A North Carolina man was charged Tuesday with three counts of murder in the disappearances of Food Network star Cristie Schoen, her husband and their unborn child, authorities confirmed.
Robert Jason Owens, 36, of Leicester, near Asheville in western North Carolina, was arrested Monday and was ordered held without bond Tuesday in Buncombe County District Court, the Buncombe sheriff’s office said.
Investigators wouldn’t say whether the bodies of the couple — who were identified under their married names of Cristie Codd, 38, and Joseph T. Codd, 45 — had been found.
But they said their investigation led them to charge Owens — a contractor whom the Codds had hired to work on their home — with two counts of felony first-degree murder, felony murder of an unborn child, breaking and entering and larceny. A probable cause hearing was scheduled for April 7.
Buncombe County court records show that family members reported the Codds missing on Sunday.
Under her maiden name, Schoen, Cristie Codd was a finalist on season 8 of the Food Network’s cooking competition series “Food Network Star.” She was a location chef and head caterer for several major Hollywood movies — including “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Bad News Bears,” “Get on Up” and “Ender’s Game.” Her acting credits included small roles in “Mona Lisa Smile” and “Get on Up.”
One of her last catering jobs was on the set of the current movie “Focus.” A posting last month on the Facebook page of her company, Tree Hugger Catering, includes a photo of Schoen with “Focus” star Will Smith.
Joseph Codd, who was known professionally as JT Codd, was a grip — a lighting and rigging technician — on TV and movie projects, the sheriff’s office said.
Schoen’s California management company didn’t answer a call for comment.
M. Johnson