SNL Writer’s Sister Murdered

Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, with first-degree murder in the death of Christina Downer, 38, the sister of “Saturday Night Live” writer Jimmy Fowlie. Investigators believe Brandon killed Downer on or around September 19, 2025. Her remains have not been located. Brandon’s former girlfriend, Kaylee Nicole Markowski, 34, faces two felony counts of being an accessory after the fact.

Downer’s disappearance was reported in December 2025 by her ex-husband. Fowlie began posting public appeals on Instagram that same month. Brandon, who had shared an apartment with Downer in Koreatown, told police she had moved out months earlier and left her belongings, including her car and dog. Her cellphone later washed ashore at Santa Monica Beach.

Court records show a history of restraining-order petitions. Downer and Brandon both sought orders against Markowski alleging stalking, threats, and blackmail; both cases were dismissed after the petitioners failed to appear. Brandon later filed another request against Markowski that he withdrew on September 18, 2025—the day before investigators believe Downer was killed. Brandon also faces separate felony charges related to alleged 2022 assaults on a different woman.

Investigators believe Brandon and Markowski used Downer’s phone to send messages creating a false narrative that she had voluntarily gone “off the grid.” Fowlie wrote on Instagram that the people controlling the phone were trying to erase his sister. Both defendants are being held on $2 million bail each. The case remains open, and anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

The pattern of prior allegations between the three individuals includes claims of harassment, threats of violence, and interference with employment. Judges dismissed earlier protective-order requests after non-appearance. Domestic-violence specialists note that courts often focus on the specific details of each filing rather than the cumulative history.

Brandon’s withdrawal of the September 2025 protective-order request is a focal point for investigators because of its timing. The criminal complaint also includes allegations that Brandon used scissors in one of the 2022 assaults on another woman. Those charges are proceeding alongside the murder case.

Markowski’s attorney declined comment on the pending accessory charges. The Alternate Public Defender’s Office is representing Brandon. Prosecutors have not released additional details about the location or method of the alleged killing beyond the approximate date.

Fowlie’s public statements have emphasized that his sister was a person who mattered and that efforts to conceal her disappearance should not succeed. The recovery of the cellphone in Santa Monica provided a key investigative lead that shifted the case from a missing-person inquiry to a homicide investigation.

The love-triangle dynamic is reflected in the overlapping restraining-order filings and the accessory charges against Markowski. Both suspects had prior court interactions involving each other and Downer. Those records now form part of the prosecution’s background on the relationships.

No remains have been recovered despite the murder charge. That absence has not prevented prosecutors from filing first-degree murder based on other evidence. The accessory counts against Markowski center on actions taken after the alleged killing to conceal it.

The case has drawn attention because of Fowlie’s public profile as an “SNL” writer. Family appeals on social media helped keep the disappearance in view for months before charges were filed. The transition from missing-person report to homicide charges occurred after the phone recovery and further investigation.

Both defendants remain in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center. The $2 million bail amounts reflect the seriousness of the charges. Further court dates will determine the pace of the prosecution.