Suspect arrested after Tennessee deputy found shot inside burning home
An acquaintance of the Tennessee deputy found shot inside her burning home over the weekend has been arrested following an hours-long standoff with law enforcement.
James Jackson Conn, 27, is facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated arson in connection with the death of Robertson County Sheriff’s Deputy Savanna Puckett. He was taken into custody on Monday around 11 a.m., hours after authorities attempted to serve a search warrant at his home in Smyrna, just outside of Nashville.
Another deputy went to check on Puckett on Sunday evening after she failed to show up to her scheduled shift at 5 p.m., according to a press release from the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office. When the officer arrived at her home off Highway 41 in Springfield, it was already engulfed in flames.
Due to the extent of the blaze, the deputy was unable to gain access to the residence and called in firefighters for assistance. They found 22-year-old Puckett dead with several gunshot wounds after they managed to extinguish the fire. It was not immediately clear if the gunshot wounds or the fire caused her death.
A search of the home turned up two empty lighter fluid bottles with fingerprints matching Conn’s, the Tennessean reported. A .40 caliber cartridge casing was also found, the affidavit stated, though Puckett’s .40 caliber service weapon was not found at the scene.
Puckett had worked with the sheriff’s office for four years, officials said.
“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 a statement.
“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.”
Conn was booked into the Robertson County Jail late Monday afternoon where he was being held without bond. An investigation into the matter, which is being lead by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, is ongoing.
With News Wire Services
