Major breakthrough as two are arrested on suspicion of murder nearly a year after mysterious disappearance of Saturday Night Live writer’s sister
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder nearly a year after the sister of a Saturday Night Live writer disappeared, according to police.
Delorean Bijon Brandon and Kaylee Nicole Markowski were taken into custody on Thursday for allegedly killing Christina Downer, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Friday.
Downer, the sister of Jimmy Fowlie, mysteriously vanished late last year and was reported missing on December 15, 2025, after her ex-husband requested a welfare check after not hearing from her, authorities said.
Brandon, Downer’s boyfriend, claimed at the time that she had moved out months earlier, but her belongings, including her car and dog, were left behind.
Her cellphone was later found washed ashore on Santa Monica Beach, and Brandon and Markowski were identified as the people responsible for her death, police said.
Brandon, 41, and Markowski, 34, are also responsible for allegedly disposing of Downer’s body and concealing their involvement, the LAPD stated.
Earlier this month, police searched an Airbnb property in Joshua Tree as part of an ongoing search for Downer, NBC Los Angeles previously reported.
Investigators used K-9 units and conducted an extensive search of the California desert, the LAPD told the outlet. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department assisted.
Delorean Bijon Brandon and Kaylee Nicole Markowski were taken into custody on Thursday for allegedly killing Christina Downer (pictured), the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Friday.
Downer, the sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie (pictured together), mysteriously vanished late last year and was reported missing in December 2025 after her family couldn’t get in contact with her
Police did not reveal if anything was found in connection to the case, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Brandon and Markowski are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on a $2 million bail each.
Downer went missing after making an odd social media post, showing herself dressed in a tight red top in her Los Angeles apartment, pouting coyly at the camera.
‘Living at peace. If you wanna send me a Christmas treat, I’ll be waiting. Happy holidays, everyone,’ she wrote on December 14, 2025.
She also added the handles for her Cash App and Venmo accounts in her Instagram bio, giving her 700 followers a way to send her money.
The playful message seemed ‘off’ to friends and family who said they had not heard from Christina for weeks before the December 14 social media post, they told the Daily Mail in May.
Her brother, Jimmy, believes she is dead, writing in a heartbreaking post in April that read: ‘Our prayers for her to be found safely have transformed into prayer for the truth to be revealed and for those responsible to be held accountable.’
However, police are still treating Downer’s case as a disappearance. And police would not confirm to NBC whether or not they were searching for remains in Joshua Tree.
This is breaking news… updates to follow.
