Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie shared a devastating update Wednesday, telling followers that his sister, Christina Lynn Downer, is "no longer alive" and that the Los Angeles Police Department has reclassified her case as a homicide. Fowlie said he will be stepping away from social media as his family tries to process the loss.
Fowlie's Update and the LAPD Homicide Shift
According to TheWrap, Fowlie wrote on Instagram that LAPD investigators informed his family that Christina is "no longer alive" and that the case has been reclassified as a homicide investigation. He added that his family believes her phone and social media accounts were compromised in the weeks before she vanished and urged anyone with information to come forward and "share her story."
Missing-Persons Timeline
The Los Angeles Police Department first put out a missing-person notice in December stating that Downer was last contacted on November 26 and was last known to be in the Koreatown neighborhood. The notice listed case number 25237639 and included a physical description of the 38-year-old. Anyone with tips was directed to the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800, according to the department's bulletin.
Family Says Phone May Have Been Used to Hide Disappearance
TMZ reports that in his message, Fowlie said he believes whoever had control of Christina's phone used it to conceal her disappearance, solicit money and push a false narrative that she was choosing to "go off the grid." He wrote that he plans to step back from social media to deal with "intense overwhelming feelings" and asked that any potential leads be sent to law enforcement instead of the family.
What Officials Have Said and What Has Not Been Disclosed
The LAPD's online newsroom still shows the original December missing-person posting, and the department has not publicly released details about where or when investigators located Downer, according to official postings and subsequent reporting. Detectives say the homicide investigation remains active and have asked anyone with information to contact the LAPD or L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers. For now, the missing-person bulletin continues to serve as the main official public record of the case.
Fowlie closed his statement by writing that Christina "was a beautiful person who matters in this world" and said the best way to support him is to help tell her story while detectives work to "reveal the truth." Law enforcement is asking anyone with information to call the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800.
