Ambush Introduction
The morning August 12, 1967 would be as controversial as it was tragic for the Pusser family. Pauline Pusser was shot and killed and Buford had his chin blown half off and nearly bled to death on New Hope Road in McNairy County. The actual event bore little resemblance to the depiction in the movie, “Walking Tall," but Hollywood could not make up a plot line and make it believable as the real story.
Buford had enemies, and not just those on the state-line, but also many in Selmer--including former McNairy Sheriff Clifford Coleman. During Coleman’s tenure as sheriff, the state-line joints ran wide open. Coleman’s hand-picked successor, James Dickey, was killed in a single-car accident a week before the election after leaving the Shamrock Motel and the company of Lousie Hathcock. Had he lived, Dickey most likely would not have taken office in 1964 anyway. He was scheduled to be indicted for bootlegging the following Monday before the election date.
In December 1964, Buford was involved in a coordinated raid with Alcorn County Mississippi Sheriff W. C. Wilbanks on the Shamrock Motel and Restaurant (pdf-file). Less than two years later, in February 1966, Buford would shoot and kill Louise Hathcock at the same motel (Shamrock Shooting). In January 1967, Pusser pulled over a car and was shot with a small caliber pistol by an unidentified assailant who then sped away. In May 1967, on a tip from Junior Smith, Buford would find a trailer parked behind the Old Hickory Club (owned by Smith) filled with untaxed whiskey. Carl Hathcock (arrest pdf, appeal pdf) was arrested along with two others.
Motivation
Both sides of the state lines were filled with enough hate of Pusser that motivation was easy to find. From closing stills to the killing of Louise Hathcock, and raids on the Shamrock and White Iris, many had plenty of reasons for wanting Buford dead.
Rumors...
As soon as news of the ambush hit the streets, Buford’s detractors in Selmer and in the state line joints began whispering that Pusser killed his wife. The haze of innuendo, myth, and lies continues even to this day.
Unsolved?
This is a complex story. W R Morris claims the Dixie Mafia was hired by the state line to take Pusser out. The TBI and other law enforcement believe it was the state-liners themselves. And former sheriff Clifford Coleman and state liners claim Buford Pusser killed Pauline.
Chapter Ambush