NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) exhumed the body of famed former Tennessee Sheriff Pauline Pusser after a tip.
According to the TBI, an autopsy was never performed on Pauline’s body. However, a recent tip led investigators to review the case file.
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With support from Pauline’s family, the TBI requested the exhumation of her body in an attempt to answer “critical questions and provide crucial information” and exhumed her body on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Metro Nashville’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Feng Li, explained a body left decaying for decades could be found in any condition.
He said the state of a decaying body depends on several factors, including environment, embalming, and the quality of the casket.
“If it is well preserved, on the other hand, as I said I personally experienced, we can still see the impact on the body, with the skin, sometimes with the organs, and with the tissue,” Li said.