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:
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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[Feature Photo: Investigators look at the Pussers’ vehicle after the supposed ‘ambush.’ Inset: Pauline Mullins Pusser/Tennessee Bureau of Investigation]
