Holly MatkinSpringfield, TN – Robertson County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) Deputy Savanna Puckett died on Jan. 23 after she was shot repeatedly and left inside her burning home.
The investigation into the death the 22-year-old deputy began at approximately 5 p.m. on Jan. 23, when she failed to show up for her assigned shift at the sheriff’s office, WKRN reported.
A fellow deputy traveled to her residence on Highway 41 North to make sure she was okay and discovered Deputy Puckett’s house was “engulfed in flames,” the RCSO said in a press release.
The deputy tried to enter the home but was unable to do so due to the blaze.
Firefighters responded to the scene and found the fatally wounded deputy inside the burning home, WKRN reported.
She had been shot in the torso and head, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Tennessean.
Investigators also located two empty lighter fluid containers inside her residence, according to an arrest affidavit.
Deputy Puckett’s duty pistol was missing, and police found at least one .40-caliber casing at the scene, the Tennessean reported.
Crews returned to the home early Monday morning after the fire reignited, according to WKRN.
The causes of both fires have not been released.
Investigators tracked the alleged shooter to a residence on Odom Court in Smyrna, according to the Tennessean.
He was later identified as 27-year-old James Jackson Conn, USA Today reported.
Conn ended up in an hours-long standoff with investigators after they showed up to execute a search warrant at the Smyrna home, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
He was ultimately arrested at approximately 11:30 a.m.
Conn has been charged with arson and first-degree murder, USA Today reported.
The TBI said Conn was an acquaintance of Deputy Puckett.
Investigators linked him to Deputy Puckett’s murder by matching his fingerprints to those found on the lighter fluid bottles inside her home, the Tennessean reported.
The TBI is handling the ongoing investigation into the incident, WKRN reported.
“The investigation remains active and ongoing, and we’ll provide more details as soon as we’re able to do so,” the TBI said.
Deputy Puckett was just 18 years old when she joined the RCSO as a corrections officer in 2018, USA Today reported.
She began serving in the patrol division in May of 2020, and graduated from the Walter State Law Enforcement Academy four months later.
“Words cannot express the sadness and grief that Savanna’s family and her Sheriff’s Office family are facing right now,” Robertson County Sheriff Michael Van Dyke said, according to WKRN. “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.”
The sheriff’s office said Deputy Puckett was always early to work and showed up with a smile on her face every day, USA Today reported.
“She was a mother hen to us all, and frequently cooked meals and baked goodies for her shift,” the RCSO said. “She was tough, courageous, kind, compassionate and had an infectious personality that will always be remembered.”
Deputy Savanna Puckett was escorted on 41S through Ridgetop, Greenbrier, and Springfield to Springfield Memorial Gardens this afternoon. The thoughts and prayers of the staff at Smokey Barn News will be with Savanna’s family and friends as they face the days ahead. pic.twitter.com/XTuofDVXNF
— Smokey Barn News (@SmokeyBarnNews) January 25, 2022
RIP Deputy Savanna Puckett pic.twitter.com/nAw9IO07or
— Malcom Chakery (@chakery) January 25, 2022
Deputy Savanna Puckett's unit parked outside the Robertson County Sheriff's Office @WSMV pic.twitter.com/VwNcXEtvUH
— Courtney Allen (@courtneynallen) January 24, 2022
Authorities arrest James Jackson Conn in the shooting death of Deputy Savanna Puckett & the fire at her home. pic.twitter.com/gk2ftvX8uL
— Stacy Case (@StacyCase_) January 25, 2022
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Robertson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Savanna Puckett, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
