Suspect arrested after deputy found shot dead in her burning home, Tennessee cops say

A Tennessee man has been charged with first degree murder and aggravated arson in connection with the shooting of a Robertson County sheriff’s deputy in Springfield, Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

James Jackson Conn, 27, was arrested Monday in Smyrna, Tennessee, about 50 miles southeast of where the body of Patrol Deputy Savanna Puckett, 22, was discovered, officials said in a news release.

A motive has not been released. Conn was described as “an acquaintance” of Puckett, officials said. TV station WZTV identified Conn as Puckett’s ex boyfriend.

Puckett’s body was discovered around 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, after she missed roll-call for her shift, according to the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office.

“A deputy went to her residence on Highway 41N in Springfield, TN to check on her, and found her home engulfed in flames,” sheriff’s office officials said. Springfield is about 30 miles northwest of uptown Nashville.

“The deputy attempted to make entry into the home, however, was unable due to the extent of the fire. The fire department arrived and made entry into the residence where they found Deputy Puckett shot, and (she) was pronounced dead at the scene.”

The investigation is being handled by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which linked Conn to the shooting late Sunday, officials said. He was arrested Monday after an “hours-long standoff,” TBI officials said.

Puckett had been with the department four years. She started as a corrections officer at the detention center in December 2017 and worked her way through a series of promotions, finally making patrol deputy in May 2020, according to an obituary.

“Words cannot express the sadness and grief that Savanna’s family and her Sheriff’s Office family are facing right now,” Sheriff Michael Van Dyke said in the release.

“This is a tragedy that we are processing minute by minute. Please keep Savanna, her family, and the Sheriff’s Office in your thoughts and prayers.”

This story was originally published January 24, 2022 at 6:52 AM with the headline "Suspect arrested after deputy found shot dead in her burning home, Tennessee cops say."