Tennessee deputy found shot to death inside her burning home; suspect arrested

ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tenn. (TCD) -- A suspect has been taken into custody after a 22-year-old deputy was found shot to death inside her home, which was also set on fire.

The Robertson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Deputy Savanna Puckett’s death in a Jan. 23 statement. According to the statement, Puckett did not show up for her 5 p.m. shift that day. One of her fellow deputies went to her home on Highway 41N in Springfield to check on her and reportedly "found her home engulfed in flames."

The deputy tried to enter into the home but could not because of the "extent of the fire." A local fire department arrived on scene and made their way into Puckett’s home, where they found her fatally shot. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Puckett had been with the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office for four years.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, agents executed a search warrant in Rutherford County and arrested a suspect on Jan. 24. The agency confirmed the person taken into custody was "wanted by law enforcement in connection to the death of a Robertson County deputy this weekend." They did not release a name or any other details regarding the arrest.

The Nashville Tennessean reports the suspect and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents were engaged in a standoff that lasted until approximately 11:30 a.m. local time.

The Robertson County Sheriff’s Office reportedly wrote in a statement, "Savanna was the one who always showed up early to her shift with a smile on her face. She was a mother hen to us all, and frequently cooked meals and baked goodies for her shift. She was tough, courageous, kind, compassionate and had an infectious personality that will always be remembered."

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