A North Carolina man has been charged with the murders of former “Food Network Star” contestant Cristie Schoen Codd, her husband Joseph “JT” Codd and their unborn child.
Robert Jason Owens — who lived in the same city of Leicester, North Carolina, as the couple — was charged with two counts of first degree murder, one count of murder of an unborn child, breaking and entering, and larceny on Tuesday.
A celebrity chef and caterer, Cristie Schoen, 38, had been a finalist on Season 8 of the Food Network competition series and was five months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, according to the Citizen Times.
JT Codd, 45, worked as a grip in the film industry, handling cameras and other equipment, on projects including HBO’s “Carnivale.”
Family members reported the couple missing on Sunday, however, according to arrest warrants investigators believe the victims died on Thursday. Their vehicles were still at the house, as were their two dogs.
Owens, 36, lived about a mile away from the Codds and had done odd jobs and construction work on their home, Sheriff Van Duncan said.
“Our thoughts go out to Cristie’s family and friends during this difficult time,” a Food Network spokesman told TheWrap in a statement.
Owens is currently in the Buncombe County Detention Facility.