A North Carolina man has been charged with murder in the disappearance of former "Food Network Star" contestant Cristie Schoen Codd and her husband.
Robert Jason Owens was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and murder of an unborn child, along with
breaking and entering and larceny, Greenville Online reported. The charges carry a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.
Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan said he couldn’t comment on the location of the bodies of Codd, who was pregnant, and her husband, Joseph “J.T.” Codd, who worked in the film industry.
Family members reported the couple missing Sunday. Deputies found their vehicles at the home and their two dogs inside, but no one was home.
Owens was said to have done some construction work for the couple and lived near their home.
Cristie Codd, 38, was a finalist on Season 8 of "Food Network Star" and provided catering services on film sets. Her husband, 45, worked as a key grip on Hollywood films,
handling cameras and equipment, Fox Carolina reported.
"They were nice people. They never bothered anybody. They volunteered to help me if I ever needed help,"
neighbor Patsy Cole told the Citizen-Times.
Owens also was a primary suspect in the 2000 disappearance of 18-year-old Zebb Quinn, which was featured on the Discovery Channel’s "Disappeared" in 2012. Owens never was charged in the case.
On Monday morning, firefighters discovered two bodies inside a
burning cabin nearby, the New York Daily News reported.
The medical examiner was working to identify the bodies using dental records, and the fire wasn’t immediately ruled suspicious.
Twitter users, including another "Food Network Star" contestant, were shocked by the news.
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.