Boyfriend charged with murder after ex-'SNL' writer's missing sister's phone washes ashore

A man believed to be the boyfriend of a former Saturday Night Live writer's sister was charged today with murdering the 38-year-old woman, whose body has not been found. Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, of Los Angeles, was charged with one count of murder involving Christina Downer, with the criminal complaint alleging that the crime occurred on or about Sept. 19, 2025. He is also facing two felony counts of injuring a spouse involving a separate victim -- his wife -- in 2022, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The criminal complaint alleges that Brandon has convictions from 2008for robbery and attempted robbery and 2015 for criminal threats. Downer, the sister of Jimmy Fowlie, was reported missing Dec. 18, 2025, after her ex-husband requested a welfare check after not hearing from her for an extended period of time, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police said Downer's boyfriend, Brandon, claimed she had moved out of their home several months earlier, leaving behind all her belongings, including her vehicle and her dog. Detectives assigned to the Robbery-Homicide Division assumed the investigation after Downer's cellphone was discovered washed ashore on Santa Monica Beach, police said. Brandon was arrested by detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division last Thursday along with Kaylee Markowski, 34, of Los Angeles. 'SNL' scribe Jimmy Fowlie (right) pictured with his older sister, Christina (left) (jimmyfowlie/Instagram)Markowski -- who was identified by the District Attorney's Office asBrandon's girlfriend -- was charged with one felony count of being an accessory after the fact. She is accused of helping him to dispose of the victim's body, according to the District Attorney's Office. “More than a year has passed since Christina Downer vanished and her family and friends have dealt with uncertainty amid the profound loss of someone they loved so much,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement in which he vowed that the prosecution would hold the two defendants "accountable for their actions.” Arraignment was postponed until Dec. 29, according to the DistrictAttorney's Office. Brandon faces a potential life prison term if convicted as charged, while Markowski could face up to three years in county jail, according to the District Attorney's Office. NBC4 reported that investigators searched a property in Joshua Tree last month in connection with Downer's disappearance. Citing the LAPD, the station said detectives were led to an Airbnb property during their search. On April 29, Fowlie wrote in a post on Instagram that LAPD officials informed the family that Downer was “no longer alive” and that the case transitioned from a missing person to a homicide investigation. “I am sharing this because I believe that whoever is responsible is hoping to erase her in every way possible. I want to amplify her story in the only way I know how. And to express that she was a beautiful person who matters in this world, especially to me,” Fowlie said.Police urged anyone with information about the murder to come forward.The LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division West Bureau Section can be reached during business hours on 213-382-9470.Anyone calling outside business hours should dial 877-527-3247 instead.Tipsters who would rather stay anonymous have two further options.One is to call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.The other is to visit lacrimestoppers.org.