SNL Writer's Sister: LAPD Arrests Two Suspects in Murder Case

Two adults were taken into custody on Thursday after Los Angeles police confirmed the death of Christina Downer, a sister of “Saturday Night Live” writer Jimmy Fowlie. The suspects are Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski, 34. LAPD detectives believe the pair killed Downer, hid her body, and covered up the crime. Brandon was Downer’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance.

Downer was last seen before a welfare check conducted on Dec. 18, 2025. Following that visit, Brandon told authorities she had moved out, leaving behind her car and her dog. The case remained open for several months until Downer’s cell phone washed up on a Santa Monica beach. That discovery prompted officials to search an Airbnb property in Joshua Tree, a high desert location several hours from Los Angeles.

Law enforcement agents, including K-9 units and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, conducted an extensive search of the Joshua Tree property in connection with the disappearance. The physical evidence gathered during that search helped narrow the investigation. On April 29, Fowlie publicly stated that Downer was “no longer alive.” He noted that their family’s focus had shifted from hoping for her safe return to seeking the truth.

In a post published on April 29, Fowlie explained that investigators believe Downer’s phone and social media accounts were compromised in the weeks before she vanished. He said the person holding her phone used it to ask for money and to create a false narrative that she was going “off the grid.” Fowlie wrote that their prayers had transformed into a demand for accountability for those responsible. The arrests in Highland Park and Tarzana mark the latest development in a case that began with a missing person report nearly ten months ago.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the arrests on Thursday. Brandon was located in Highland Park, while Markowski was found in Tarzana. Both suspects are now in custody as detectives continue to review the evidence collected from the Joshua Tree property and the digital records of Downer’s compromised accounts.