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Pregnant Food Network Star Cristie Schoen Codd, Husband Murdered, Man Charged

Cristie Shoen Codd
Food Network Star season 8 contestant Cristie Schoen Codd and her husband, Joseph, were murdered in North Carolina.

Cristie Schoen Codd, best known for her season 8 appearance on Food Network Star in 2012, was murdered along with her husband in Leicester, N.C. At the time of her death, Codd, 38, was five months pregnant with her first child. 

The couple's family members reported the TV chef and her husband, Joseph "J.T." Codd, 45, missing on Sunday, March 15. According to arrest warrants, authorities believe the couple died on Thursday, March 12.

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On Tuesday, March 17, Buncombe County deputies confirmed that neighbor Robert Jason Owens was charged with two counts of first degree murder, one count of murder of an unborn child, breaking and entering, and larceny. Owens is said to have broken into the Codds' home on March 15 and stolen a laptop, jewelry, and a handgun.

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Owens, 34, is no stranger to Buncombe County authorities. In 2000, he was a primary suspect in the disappearance and presumed murder of Zebb Quinn, whose currently unsolved case garnered national attention. In the Codd case, Owens faces three Class A murder charges that each carry a maximum penalty of death or life in prison without parole.

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"Our thoughts go out to Cristie's family and friends during this difficult time," a Food Network spokesperson told Us Weekly.

In addition to her appearance on Food Network Star, Mississippi native Schoen Codd provided catering services on film sets. Her husband worked as a key grip. Both were expected to begin work on new film projects on Sunday but never made it to their destinations, according to a family member's recent Facebook post.

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