LAPD Arrests Two Suspects in Murder of Christina Downer

Los Angeles police have arrested two individuals for the murder of Christina Downer, a 38-year-old resident whose disappearance sparked a homicide investigation in late 2025.

The Los Angeles Police Department detained Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski, 34, on Oct. 29. Both suspects face charges of murder, disposal of a body, and concealment of evidence. They were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center with bail set at $2 million each.

Brandon was apprehended in the 6000 block of Garvanza Avenue in Los Angeles. Markowski was taken into custody in the 6000 block of Tampa Avenue in Tarzana. Downer’s ex-husband requested a welfare check on Dec. 18, 2025, after losing contact with her. At that time, Brandon told police that Downer had moved out months earlier, leaving behind her car, her dog, and her personal belongings.

The case escalated when Downer’s cellphone washed ashore on Santa Monica Beach. This discovery prompted homicide detectives to assume control of the inquiry. Investigators subsequently identified Brandon and Markowski as the parties responsible for her death.

Jimmy Fowlie, a former writer for the television show Saturday Night Live, is Downer’s brother. On April 29, he posted on Instagram that LAPD informed the family Downer was no longer alive. He noted the case had shifted from a missing persons search to a homicide investigation. Fowlie stated he was sharing the news to ensure her story remained visible and to emphasize that she was a person who mattered in the world.

The department announced the arrests in a statement released Oct. 30. No further details regarding the method of killing or the location of the body were provided in the initial announcement.