38-Year-Old Woman Found Dead In Shallow SoCal Grave

HELENDALE, CA — A woman found dead over the weekend in a shallow grave in the Mojave Desert was the victim of a homicide, authorities announced Monday, but there was no confirmation whether she is the missing sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie.

The 38-year-old victim, whose identity is being withheld pending coroner confirmation, was found deceased around 7 a.m. Sunday in a desert field located east of U.S. Highway 395 and north of Buckthorne Canyon Road, in the unincorporated area north of Helendale, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The body was discovered by a motorist who was heading east on Buckthorne Canyon Road. The driver saw what initially appeared to be a mannequin, but, upon closer inspection, it was determined to be a deceased human.

Authorities did not reveal when the victim might have been killed or how, and there was no word of any arrests.

"This is an ongoing investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available," the sheriff's department reported.

While there is no word on who the victim might be, the Los Angeles Police Department was continuing its search for 38-year-old Christina Lynn Downer. She was last heard from on December 10, via text message with a friend. Her last known location was in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles. She has not been seen or heard from since, the police department reported on Dec. 23.

Downer has no known medical conditions and has not gone missing before, police said.

She is described as a 38-year-old female with black hair and brown eyes. She stands 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighs approximately 115 pounds.

Downer is the sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie, who has issued public pleas to help find his sister.

"My sister has been missing and we are worried that she isn’t safe," Fowlie shared last month on social media. "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 phone number is 213 996 1800 and her case number is 25237639. She was last seen in LA. thank you."

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Christina Lynn Downer is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.