Was Buford murdered?


Some say yes and some say no. What is the opinion here?

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From what I know of the situation in McNairy County at the time, it's difficult to believe that he was murdered. He wa driving a very light car on a narrow highway so it would have been easy to loose control and have an accident. The car provided very little protection in the crash so his death was not a surprise. However, it's not out of the question that someone wanted him taken out. He had no lack of enemies in the area. Personally, I think it was just an untimely death.

I was a kid when they shot the movies around here in Jackson. I loved the first one the best with Jo Don Baker. He was great.

Joel

Jackson, TN

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I moved to McNairy County from L.A. (don't ask)about 4 years ago. I've been considering doing a documentary about him - what he was REALLY like and what REALLY happened during that period, according to the people who knew him. About half of the people in the county loved him and think he was murdered and about half didn't like him and believe it was just an accident. I've seen many families "divided" on what happened to him. His daughter, Dwana maintains that he was murdered. He certainly made a lot of people angry enough for that to happen. However, he drove like a maniac. Combine that with a Corvette and an attitude that he wouldn't get stopped by local authorities, it's easy to agree with the folks that believe it was just an accident. I lived in Memphis as a kid and remember seeing the result of his accident on the news. I've talked to dozens of people who knew him and there's some AMAZING stories that definitely contradict the "official story" and the movies. When I was a kid, I looked at him as a hero. I think of him now as even more of a hero, since dealing with a lot of these McNairy County people. Moonshining is still a booming business here, although now the "drug of choice" is meth. Numerous times, while riding my 4-wheeler on property owned by International Paper, I've come across abandoned stills, as well as remnants of "portable" meth labs. Since a good amount of people around here refuse to work, they like to come to your house and "relieve" you of your own property. I honestly believe that, per capita, I saw less crime in L.A. than here. I guess that's why this is such a "charming" community! LOL! I believe it was an untimely death, also. I understand that Buford was supposed to star in the third "installment" of Walking Tall. I would have loved to have seen that!

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In the movie, Buford got a call late one night about an incident and he took his wife when he responded. It was supposedly a "set up" and he was ambushed: he was shot up badly and his wife was killed. I've talked to numerous people, including a person who worked at the shop where his car was taken, who say that ALL of the holes in the car from the bullets were extended OUTWARD - meaning that ALL of the shots came from INSIDE his car. In addition, the bullet holes were all in the roof or just below the roof of the car - meaning that they were at an angle that had to come from the front seat; that they couldn't have come from outside of the car and in particular, another car. Plus, there were two guns found in Buford's car. The first time I heard this I was shocked and didn't believe it. Then I heard it again, and again, and again. All of these people had seen the car "first hand"...I guess everyone around here had to go take a look at it. Granted, folks around here are not CSI's...but we do know one thing - and that's guns...and bullets...and what bullets do....heck, that's three things we know. I guess we're not as backwards as I thought! Anyway, a lot of the people went on to say that Buford and his wife fought like crazy all of the time and that she thought he had a girlfriend that he was going to see before the family went on vacation the next day - that's why she went out on the "call" with him. Some believe that he was mad that his wife was "on to his scheme" and the shooting was a result of this and others think that they went out on an actual call, got into a fight with one another and the shootings were a result. I'm not infering or insinuating anything here and definitely not accusing him of anything - this is what the folks in McNairy say.

Also, many people say that the reason he decided to run for sheriff and put all the "illegal activities" out of business was that when he initially moved back here, he tried to "muscle in" on the activities, take over and get all the money - but it backfired on him and he got severly beaten. Buford was known in high school as a ruthless bully. They go on to say that when he became sheriff, he ended-up getting the money from these illegal activities by letting them stay in business. When he started taking more and more and more, they decided to "get rid of him". I take all these stories with a "grain of salt", but what I CAN say is that all of these folks knew Buford and many of them aren't the type who you would think would lie, make up stories or even gossip. A lot of them you have to "drag the story out of them".

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Kparham has no knowledge of anything. The speculation he puts forwrd is all in his mind. No one thinks or speculates what he states. It is a lie, mad up by a sick person trying to have some fun on the net. disregurd nything posted by this person.

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I like your commits ride on . I like to see his grave site where is Mcnary county

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McNairy County is in West Tennessee, about 80 miles east of Memphis and just above the Mississippi border at Corinth, Miss. I used to live in Selmer, TN for a couple years and it's located in McNairy County. It's just south of Jackson, TN. His house is a museum and it's located in Adamsville, TN, a short drive from Selmer, TN. I've driven that road between Selmer and Adamsville numerous times and that's where he crashed his car. The corner is not very sharp at all, he should have made the turn just fine. It seemed to be thought by just about everyone that someone had tampered with the brakes on his car and that's what caused him to miss the turn. Or that someone ran him off the road. Pretty amazing guy. One of my instructors at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN was in the original movie. His daughter owns a restaurant in Adamsville named Pusser's at the time I lived there. She cracked me up, big gal, big hair, lots of makeup. Lots of pictures and stuff of Buford in the restaurant though.

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Where do you live in McNairy County? I lived in Selmer.

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Just a stupid question from a german.
What means "Moonshining"?

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Moonshining is the production and transportation of illegal whiskey. The practice got its name because it was done at night, "in the Moon's Shine".

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A 'vette is a light car that offered little protection...

Wow.

The things you learn on IMDB!

(For those unaware, the 'vette weighed 3500lbs in that era...sans fuel and a 250lb driver...)

http://www.libertydwells.com

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According to wikipedia his blood alc level was twice the limit. and he was traveling at a high speed in a souped up vette. And no seat belt.

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Buford was not a great driver. He turned over his cop car more then once! I think that he just lost control of the car.

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I sincerely believe that we will never really know whether Buford was really murdered or it was just a freak accident. Unfortunately, small towns like where he died do not have the technology to do and complete an in depth investigation. But lets not forget that Buford was a real life hero!

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Knowing the corruption in goverment,that Tennessee has been known for from Memphis to Nashville clear up to the Smokey Mtns.I have come to the conclusion.That former McNairy County Sheriff Buford H Pusser was murdered on that August nite in 1974,in that firey car crash.I heard from those who knew him personally and yes he did drive fast,but was able to maintain control of his vehicle and was a careful driver!The investigation in my opinion was botched and covered up by state officials.Mr Pusser along with (JFK) (RFK) &(MLK) some day the truth will be known about all of the above listed suspicious cases and what really happened to them!

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It would be interesting to find out what the report of the accident says.What was the condition of the vehicle's brake lines and steering mechanism? I understand that the Corvette burned to the ground,but solid steel parts (like tie rod ends) dont burn up.

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Paul, The answers to that, is at Carbo's police musuem in Pigeon Forge,TN. They have the car on display, along with parts from the car, I think, one tie rod is displayed and shows where it ( broke, was cut) depending on how you look at the whole wreck...

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Wendil, you like conspiracy theories dont you?

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Buford was just as corrupt as the people he was fighting. Then they decided to make a movie about him that he himself helped with? That's pure self-aggrandizement. Plus you don't uphold the law by going on car chases.

I heard stories about Buford and what I hear is that he wasn't the goody two shoes that everybody claimed.

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I have to start by saying, being from East Tennessee, I grew up hearing about Buford Pusser, and become a BIG fan of him, and the movies, I've done alot of reading, (I own about every book about him and the area). when i started researching things, I had a rather closed mind (i didn't know it).. But I found out, by looking at things different I did.. I'm going to have to defend "Kparham" and what was said on here, Maybe we don't want to hear things, and really don't want to believe these things. BUT there's no cause to call "Kparham" a liar.. we don't know what happened in Mcnairy County at that time.. I've found 2 stories out of that time, And alot more questions.. I'm not buying Hollywood's story. and i don't want to believe the other, But the truth will stand.. There's No need in being nasty on here to each other, because we don't agree with what one says...

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I do Have one problem with "Kparham's" story... The bullet holes ALL being from the INSIDE? DO you have or have you seen pictures of the car?? I DO have and have seen other pictures of the car, and i'm going to disagree with bullet holes, The ones I see clearly are from the OUTSIDE of the car, Most are low on the door, or in the door frames, I'm NOT going to get in to a "he said she said battle" I'm going on evidence I've seen.. what about you?

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Hello fyrball1052! What part of East Tennessee are you from? I'm from Kingsport!

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Bristol, here

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In "The State Line Mob", the author notes that Buford Pusser did in fact have an affair with another woman.

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To be fair, Morris wrote that AFTER he had a falling out with the Pusser family.

Morris changed his tune drastically between "Twelfth of August" (book that culminates with the death of Pauline) and "State Line Mob", where he turns Carl DOuglas "Towhead" White into a quasi-hero.

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Ok whether you belive me or not Bufford Pusser was my moms cousin and he died in a car accident before i was born. And yes most of my family still lives in McNairy county, finger, TN to be precise, and i go there to visit them every so often.

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I not going to stick my neck out and say I know that his car was sabotaged but in my opinion it probably was. I believe that it was done in retribution for Buford killing Louise Hathcock at the Shamrock Hotel on February 1, 1966. There are some good books by Author W.R. Morris That go alot deeper into Pusser's Life and the state line mob.

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There is alot that we may never know.My college roommate is from TN,which is funny because we never really talked until I was watching Walking Tall on TBS one night. I heard plenty of stories from his parents and grandparents about Bufford Pusser...some good,some bad.They basically said that it all depends on who you talk to,as he was loved by many people and hated by many people.Also that the movies are about 70% accurate from recolections,to spice it up for Hollywood...of course there is alot that only those who where there truly know.Although not being from there,I know how small towns work and how people talk.I have done some work off and on this after being drawn in by the movie and the stories.I can say though that this is a case that we may never really know what happened.

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as to the question of was buford murdered yes i actually believe he was murdered and always will

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Yea he was probably murdered. He certainly made enough people in that area mad at him. As for him being this pure honest lawman, naw. I am too young to remember him but my dad does.He didn't live in Mcnairy county but hung out there alot during that time. He said Buford was a decent guy but let of the moonshiners and such alone because they either paid him or gave him info on others.

The story I heard about his wife kinda mixed both theory's. I heard he paid someone to kill his wife but that doesn't make since as I don't think I would want someone to shoot at my wife if I wanted her dead while i was sitting in the car beside her. Who knows? All in all he cleaned up a corrupt county pretty good but you can never get it all out.

I never met him personally but years ago like when I was a kid Buford came to Martin Tn. for some reason. The mayor at the time owned a trucking company that also had a restaurant on their lot that most people went to eat at on Friday nights. ( Agco- Collier Trucking for those who know something about Martin) We're sitting there and Buford and the Mayor walk in, I didn't realise who he wasn until dad told me. They had an autographed photo there for a long time after that. I alwasy thought that was neat.

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She might have been there "the night he died" but she was not there WHEN he died, so she has absolutely no possible way of knowing whether he was killed or not. Sorry pal.

Clearly you don't know "everything about his life".

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No. People have a hard time accepting the fact that someone who was so much larger than life died in such a routine way as a car accident as a result of his own carelessness. No facts from the accident or anything else seem to give any actual evidence to the fact that he was murdered. People say his car was tampered with but the day he died his car was parked at a county fair with thousands of people around, surely at least one person would have seen someone tampering with the car of the most famous person at the fair. People say that while Buford was driving fast Buford always drove fast and was safer at high speeds than most people driving the speed limit. The truth is Buford was driving a new car that he wasn't familiar driving yet, a model whos front and would lift up causing the exact kind of accident that Buford had when driven at unsafe speeds. I'm no car expert but I do know its just stupid to push a new car too fast before giving it time to get "broke in," Buford also had been drinking at the fair, in the heat, all day and ate two sandwitches which he left sitting in the heat in his car all day after leaving the fair. All factors which contributed to his death. While its tragic and sad that he died so young but I'm sorry to say there has never been and probably never will be any real evidence to even indicate that Buford was murdered.

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It was the "sandwitches" that did him in. Eat crysalized silicon and "some witches" and I'd like to see how you wind up. 24 hours later anyway...

I never expect to know the truth behind Pusser's death nor do I really want to know. There is so much urban legend around this whole thing that I doubt anyone will ever know.

Bottom line for me is that his character and his historical figure represented what was good and just. Don't know about the reality and don't care. I admire how he responded to threats and how he did his job. If I read the history correctly, he had more guts than I ever hope to have. Face your enemies, take them on at their level and yours, and leave the outcome to come what may.

It don't get any ballsier than that! May he always "walk tall"!



" I got tired of being a trained animal in somebody else's circus."

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"a model whos front and would lift up causing the exact kind of accident that Buford had when driven at unsafe speeds. I'm no car expert but"

LMAO, but at least you are correct in your self assessment that you are "no car expert"

After that gut buster I almost couldn't control myself when I read your sandwich theory......GEEZUS

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