Two Arrested for Murder of Christina Downer, Sister of SNL Writer Jimmy Fowlie

Two people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Christina Downer, the sister of Saturday New Live writer Jimmy Fowlie, the Los Angeles Police Department announced. Police took Downer's boyfriend, 41-year-old Delorean Bijon Brandon, and 34-year-old Kaylee Nicole Markowski into custody on Thursday.

Brandon and Markowski were each booked on a murder charge and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center on $2 million bail. The LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division will present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration as the investigation remains ongoing.

The case began when Downer was reported missing on December 18, 2025, after her ex-husband requested a welfare check because he had not heard from her for an extended period. When authorities initially questioned Brandon, he claimed that Downer had moved out several months earlier, leaving behind all of her belongings, including her vehicle and her dog.

The investigation shifted significantly when Downer's cellphone washed ashore on Santa Monica Beach. Detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division took over the case following the discovery, utilizing various investigative techniques to identify Brandon and Markowski as the individuals responsible for Downer's murder, the disposal of her body, and the concealment of their involvement.

Earlier in October, authorities also searched an Airbnb property in Joshua Tree in connection with the disappearance. Investigators conducted an extensive search of the area with the assistance of K-9 units and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, though officials did not confirm if they were searching for human remains or specific evidence.

In December 2025, Fowlie posted on social media asking for public assistance to find his missing sister, sharing images of her and searching her Koreatown neighborhood. Months later, in April, he announced that the LAPD had informed his family that Downer was no longer alive and that the case had officially transitioned from a missing person to a homicide investigation.

In his April statement, Fowlie expressed his grief and demanded accountability. 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, he wrote on social media at the time.

Fowlie also shared his belief that his sister's phone and social media accounts had been compromised in the weeks before she vanished. According to the writer, whoever took her phone used it to hide her absence, request money, and manufacture a false narrative that she had decided to go off the grid.