In this episode of Zone 7, crime scene investigator Sheryl McCollum sits down with Danny Cupples, a decorated death investigator and Southern crime-fighting legend, to examine one of Tennessee’s most haunting cases.

They retrace the exact path Sheriff Buford Pusser took that night, analyzing every detail with fresh eyes and modern forensics. They explore high-velocity blood spatter, missing pools of blood, and unusual wound trajectories. Sheryl and Danny delve into long-whispered secrets of the Dixie Mafia, question the motives behind Pauline’s exhumation after 50 years, and reveal how far the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has gone to uncover the truth.

Danny Cupples is a certified forensic death investigator and Tennessee’s first Chief Death Investigator. He has trained New York City’s elite forensic teams, teaches infant death investigations at MTSU, and serves on a newly formed cold case unit. He also co-created the life-saving Locator Bulb.

Listeners can learn more about Danny Cupples at The Locator 911, and on Linkedin @DannyCupples