Nearly a year after Christina Downer vanished, Los Angeles police arrested two individuals on suspicion of murder, including her boyfriend. The Los Angeles Police Department announced Friday that officers apprehended Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski, 34, on Thursday following a lengthy investigation led by the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division. Downer is the sister of Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie.
From a Welfare Check to a Homicide Investigation
The case began as a missing person inquiry on Dec. 18, 2025, when Downer’s ex-husband requested a welfare check after failing to reach her for an extended period. When police initially questioned Brandon, he claimed that Downer had moved out several months prior. He told investigators she left behind all her personal belongings, including her vehicle and her dog, Rex.
LAPD Arrests Two for Murder of Christina Downer, Sister to 'SNL' Writer Jimmy Fowlie https://t.co/Qud3rT4pB2
Days later, on Dec. 22, Fowlie utilized social media to amplify the search, sharing a missing person flyer on Instagram. In his posts, Fowlie noted that his sister was deeply attached to her dog and that her last known sighting was in Koreatown. While he heard from her on Nov. 26 and noted her social media remained active until Dec. 15, the last direct phone conversation anyone had with her occurred on Oct. 5.
Compromised Accounts and the Santa Monica Discovery
As the weeks progressed, Fowlie grew increasingly suspicious of the digital footprint left behind. In a public update shared in April, he stated that the family had reason to believe his sister’s phone and social media accounts had been compromised. According to Fowlie, whoever possessed the device used it to request money and manufacture a false narrative that Downer had skipped town and gone off the grid.
The investigation shifted dramatically when Downer’s cellphone washed ashore on the beach in Santa Monica. That physical discovery prompted the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division to take over the case. Earlier this month, detectives executed a search warrant at an Airbnb in Joshua Tree in connection with the disappearance, though authorities have not disclosed what, if anything, was recovered at the location.
Booked Without Clear Legal Representation
Following Thursday’s arrests, both Brandon and Markowski were booked at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Bail has been set at $2 million for each suspect. It is not clear if they are being represented by attorneys.
The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division stated that detectives identified Brandon and Markowski as the parties responsible for Downer’s murder, the subsequent disposal of her body, and the deliberate concealment of their involvement. Investigators will present the completed case file to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for formal filing consideration as the active investigation continues.
Keep reading
- Foxconn Unveils Three New Electric Vehicle Models to Expand Contract Manufacturing
- Can’t abstain from this debate’: Pacific nations the next frontier in deep-sea mining
- Utah's Kalshi Case: 14 Counts, 12 Bets, 2 Founders Summoned, No Arrests (daybreakwire.com)
- LAPD Arrests Two Suspects in Murder of Christina Downer (world-today-journal.com)
