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Man charged with murder, arson in death of Robertson Co. Sheriff's deputy

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SMYRNA, Tenn. (WTVF) — A man has been taken into custody, accused in the death of a Robertson County Sheriff's deputy after a more than 14-hour long standoff in Smyrna.

TBI announced Monday evening 27-year-old James Conn has been charged with murder and arson in the death of Robertson County Deputy Savanna Puckett.

Puckett was found dead inside her burning home late Sunday evening after not reporting to her assigned shift.

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James Conn

Several law enforcement agencies, led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, had been outside a home on Odom Court since Sunday night.

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Several law enforcement agencies were outside this home on Odom Court for 14 hours.

A neighbor who lived next door described the scene as "just massive chaos, cops running around everywhere and he wouldn't come outside so they had to do what they had to do."

The neighbor says the suspect lived in the home with his mother and was found hiding in the attic.

"I've known him since he was a baby so they've lived here for over 20 years. So I've watched him grow up and it's just weird, it's just not him," said the neighbor. "He came out with cops surrounded him so it was hard to see him, but they put him in the back of a vehicle and took him away."

Conn was booked into the Robertson County Jail where he is being held without bond.