Two people have been arrested in connection with the suspected murder of Christina Downer, the sister of Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie, nearly a year after she disappeared in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Police Department announced Friday, October 30th, that Downer’s boyfriend, Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski, 34, were arrested the previous day on suspicion of murder. Both were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center, with bail set at $2 million each.
Downer, 38, was reported missing on December 18th, 2025, after her ex-husband requested a welfare check when he hadn’t heard from her for an extended time. At the time, Brandon told police that she had moved out of their shared residence months earlier, leaving behind her belongings, car, and dog.
The investigation took a turn when Downer’s cellphone was found washed ashore on Santa Monica Beach, after which LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division took over. Detectives now allege that Brandon and Markowski were responsible for killing Downer, disposing of her body, and attempting to conceal their involvement.
Earlier this month, investigators also searched an Airbnb property in Joshua Tree with assistance from K-9 units and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities have not publicly disclosed what, if anything, was recovered during the search.
Fowlie, who has written for SNL and co-created the show’s “Domingo” sketches, first appealed to the public for help finding his sister in December. In April, he shared a devastating update, saying his family had been informed that Downer was no longer alive.
“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 wrote at the time.
He also stated his concern that someone had gained access to his sister’s phone and social media accounts, using them to solicit money and create the impression that she had voluntarily disappeared.
“I am sharing this because I believe that whoever is responsible is hoping to erase her in every way possible,” he wrote. “I want to amplify her story in the only way I know how. And to express that she was a beautiful person who matters in this world, especially to me.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are expected to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.
