Case 43 - Part 1 - The Death of Buford Pusser

Buford Pusser was elected sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, on a platform of cleaning up the county, which was regarded as the most corrupt, crime-ridden county in the state, if not the U.S. by some local citizens. According to locals, several organized-crime rings, based mainly in Nashville, ran the criminal enterprises in McNairy County, including gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, narcotics, auto theft, etc. Pusser was a former amateur wrestler while living in Chicago, who locals perceived as tough as nails and incorruptible, which was a major departure from the image some prior local officials had. Although there were never any witnesses, Pusser claimed there were several attempts to carry out a contract on his life. The most serious incident occurred when the car he and his wife was riding in was ambushed; his wife was killed and he was shot in the chin requiring substantial surgery and a major facial reconstruction to repair his chin as well as damage caused in several high speed accidents. Pusser died in 1974 when the Corvette he was driving veered off the road at over 100 mph and crashed. Though It was officially ruled an accident, some locals believed he had been deliberately run off the road in a successful assassination attempt. The case was quickly closed and the records sealed by court order. So what really happened??