Man charged with murder in Christina Downer's disappearance

Charges filed in Los Angeles

A Los Angeles man was charged on November 2 with murdering Christina Downer, a 38-year-old woman whose body has not been found. Delorean Bijon Brandon, 41, faces one murder count, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced. Prosecutors allege he killed Downer on or about September 19, 2025. Co-defendant Kaylee Markowski, 34, was charged with being an accessory after the fact. She is accused of helping Brandon dispose of Downer's body, according to the office. [1]

Missing-person investigation

According to City News Service's report published by KESQ, Downer was reported missing on December 18, 2025, after her ex-husband requested a welfare check. Police said Brandon had claimed she moved out months earlier, leaving her belongings, vehicle and dog behind. The LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division took over the investigation after her cellphone washed ashore on Santa Monica Beach, the report said. Detectives arrested Brandon and Markowski on October 29. Downer was the sister of writer Jimmy Fowlie, who had publicly sought information about her disappearance. [2]

Prosecution and potential penalties

Brandon also faces two felony counts of injuring his wife in 2022, prosecutors said. The district attorney's office said both defendants were scheduled for arraignment at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center on November 2. Brandon faces life imprisonment if convicted as charged; Markowski faces up to three years in county jail. Deputy District Attorney Hilary Williams is prosecuting the case, and the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division continues its investigation. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. [1]

The public record remains limited without a recovered body

The charging announcement does not describe a recovered body, a cause of death or the evidence prosecutors say establishes that Downer was killed. The absence of a body does not prevent a murder charge, but it means the case described publicly rests on evidence that has not yet been detailed in court. The district attorney attributed the alleged killing to Brandon and the alleged disposal assistance to Markowski; it did not accuse Markowski of taking part in Downer's death.

The cellphone discovery and the belongings left behind were reported as investigative developments, not proof of either defendant's guilt. Detectives will have to connect those circumstances to the charged conduct through admissible evidence if the case proceeds to trial. [1] [2]

Arraignment begins a longer court process

The November 2 arraignment setting was an initial procedural step. At that stage, the defendants could be advised of the charges and enter pleas, while later hearings would address evidence, pretrial motions and whether the prosecution has sufficient proof to continue. The releases cited for this report did not announce a trial date or identify a final ruling on detention.

Police also continued looking for Downer. Any verified recovery, forensic result, plea or hearing decision would be a separate development. Until such a record is released, the confirmed update is that Brandon faces a murder charge and Markowski faces an accessory allegation, with both entitled to the presumption of innocence. [1] [2]