Grim turn in search for missing SNL writer’s sister as homicide detectives scour California desert for evidence
Los Angeles homicide detectives, assisted by San Bernardino County sheriff’s personnel, searched an Airbnb in Joshua Tree for evidence connected to the disappearance of Christina Fowlie Downer. The search marks a new development in a case that has remained unresolved for months; authorities have not said whether they found anything and continue to treat it as a disappearance.
Downer, 38 and sister of Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie, was reported missing in December 2025 after last being heard from in November. Friends and family reportedly found a social media post she made on 14 December unusual, while her brother has said his hopes have shifted towards learning the truth and holding anyone responsible to account. Her former husband had requested a welfare check after weeks without contact; police said the investigation is ongoing.
- Detectives searched a Joshua Tree Airbnb for evidence.
- Christina Fowlie Downer has been missing since late 2025.
- Police have not disclosed whether the search found anything.
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Christina Fowlie Downer, 38, has been missing since late 2025. She is the sister of Jimmy Fowlie, a writer on the television programme Saturday Night Live, which has brought wider attention to her case.
Downer was last in contact with people close to her in November 2025. Her former husband reported her missing in December after weeks without hearing from her. Around the same time, family and friends noticed an unusual post she had made on social media.
The case remains unresolved, with law enforcement continuing their efforts to locate her and determine what happened. Her brother has expressed his hope that the investigation will eventually reveal the truth and hold anyone responsible to account if her disappearance involved wrongdoing.