<P> Pusser never brought Kirksey Nix or any of the accused to justice . Nix was sentenced to the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola for the Easter Saturday 1971 murder of New Orleans grocer Frank J. Corso . Nix was later involved in the 1987 murder - for - hire of Judge Vincent Sherry and his wife Margaret, in Biloxi, Mississippi . His co-conspirator, Biloxi Mayor Pete Halat, had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from Nix and blamed it on his law partner, Judge Sherry . Nix ordered a hit from prison and was later sentenced to isolation for the rest of his life . Nix has repeatedly refused to comment about Pusser's claims that he was one of Pauline Pusser's killers . </P> <P> Pusser died on August 21, 1974 from injuries sustained in a one - car automobile accident . Earlier in the day, Pusser had contracted with Bing Crosby Productions in Memphis to portray himself in the sequel to Walking Tall . That evening, returning home alone from the McNairy County Fair in his specially modified Corvette, Pusser struck an embankment at high speed that ejected him from the vehicle . The car caught fire and burned . </P> <P> Local speculation as to the cause included rumours of sabotage to the steering mechanism and the tie - rods . The State Trooper who worked the accident, Paul Ervin, later became McNairy County sheriff . Both Pusser's mother Helen (1908--1987) and his daughter Dwana (1961 - 2018) believed he was murdered . Dwana, a passenger in another car, came upon the scene of the accident moments later . No autopsy of Pusser's body was performed . As sheriff, Pusser was credited with surviving seven stabbings and eight shootings . Pusser's memorial service was held at the Adamsville Church of Christ . </P> <P> Location of crash site: 35 ° 12 ′ 21" N 88 ° 27 ′ 35.7" W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.20583 ° N 88.459917 ° W ﻿ / 35.20583; - 88.459917 ﻿ (Buford Pusser crash / death site) </P>

Where does the last name kirksey come from