Authorities have launched a search in the California desert for the missing sister of a Saturday Night Live writer, nearly a year after she disappeared.
Christina Fowlie Downer, 38, was reported missing in December 2025 after her family said they last heard from her the previous month, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The LAPD told NBC Los Angeles on Friday that officers had searched an Airbnb in Joshua Tree as part of the investigation into Downer’s disappearance. She is the sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie.
Investigators carried out an extensive sweep of the property with the help of K-9 teams. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department also assisted with the operation, police said.
Authorities have not disclosed whether the search uncovered any evidence, and the investigation remains active.
Downer’s disappearance followed an unusual social media update in which she appeared in a fitted red top inside her Los Angeles apartment, looking toward the camera.
“Living at peace. If you wanna send me a Christmas treat, I’ll be waiting. Happy holidays, everyone,” she wrote in a post dated December 14, 2025.
She also listed her Cash App and Venmo usernames in her Instagram bio, allowing her roughly 700 followers to send her money.
Christina Fowlie Downer, 38, was reported missing in December 2025. She is the sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie
The LAPD told NBC Los Angeles on Friday that officers searched a Joshua Tree Airbnb linked to the case. Authorities have not said whether the search involved a hunt for remains
Friends and relatives later told the Daily Mail that the lighthearted post felt out of character. They said they had already gone weeks without hearing from Downer before the message appeared on December 14.
In an emotional post shared in April, her brother Jimmy indicated that he feared she had died. “Our prayers for her to be found safely have transformed into prayer for the truth to be revealed and for those responsible to be held accountable,” he wrote.
Police, however, continue to classify Downer’s case as a missing-person investigation. The LAPD did not confirm to NBC Los Angeles whether officers were searching the Joshua Tree site for human remains.
The department said investigators were seeking evidence in the area. Its Robbery-Homicide Division is leading the case.
The Daily Mail reported in May that Downer had lived a private second life as an adult performer and exotic dancer. People familiar with her also said she had faced mental health struggles in recent years.
She was also involved in a turbulent relationship with an R&B singer known for facial tattoos. Downer filed a restraining order against his former girlfriend, accusing the woman of stalking and harassing her.
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Ryan Downer, Christina’s former husband, told the Daily Mail that he requested a wellness check in December after being unable to reach her for several weeks.
The couple married in 2015 in their hometown of Woburn, Massachusetts. Before their marriage, Christina had worked at a local gentlemen’s club after leaving the adult entertainment industry, where she performed under the name “Chavon Taylor.”
The Daily Mail reported in May that Downer had maintained a double life as an adult performer and exotic dancer. Pictured is the last social media post she shared
People close to Downer said she had experienced mental health difficulties for several years before she vanished
The pair separated in November 2023, citing ‘irreconcilable differences,’ according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. But it was amicable.
Ryan called authorities when she didn’t respond to him for weeks.
‘It just doesn’t make any sense why she would leave without telling anyone. That’s not like her. We just want to know what happened because none of it makes any sense.’
When cops did a welfare check at her apartment in Koreatown, the place was clean and tidy with nothing out of the ordinary, Ryan told the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail also learned in May that Christina had an on-and-off relationship with a local LA R&B singer named Delorean Bijon Brandon.
Ryan told the Daily Mail that Christina and Brandon had a toxic relationship and she often left him voice messages complaining about their dynamic.
In September 2024, Christina filed a temporary restraining order against Brandon’s ex-girlfriend, claiming she had been harassing them for years.
Her brother, Jimmy, believes she is dead, writing in a heartbreaking April post: ‘Our prayers for her to be found safely have transformed into prayer for the truth to be revealed and for those responsible to be held accountable’
Brandon told the Daily Mail that Christina had trouble getting modeling work and was struggling with money. The singer claimed he had nothing to do with her disappearance and that he also was concerned for her safety.
He said the stress of making it in Tinseltown took its toll on her and she allegedly mixed drugs to cope with the stress.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the LAPD and Fowlie for comment.