriff Buford pusser's wife, Pauline, 58 years and 15 days after she died. Mike planned to be there when it happened. He and his wife Connie were currently driving From Arkansas to McNary County, a trip they've made dozens of times before. But this time they were in a hurry.

[Mike Elam]

Mike, you're scaring the shit out of. I'm being careful.

[Jed Lipinski]

Mike began his investigation into Pauline's murder more than a quarter century ago. He arguably knows more about the crime and its aftermath than any person alive. In fact, Tennessee law enforcement's decision to reopen the investigation into Pauline's cold case was motivated in large part by information Mike gave them. And now, a year and a half after Pauline's body was exhumed from its resting place beside her husband, the TBI was prepared to announce their findings. The legend of Sheriff Buford Pusser was hanging in the balance. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South.

[Dr. Mary Claire Haver]

This is being live streamed right now.

[Jed Lipinski]

For anybody who is watching and wants.

[Dr. Mary Claire Haver]

To watch on Facebook, on General Davidson's.

[Jed Lipinski]

Facebook page and also on TBI's Facebook page.

[Dr. Mary Claire Haver]

All the media outlets who are here.

[Podcast Advertisers (Various)]

Today, you will see.

[Jed Lipinski]

The press conference to announce the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations findings into the murder of Pauline Pusser took place on August 29th. The speakers for the day included Mark Davidson, the Attorney General for the district, including McNary county, and David Rauch, the Director of the Tennessee Bureau of investigation. At exactly 11am Central Time, Davidson walked to the podium.

[Mark Davidson]

Thank you all for being here. I'm Mark Davidson. I'm the District Attorney General for the 25th Judicial District. It's been said that the dead cannot cry out for justice. It is the duty of the living to do so. In this case, that duty has been carried out. 58 years later, justice for Pauline has been a long time coming. And thanks to all the hard work put in by so many, we're finally able to announce to Pauline's surviving family and to the public that we believe we are as close as possible to justice.

[Jed Lipinski]

Davidson said that the TBI had begun re examining decades old files on Pauline's death three years ago as part of its regular review of cold cases. But agents had found some inconsistencies between Buford's statements and the physical evidence. Then they got a tip about a potential murder weapon. That led them to exhume Pauline's body for an autopsy and take a deeper look at the case. As part of the investigation, the TBI hired a team of experts to review crime scene photographs, postmortem images, the prior medical examiner's notes, and statements from Buford and his chief deputy. One of those experts was Dr. Michael Revell, a respected Tennessee medical examiner and ER physician. His conclusion? Buford's story didn't line up.

[Mark Davidson]

I'll give you several examples. Dr. Ravello opines that cranial trauma suffered by Pauline Pusser depicted in crime scene photographs, does not match interior crime scene photographs of the vehicle. Dr. Revelle opines that blood spatter on the hood outside of the vehicle contradicts Beeford Pusser's statements. Dr. Ravel opines that the gunshot wound to Buford Pusser's cheek was a close contact wound, not long range as Buford Pusser described, and likely self inflicted.

[Jed Lipinski]

In other words, the supposed ambush likely never happened. Instead, the blood on the hood suggested someone shot Pauline outside the car and then put her inside. The wound to Buford's face meanwhile suggested that he'd shot himself and staged the crime scene to look like an ambush. Davidson didn't go into detail about the results of Pauline's autopsy, but he shared a significant finding One that seemed to support the idea put forth by Mike Elam and several people who knew Pauline that Buford had abused her prior to her death. The autopsy, Davidson said, revealed what he described as a, quote, healing nasal fracture on the right side of her nose, a type of injury he said most commonly results from interpersonal trauma. In the DA's opinion, all of this was enough for probable cause, enough that if Buford were alive, they would have asked a McNary county grand jury to indict him for Pauline's murder.

[Mark Davidson]

That obviously cannot happen. But there is probable cause to believe that Pauline's death was not an accident, not an act of chance, but based on the totality of the TBI investigative file, an act of intimate, deliberate violence.

[Jed Lipinski]

Davidson added that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation doesn't typically make its investigative files public, but in this case, they decided to make an exception for a few reasons. First, the file was over 1000 pages long and contained 248 statements. It was simply too big to adequately convey its findings in a press conference. The second reason was that Buford's version of events told through movies and books had been public for decades.

[Mark Davidson]

This case and those retellings generated substantial public interest and placed Pauline's murder in an historical but inaccurate posture that history must be measured against the facts in plain view.

[Jed Lipinski]

The case file was still in the process of being redacted, Davidson said, but once the process was complete, it would be transferred to the University of Tennessee at Martin, who would become its official custodians, ensuring that generations of scholars, historians and citizens alike would have access to it. In closing, Davidson seemed to address Buford's supporters, who were likely to view the TBI's findings as. As merely the latest attempt to sully Buford's reputation.

[Mark Davidson]

This case is not about tearing down a legend. It is about giving dignity and closure to Pauline and her family and ensuring that the truth is not buried with time. The truth matters. Justice matters. Even 58 years later, Pauline deserves both.

[Jed Lipinski]

Davidson was followed by the TBI's director, who was followed in turn by Pauline's younger brother, an elderly man named Griffin Mullins. In a video statement, Griffin said he knew trouble had been brewing in Pauline's marriage, but that she wasn't one to talk about her problems. For that reason, he wasn't totally shocked by the findings. As he put it, I think I can lay down tonight and have some peace in my mind. With that, the press conference was over. Within hours, it was national news. The Associated Press, ABC News, and the Washington Post all ran with the findings that the famous Walking Tall sheriff had in all likelihood killed his wife. I wasn't there for the press conference, but Mike Elam was. Authorities had just validated his life's work, but now he and everyone else would have to grapple with the aftermath.

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[Von Miller]

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[Jed Lipinski]

What's up?

[Draymond Green]

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[Jed Lipinski]

The results of the investigation into Pauline Pusser's murder were announced on a Friday. It wasn't until Saturday that we caught up with Mike Elam, the man whose own investigation into the Buford Pusser legend had helped put the whole thing in motion. Yeah, tell me about what is happening down there.

[Mike Elam]

It's a nightmare down there.

[Jed Lipinski]

According to Mike the TBI's announcement had thrown the city of Adamsville and, to some degree, his life, into disarray. For example, he said the Buford Pusser Home and Museum, a Graceland esque shrine to Buford's life, had shut its doors just hours after the news broke.

[Mike Elam]

I was there on Saturday morning to get some video footage of the outside of the museum because they closed on Friday, claiming that it was a family emergency. I think they were just doing anything they could to get out of the public view for a while.

[Jed Lipinski]

The museum's manager later said that her brother had been hospitalized for liver failure. But the timing had struck many as a bit coincidental. Months earlier, we had driven the route that Buford claimed he took the morning of the ambush that killed Pauline and wounded him. We'd stopped at the alleged ambush sites where historic markers laid out what supposedly happened. But according to Mike, those markers were now gone.

[Mike Elam]

I went to the ambush sites even prior to going to the museum, and they had already taken. Maybe the signs had been stolen, but the signs that the two ambush sites were already gone.

[Jed Lipinski]

Wow. Like the historic marker and the one that says ambush site.

[Mike Elam]

Yeah. Unless you know where it is, there's nothing to tell you that anything happened there.

[Jed Lipinski]

Wow. As could be expected, Mike was also receiving a new round of threats. Buford Pusser's grand nephew, who owns a nearby motorcycle shop, was threatening to sue him.

[Mike Elam]

Mike said he asked all of his people on his website to try and get my Facebook page and YouTube channel taken down. He's enraged that group. So I'm getting a lot of hate mail, emails, postings, how I don't know anything. Of course, that's the story they've been saying for the last 25 years. And it's kind of like, look, dude, obviously I did know something because we finally got justice for Pauline.

[Jed Lipinski]

From what Mike could tell, the TBI's announcement had left Buford supporters unmoved. They argued that the state was reviving old claims to malign a man who wasn't around to defend himself.

[Mike Elam]

A lot of people, on the other hand, are elated that it's finally out. You know, I watched some of the press coverage over there, and you had people that were saying, oh, Buford was a great guy. And then you had some said, you know, a lot of us have known this all along. It's just that nobody was interested in telling it. But, you know, it's been wild. I had people in restaurants walking up to me and recognizing me, I guess, from the YouTube videos I do and congratulating me on finally getting it done. Didn't think take this long.

[Jed Lipinski]

Yeah, I know. It did take quite a while. Mike appreciated the attention, but he was more interested in some new information the TBI had released the day of the press conference. Namely five pages of statements Buford had provided to authorities shortly after the murder. It was a tiny taste of the material contained in the case file. Mike had never seen them before and he was surprised, even shocked by certain details. The ambush was allegedly set in motion by an anonymous phone call placed at Buford's house at around 4:30am Reporting a disturbance at a local beer joint. Who the caller was and what he said has always been a mystery. But in his statement to the tbi, Buford quoted him directly. This is a friend of yours. The unknown man reportedly said. If you will come on down the state line road, you will run upon something either big or important. If you don't see it on the road, come on to Hollis Jordan's and I will see you there. Buford asked if this could wait till tomorrow. The unknown man said, no, it won't be there tomorrow. He said, I don't want to go into detail on the phone. Then there was the question of the bullet that killed Pauline. Buford told authorities that he was staring into Pauline's face when the fatal bullet struck her in the forehead. But Pauline's autopsy report, which was obtained by a local TV station, tells a different story.

[Mike Elam]

The autopsy report of course, disagrees with him now because it says that the entry wound was in the back of her skull.

[Jed Lipinski]

Another thing that always puzzled Mike was Buford's behavior in the aftermath of the ambush. His wife had just been shot in the head. He had just been shot in the face. There was an emergency room just a few miles away in Corinth, Mississippi, but Buford didn't go there. We talked about this a few months before in the car as Mike retraced the route Buford took that morning. So he drove on with his dead wife and his blown out cheek?

[Mike Elam]

Yep. Now when he got to the state line, had he turned to the left, he would have been close to a hospital. But he didn't want to cross that state line for some reason. Well, I think he wanted to avoid any chance that the FBI might become involved in the investigation if he crossed a state line.

[Jed Lipinski]

So instead, what did he do?

[Mike Elam]

He turned north and headed to Selmer.

[Jed Lipinski]

Instead of driving himself and his wife to the closest hospital, he, Buford drove back to Selmer, Tennessee. He ended up at a local hospital there. A Few hours later, where he was given a blood transfusion. Mike had always wondered, what was Buford doing in the hours that elapsed between the supposed ambush and his arrival at the hospital in Selmer? It turns out Buford provided an answer to the TBI back then. In a statement, he said he was driving around McNary county that whole time, searching for the blue Cadillac that ambushed them. Finally, there was the question of why Buford, who never hesitated to use firearms in the past, failed to fire a single shot at the men who attacked him on New Hope Road that morning. This was especially odd because by his own admission, Buford had a rifle on the floorboard and a.357 Magnum on his hip. The TBI agent interviewing Buford clearly found this fishy. He asked Buford why he didn't just pull his.357 when the ambush party stopped beside his car. Buford's response was typically convoluted. According to his statement, the shooter, after riddling Buford's car with bullets, had tried to fire again. But the rifle seemed to jam. So Buford said he leapt out of his car and grabbed ahold of the barrel in an effort to wrest it away from the guy. As Buford told the agent, he'd been shot and was in severe pain and didn't even think about the gun on his hip. At that point, the Cadillac sped away. In other words, rather than shoot his attackers with the gun on his hip, Buford had taken the suicidal risk of leaping out of his car and grabbing the rifle that had just killed his wife. Mike's theory about all this was one, there was no ambush. Two, Buford shot Pauline with the same rifle he claimed the ambushers used. And three, Buford told the cops he'd grabbed the rifle because he worried they might recover it someday and he needed an excuse for why his fingerprints were all over it. The TBI's investigation left little doubt that Buford had played a role in his wife's murder. But these revelations had to contend with decades of legend, folklore and and deep seated regional pride. The question now was, since the facts no longer support the legend, what happens to the legend? At the end of our conversation, Mike Elam turned to the subject of Buford Pusser's legacy. Now that the District Attorney had concluded Buford most likely killed his wife, what should the city of Adamsville do about all the things that bear Buford Pusser's name? Like the Buford Pusser Home and Museum, which currently portrays Buford as a hero who waged A one man war on the state line mob and lost his wife in an ambush. Mike suggested keeping the museum open, but revising the story it tells.

[Mike Elam]

I would suggest that they rename it in some way to incorporate both their names, that they take some of the important parts of what was done in the investigation as far as the evidence and all put that on display as far as posters, photos, whatever is in that file and use it to tell the real story and to honor Pauline. But at the same time, I would suggest that they give equal time to the good that he did, especially with. Even though his story was false, it inspired a lot of people to get into law enforcement and you can't nor should anyone try to take that away because it's an important part of the story to me. I mean, I'll look back at my years and everybody that was in law enforcement, you know, they looked up to the guy for what the movie showed him to be. And everybody wanted to be more like that stand up guy.

[Jed Lipinski]

As Mike was leaving the press conference that morning, he'd run into a man named Steve Sweat. Steve is one of Tennessee's biggest supporters of the Buford Pusser legend. He considers Mike Elam his nemesis. I asked Mike how Steve had taken the news.

[Mike Elam]

He was very subdued and I certainly didn't want to say I told you so. You know, that wouldn't have been proper. I just told him, I hope you understand this was all about Pauline, wasn't about Buford at all and trying to take him down. It was just. For me, it was solving a crime. And, you know, he seemed to be fine with it. I don't know how he feels about speaking out. Of course, you can always contact him and ask.

[Jed Lipinski]

I was curious how one of Buford Pusser's biggest fans had reacted to the news that Buford killed his wife. But I figured I'd give Steve some time to absorb it. When I reached out a few weeks later, Steve no longer seemed subdued. He was happy to talk now.

[Steve Sweat]

Are you in Louisiana?

I was. I'm up north now.

Okay, well, I'm on the hillside and that's why I'm out of breath. I've got cows and dogs and cats. I'm out taking care of all them walking around the hill here.

[Jed Lipinski]

I first spoke with Steve Sweat back in the summer of 2024. The TBI had exhumed Pauline's body a few months before, and Steve had been a vocal opponent of that decision. As you may recall from those earlier episodes, Steve worshiped Buford as a boy he saw Buford as a real life version of Matt Dillon, the fictional star of the TV show Gunsmoke, the long running western drama about Dodge city in the 1870s. As such, Steve had a deep emotional connection to the Pusser legend. He's even been recognized for it. A few years ago, the Tennessee State Senate unanimously adopted a joint resolution to name Steve the, quote, honorary state historian of the late Sheriff Buford Pusser. I asked what he made of the news.

[Steve Sweat]

I was just curious, you know, since we'd spoken back then to follow up with you and just ask what your reaction was to what the TBI and the DA announced a week or two ago.

Yeah, I was there at the press conference myself. And when this investigation started, my thinking back then was, you know, after 60 years, you know, I didn't feel like they were going to be able to find any proof that Sheriff Busser did this. And at the end of the day, after that press conference, that appeared to be the case.

[Jed Lipinski]

Steve's reaction was straightforward. The TBI and its experts may have reviewed the evidence, but as he'd expected, they'd failed to present any solid proof that Buford killed Pauline. He wasn't surprised by the outcome of the investigation, he said, because he'd been hearing the same theories and opinions since the day Pauline was killed over 58 years ago. In his mind, that's all the TBI's findings were, theories and opinions. Steve had read the statements that Buford made to law enforcement after the attack. I asked him what he thought about Buford's puzzling behavior that morning. Like the idea that Buford drove around town searching for the Cadillac while his wife lay dying beside him. Or that he'd grab the shooter's rifle instead of grabbing his own gun. Steve wasn't troubled by any of this. Buford had been shot in the face, he said his wife was dead beside him. The man wasn't in his right mind.

[Steve Sweat]

Well, the extent of his injuries, you know, I mean, this guy was in shock. He was bleeding to death, lost a terrible amount of blood. And, you know, I can't picture that he knew exactly what he did during that time.

[Jed Lipinski]

I asked Steve about the TBI's findings that Buford had staged the crime scene to make it look like an ambush.

[Steve Sweat]

And the last point was that two independent forensic experts described the evidence as indicative of a staged crime scene. So your thoughts about that?

Well, the best I could tell, they didn't know whose blood spatter that was.

So the blood spatter on the hood that they'd seen in these photographs. How do you think that got there?

Well, possibly Buford was outside the car when he was shot. I mean, that's. That's what it would look like. It could possibly be. And again, you know, I don't know. I'm just like what the TBI should be saying, you know, if they can't even identify whose blood that is, you know, they don't know. That's the take I came away with after that press conference. I don't know if it's Pauline's blood or Buford's blood.

[Jed Lipinski]

Lastly, I asked Steve what he made of the autopsy finding that Pauline had sustained a broken nose before her death, which caused the TBI to conclude she was a victim of domestic violence. Steve didn't know what to make of that, but he'd heard a rumor that Pauline, like Buford, had once been a wrestler and that years before, she may have broken her nose in the ring. Whatever the case, he doubted Buford was behind that.

[Steve Sweat]

I've never heard anyone say that they saw Buford being abusive to Pauline.

[Jed Lipinski]

Of course, Mike Elam heard from sources that Buford had abused Pauline in the months before she died. Dennis Hathcock, the local man we spoke with in the last episode, heard the same thing. Chances are the TBI has heard those accounts, too. But as of this writing, the case file remains sealed, and we don't know for sure. Steve Sweat was not alone in doubting the validity of the TBI's findings. A few weeks had passed since the press conference, but Steve says his phone had not stopped ringing.

[Steve Sweat]

You know, law officers, people that are retired, people that are still in office, they're calling. And the only side I've heard of it is that people are just so disgusted with why the TBI did this. You know, after 60 years and all the cases that they could be working on.

[Jed Lipinski]

Steve, like Mike Elam, was now focused on Buford's legacy. He worried that the younger generation of McNary county residents, people who never knew Buford personally, seemed content to tear down the legend. And since the state of Tennessee was no longer endorsing the Buford Pusser story, Steve was concerned the city of Adamsville might defund the museum. For that reason, Steve said he'd offered to buy it himself.

[Steve Sweat]

The statement I've made to several government officials is that home and museum, the success of it cannot depend on the next political election. It's going to have to be taken over, in my opinion, by an individual. You know, someone that says, this is Tennessee history. It's magna county history. I've always said good, bad, right or wrong, it's Macneck County's history. And because I would be the one to continue to tell those stories, the good things that possibly done.

[Jed Lipinski]

After my call with Steve Sweat, I thought about his use of the word history. The story Buford told began as just that, a story. It was a flimsy and pretty outlandish story that to many didn't add up. But when Buford wasn't arrested or prosecuted for his wife's death, the story began to grow. It became a best selling book and a hit movie which further validated the story. Then Buford died and soon his story had become part of Tennessee history. History that to people like Steve Sweat is truth to be defended but for Mike is a myth to be exp I haven't looked at the case file and I still can't say for certain that Buford shot Pauline that morning, though it sure looks that way. What's been occupying me lately is what Buford was thinking in the days, months and years after Pauline's death. If he did in fact kill Pauline. What was it like to watch the premiere of Walking Tall on the big screen and see a group of thugs shoot an actress playing her in the head? What was it like to sign autographs for hundreds of kids who saw him as their hero? Or to hear that men across the country were signing up to be cops because they wanted to be just like him? Was Buford overwhelmed by guilt? Was he desperate to tell someone the truth? Or did he somehow allow himself to believe the story too? If you have information, story tips or feedback you'd like to share with the Gone south team, please email [e-mail] that's gone southpodcastmail.com for bonus content, you can follow us on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram onsouthpodcast. You can also sign up for our newsletter on substack at Gone south with Jed Lipinski Gone south is an Odyssey original podcast. It's created, written and narrated by me, Jed Lipinski. Our executive producers are Leo Rees, Dennis, Maddy Sprung Keyser, and Lloyd Lockridge. Our story editor is Katie Mingle. Gone south is edited, mixed and mastered by Chris Basil. Production support from Ian Mont and Sean Cherry. Special thanks to Maura Curran, Josephina Francis, Kurt Courtney, and Hilary Schuff. Thank you for listening to Gone South.

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What's up guys? It's Candice Dillard Bassett, former Real Housewife of Potomac, and I'm Michael Arseneault, author.

[Jed Lipinski]

Of the New York Times bestseller I can't date Jesus. And this is Undomesticated, the podcast where we aren't just saying the quiet parts out loud.

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We're putting it all on the kitchen table and inviting you to the function. If you're ready for some bold takes and a little bit of chaos, welcome to Undomesticated. Follow and listen to Undomesticated, available wherever you get your podcasts.