Crime Alert, I'm John Lemley. We begin this hour in Tennessee, where investigators have

rewritten a story once thought to be legend. The late sheriff, Buford Pusser, long celebrated

as a fearless lawman and the inspiration for the film Walking Tall, is now believed to have

murdered his wife nearly 60 years ago.

New findings from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation indicate that Pusser killed Pauline Mullen's

Pusser in 1967, then staged the scene to look like an ambush by organized crime.

The sheriff's original account claimed that the

couple was attacked while driving near the New Hope Methodist Church. Pauline was killed instantly,

and Pusser was hospitalized with a facial gunshot wound. The case was closed within days.

But investigators reopening the file uncovered major inconsistencies.

Forensic testing suggests Pauline was shot outside the vehicle then placed inside.

Blood spatter patterns on the hood didn't align with Pusser's story, and his own wound

appears to have been self-inflicted at close range.

An autopsy reveals signs of prior injury, suggesting Pauline may have been a victim of domestic

violence before her death. Prosecutors say that if Pusser were alive today, there would be enough

evidence to present the case to a grand jury.

The discovery has stunned those who saw Pusser as a folk hero of law enforcement,

while bringing long-awaited clarity to Pauline's surviving family.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation plans to make the more than 1,000-page case file public through the University

of Tennessee at Martin. Thanks, John. For the latest crime and justice news, go to

crimeonline.com, and please join us for our daily podcast, crime stories. More crime

and justice news after this.

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