Christina Downer murder: boyfriend and second suspect arrested in LA
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murdering Christina Downer, sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie, nearly a year after she went missing.
Boyfriend of missing woman arrested on murder charge in Los Angeles
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murdering Christina Downer, the sister of "Saturday Night Live" writer Jimmy Fowlie, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Friday, nbclosangeles.com reports.
The two suspects were identified as Delorean Bijon Brandon, Downer's boyfriend, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski. Each is being held on $2 million bail and faces a murder charge.
Brandon was taken into custody on Garvanza Avenue near Figueroa Street in the Highland Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Markowski was arrested separately in Tarzana.
Brandon had initially told the LAPD that Downer moved out of their shared residence following a welfare check requested by her ex-husband. He also told investigators she left behind all her belongings, including her car and dog.
The case escalated when Downer's cellphone washed ashore at Santa Monica Beach, prompting homicide detectives to take over the investigation. Without providing further details, the LAPD said its detectives believe Brandon and Markowski killed Downer, disposed of her body, and actively concealed the crime.
Downer, 38, was reported missing in December 2025. She had last been contacted in late November, according to the LAPD.
Earlier this month, investigators searched an Airbnb property in Joshua Tree in connection with her disappearance, assisted by K-9 units and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The LAPD said authorities are continuing to search the area for evidence, though they did not confirm they were looking for remains.
The search is being led by the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division, which handles the department's most complex and high-profile cases.
In an April social media post, Fowlie stated that his sister was "no longer alive." His post from April 29 read: "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. We have reason to believe that in the weeks before she went missing, her phone and social media were compromised. The individual(s) in possession of her phone used it to hide the fact she was gone, to ask for money, and to create a false narrative that she was going 'off the grid.'"
Despite the family's statement, the LAPD said law enforcement officials continued to formally investigate Downer's disappearance as an open case.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)