Cristie M. Schoen Codd (September 3, 1976 — March 12, 2015) was a Spanish-born

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

. She came to prominence as a contestant in the eighth season of the Food Network series '' Food Network Star''.

Early life

Cristie Schoen was born in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. She grew up cooking primarily

Cajun cuisine Cajun cuisine (french: cuisine cadienne , es, cocina acadiense) is a style of cooking developed by the Cajun–Acadians who were deported from Acadia to Louisiana during the 18th century and who incorporated West African, French and Spanish co ...

with her father. Her father was in the U.S. Air Force and she moved around frequently, including stays in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

''Food Network Star''

In 2012, it was announced that Schoen had been selected as a contestant on the eighth season of the Food Network series '' Food Network Star''. On May 13, 2012, she became the first contestant of the season to be eliminated, which she attested to her strong passion for cooking coming across as "

angry Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, su ...

". Following her appearance on the show, she stated to have remained close friends with fellow contestants Judson Allen, Josh Lyons and Kara Sigle.

Personal life

Cristie's husband, J.T. Codd, was a

key grip In North American filmmaking a key grip is a senior role for an experienced professional on every set. Their responsibilities are extensive and range from supervising grip crews, assessing what equipment is necessary for each shooting location ...

; they married in 2014. At the time of her death, Cristie was five months pregnant with their first child, a girl, who was to be named Skylar.

Death

Cristie and Joseph were reported

missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras * ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...

on March 15, 2015, when their family was unable to reach them. An investigation by police led to the arrest of local

contractor A contractor is a person or company that performs work on a contract basis. The term may refer to: Business roles * Defense contractor, arms industry which provides weapons or military goods to a government * General contractor, an individual o ...

Robert Jason Owens, who was charged with their murders. Owens is notable for being a

person of interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...

in the disappearance of Zebb Quinn in 2000. To date, no motive has been established for the murders; and while Owens reportedly admitted that he "struck and killed Codd" in the manner of

vehicular homicide Vehicular homicide is a crime that involves the death of a person other than the driver as a result of either criminally negligent or murderous operation of a motor vehicle. In cases of criminal negligence, the defendant is commonly charged w ...

, the exact nature of Schoen's murder has not been released. Authorities undertook a search of Owens's property; the couple's remains were found in his woodstove. It was later concluded that the couple had been killed on March 12. Owens'

double-wide trailer A mobile home (also known as a house trailer, park home, trailer, or trailer home) is a prefabricated structure, built in a factory on a permanently attached chassis before being transported to site (either by being towed or on a trailer). Us ...

burned down on March 24, 2015. On August 4, it was reported that the state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

would be seeking the

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

for Owens if he is convicted. Owens later admitted killing Cristie and Joseph Codd in March 2015. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of dismembering human remains. In a plea deal, his attorneys reached with North Carolina's Assistant Capital Attorney Victoria Jayne and Buncombe County's District Attorney Todd Williams, Owens was sentenced on April 27, 2017, to spend a minimum of 59.5 years to a maximum of 74.5 years in prison.Man pleads guilty to murder of pregnant Food Network star, husband
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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schoen, Cristie 1976 births 2015 deaths 2015 murders in the United States 21st-century Spanish women Businesspeople from Madrid People murdered in North Carolina Spanish emigrants to the United States Spanish television chefs Spanish women chefs Spanish people murdered abroad Female murder victims