Two arrested in murder of Christina Downer, sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie

Los Angeles police arrested two people on Thursday in the killing of Christina Downer, whose brother is Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie, the department announced Friday. The suspects are Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, identified as Downer's boyfriend, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski, 34. Both were booked at the Metropolitan Detention Center on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $2 million each, and it was unclear whether they had attorneys. Downer's ex-husband requested a welfare check on December 18, 2025, after not hearing from her. Brandon had told police she moved out months earlier and left behind her car and dog. Police said detectives identified the pair as responsible for her murder, the disposal of her body and the concealment of their involvement.

The left-leaning Los Angeles Times leads with the boyfriend's arrest and his earlier claim that Downer had moved out, and it features Fowlie's Instagram posts, including a missing-persons flier and a photo with her dog. Alternative outlets The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline lead with the arrests and quote the LAPD statement, including the cellphone found on Santa Monica Beach and the Robbery-Homicide Division's role; Deadline calls Downer "the late sister," while THR adds Fowlie's April post about the family's notice. The right-leaning Daily Mail, under a "Major breakthrough" headline, adds the Joshua Tree Airbnb search, K-9 units and help from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, details the others omit. It also gives the missing report as December 15, where the others cite December 18. All sides agree on the arrests, names, ages, bail and the boyfriend's account, but they differ on the search details, the missing date and which police and family details they include.