Los Angeles police homicide detectives conducted a search in the Joshua Tree area of California on Friday, looking for clues related to the disappearance of Christina Lynn Downer, who is the sister of a writer for “Saturday Night Live.” Her family had previously suggested she was deceased.
An LAPD spokesperson confirmed that detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division began their search in the morning, although they did not specify the exact location or the type of evidence they were seeking.
Christina, aged 38, went missing in late November 2025 from Koreatown in Los Angeles. Her family filed a missing person report in December.
In late April, her brother, Jimmy Fowlie, who writes for “Saturday Night Live,” shared on Instagram that police had informed the family of Christina’s death.
“The LAPD has informed our family that Christina is no longer alive, and the case has officially transitioned from a missing person to a homicide investigation,” he wrote. Fowlie expressed that their hope for her safe return had shifted to prayers for uncovering the truth and holding the responsible parties accountable.
However, the LAPD disputed Fowlie’s statement, asserting that Christina had not been found and that her case remained classified as a missing person investigation.
The department had earlier indicated that, despite the suspicious nature of the disappearance, Downer had yet to be located, reaffirming their commitment to pursuing the case until it was resolved.
Fowlie has also raised concerns about his sister’s phone and social media activity, claiming that someone had used them to fabricate a narrative suggesting she had voluntarily disappeared.
On the day of the search, an LAPD media relations officer noted that they could not confirm if the detectives were searching for human remains, a suspect, or other evidence, nor whether search dogs were utilized.
The motivations for the search in Joshua Tree and any changes in the classification of Downer’s case following previous statements remain uncertain. Fox News Digital has attempted to contact Fowlie for further comment.
