Boyfriend arrested for murder of SNL writer's sister in Los Angeles

Two people, including the boyfriend of Christina Downer, have been arrested on suspicion of murder nearly a year after her disappearance in Los Angeles.

Two arrested over death of Christina Downer, sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie

The boyfriend of Christina Downer — sister of Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie — has been arrested on suspicion of murder, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Friday, nearly a year after her disappearance. NBC News reports that the two suspects are identified as Delorean Bijon Brandon and Kaylee Nicole Markowski.

Downer, 38, was reported missing in December 2025 after her ex-husband requested a welfare check. According to the LAPD, she had last been in contact with those close to her in late November of that year.

Brandon, her boyfriend at the time, initially told investigators that Downer had moved out of their shared home voluntarily — leaving behind her belongings, her car, and her dog. The case gained new momentum when her cellphone washed ashore at Santa Monica Beach, prompting homicide detectives to take over the investigation.

The LAPD stated that its detectives believe Brandon and Markowski were responsible for Downer's murder and subsequently disposed of her body and worked to conceal the crime. No further details were provided regarding how the killing took place.

Brandon was taken into custody on Friday in the Highland Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Markowski was arrested separately in Tarzana. Both are being held on $2 million bail and each face a single count of murder.

Earlier this month, investigators searched an Airbnb property in Joshua Tree in connection with the case, with the assistance of K-9 units and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Authorities did not confirm they were searching for human remains, stating only that they were looking for evidence in the area.

In April, Fowlie had already indicated on social media that his sister was "no longer alive." In a post dated 29 April, he wrote: "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 added that he had reason to believe Downer's phone and social media accounts had been compromised in the weeks before she vanished, and that whoever held her phone used it to solicit money and fabricate a story that she had gone "off the grid."

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)