Shocking Forensic Twist: Inside the Reopened Pauline Pusser Murder Case (Part 2)

2025-11-05

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For more than fifty years, the official story stood unchallenged. Modern forensic science is now putting it to the test. In 1967, Sheriff Buford Pusser and his wife, Pauline, were ambushed on a rural Tennessee road, an attack that inspired the basis for the "Walking Tall" films. In part two, Sheryl McCollum continues her conversation with Mike Elam, Jason White, Dennis Hathcock, and Danny Cupples, as they revisit the physical evidence and confront the inconsistencies that have haunted this case for decades. For more background on the Pusser...

For more than fifty years, the official story stood unchallenged. Modern forensic science is now putting it to the test.

In 1967, Sheriff Buford Pusser and his wife, Pauline, were ambushed on a rural Tennessee road, an attack that inspired the basis for the "Walking Tall" films.

In part two, Sheryl McCollum continues her conversation with Mike Elam, Jason White, Dennis Hathcock, and Danny Cupples, as they revisit the physical evidence and confront the inconsistencies that have haunted this case for decades.

For more background on the Pusser case, listen to Sheryl’s previous "Zone 7" episodes:

Sheriff Buford Pusser: The Other Story Featuring Guest Mike Elam
Tennessee Ambush: The Death of Pauline Pusser
New Eyewitness Testimony Laid Bare: The Ambush That Killed Pauline Pusser (Part 1 of 2)

Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl welcomes listeners to Zone 7 and recaps recent developments in the Pauline Pusser case
(1:15) Jason notes that Pauline was never formally examined despite an established coroner system being in place at the time
(2:45) Jason explains that the lack of urgency following Pauline’s death defied every norm for an officer-involved homicide
(5:15) Mike describes contradictions between Buford Pusser’s official statements and the public storytelling that fueled the “ambush legend”
(10:00) The panel discusses unanswered question about ballistic evidence and TBI’s new transparency in the reopened case
(13:30) Danny reviews limited medical records describing Pauline’s injuries and challenges the accuracy of the recorded wound descriptions
(16:45) Blood-pattern evidence on the car hood contradicts claims that all shots were fired inside the vehicle
(19:00) The team examines blood spatter on the car’s hood and notes the lack of motion, raising questions about whether Buford’s wound could have been self-inflicted
(24:45) Domestic context: Pauline was preparing to leave; daughter Diane hears a “pop”; Pauline’s shows appear oddly placed inside the car
(33:30) The discussion turns to whether TBI will review the Louise Hathcock homicide to better understand the broader case context
(44:30) Sheryl and guests conclude part 2 with gratitude and perspective, reflecting on how modern forensic analysis and friendship have carried this case forward

Guest Bios:

Mike Elam is a former Benton County Sheriff’s Deputy and author. His book, "Buford Pusser: The Other Story," traces his own cold case investigation into the 1967 ambush that killed Pauline Pusser.

Jason White is a veteran homicide detective with the Tulsa Police Department, a featured investigator on A&E’s "The First 48," and the podcast host of KGRA’s "Into the Fire."

Danny Cupples is Tennessee’s first Chief Death Investigator and a certified forensic death investigator who has trained elite forensic teams in New York. Danny teaches infant death investigations at MTSU and continues to serve on a cold case unit.

Dennis Hathcock was a teenager when he saw Sheriff Buford Pusser on the night of the ambush and later discovered critical evidence along New Hope Road.

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About the Host

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, forensic and crime scene expert for "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace," and co-author of the textbook, "Cold Case: Pathways to Justice." She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.

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