Share and Follow
For several months, Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie has been desperately seeking information regarding the mysterious disappearance of his sister, Christina Lynn Downer.
The case seemed to take a tragic turn earlier this week when Fowlie posted on Instagram April 29 that Los Angeles Police informed the family that she was “no longer alive” and were transitioning the case to a homicide investigation—but police have publicly denied that claim.
In a statement, police noted that, “Despite the suspicious nature of her disappearance, Ms. Downer has not been found, and her case remains classified as a missing person, not a homicide,” adding that the Robbery-Homicide Division is committed to thoroughly investigating until the case is resolved.
Christina Downer was last known to be in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles and reportedly sent a text to a friend on December 10, according to a December 23 police statement. The 38-year-old has not been seen since that day.
The police further emphasized that, “The family wants the public to know that Christina Downer has no known medical conditions and this is the first time she has gone missing.”
Jimmy Fowlie, who has been a writer for the iconic late-night comedy show since 2022, has also made a heartfelt appeal to the public for assistance in finding his sister.
Fowlie—who has served as a writer on the late-night comedy sketch show since 2022—also issued a plea for help.
“My sister has been missing and we are worried that she isn’t safe,” he wrote on Instagram Dec. 22, while sharing a missing persons poster. “Her married name is Downer but she may go by Christina Fowlie. Please share this so that if anyone has seen her, they can give any information to the police.”
The next day, he shared another photo of Downer with her dog.
“Christina is very attached to her dog Rex,” Fowlie wrote. “He’s a min pin and if you see her chances are he’d be with her.”
He added that the last time he heard from his sister was Nov. 26, though he was instructed by police “not to share certain details” in an effort to maintain the integrity of investigation.
As the search got underway, Fowlie and his friends posted flyers throughout Los Angeles’ Koreatown area.
“My sister is still missing,” he wrote in a Dec. 27 update. “This is not like her, she’s never gone off the grid like this.”
Jimmy Fowlie Says Sister is “Not Alive”
The case took another turn at the end of April when Fowlie shared a lengthy update.
“The LAPD has informed our family that Christine is no longer alive, and the case has officially transitioned from a missing person to a homicide investigation,” he wrote on Instagram April 29, in a post reshared by Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman and more. “Our prayers for her to be found safely have transformed into prayers for the truth to be revealed and for those responsible to be held accountable.”
Fowlie added that in the weeks before she was reported missing, the family has reason to believe “her phone and social media were compromised.”
“The individual(s) in possession of her phone used it to hide the fact she was gone, to ask for money, and to create a false narrative that she was going ‘off the grid,’” Fowlie continued. “I am sharing this because I believe that whoever is responsible is hoping to erase her in every way possible. I want to amplify her story in the only way I know how. And express that she was a beautiful person who matters in this world, especially to me.”
He pleaded with anyone with information on the case to come forward.
“My sister can no longer advocate for herself, but I can and I hope you will too,” he wrote alongside several pictures of their childhood together. “The best way you could support me in this moment is to share this post and to talk about her story.”
Police said Downer is 5-foot-1 with black hair and brown eyes and weighs approximately 115 pounds.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division at (213) 486-6850.