The sister of slain Saturday Night Live (SNL) writer Jimmy Fowlie had been “afraid” of her actor boyfriend, according to her former husband. The boyfriend is now one of two people arrested in connection with her alleged murder.
Ryan Downer told the Daily Mail that he had suspected something was wrong after his ex-wife, Christina Downer, mysteriously disappeared late last year. He had requested a welfare check after losing contact with her.
Those concerns intensified Thursday when Christina’s boyfriend, 41-year-old actor Delorean Bijon Brandon, and 34-year-old Kaylee Nicole Markowski were arrested. They are accused of killing Christina, disposing of her body and attempting to conceal their alleged involvement.
Ryan said he still had not been told whether Christina’s body had been found. However, the arrests strengthened his long-held belief that Brandon was the central suspect in her disappearance.
“I just knew that she was afraid of that guy and had a restraining order on him,” he told the Daily Mail.
Ryan and Christina divorced in 2023 but remained on friendly terms, he said. She would still call him from time to time to check in, but those conversations ended around September 2025.
“I didn’t even know she moved away and we couldn’t get a hold of her,” Ryan said. “But I know that she was afraid of him.”
Christina, the sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie, was reported missing on December 15, 2025. The Los Angeles Police Department said she had last been contacted in late November.
Ryan Downer, the former husband of slain Christina Downer (pictured), told the Daily Mail that she was “afraid” of her boyfriend, 41-year-old actor Delorean Bijon Brandon, who was arrested Thursday in connection with her alleged murder
Christina, the sister of SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie (both pictured), was reported missing on December 15, 2025, although she was last contacted in late November
Ryan said he still did not know whether Christina’s body had been recovered, but the arrests supported his belief that Brandon (pictured) was the main suspect
Brandon reportedly told authorities that Christina had moved out months earlier. Her car, dog and other belongings, however, remained behind.
Her cellphone was later found washed ashore at Santa Monica Beach. The discovery led the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division to assume control of the investigation, authorities said.
The department announced Friday that Brandon and Markowski had been arrested and identified them as responsible for Christina’s death. Police did not release additional details.
Brandon was taken into custody in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood, while Markowski was arrested in Tarzana. Both are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, where bail was set at $2 million each.
Police have not established a clear motive, and the investigation remains active. Ryan said he was relieved that authorities were “dealing with it and figuring it all out.”
In the weeks before the arrests, detectives searched an Airbnb in Joshua Tree and examined the surrounding desert with K-9 units and assistance from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
It was not clear what brought investigators to the property or what they may have found there, NBC Los Angeles reported.
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Authorities have not said whether Christina’s remains were the focus of the search, stating only that detectives were looking for evidence.
Ryan told the Daily Mail: “I just knew that she was afraid of that guy and had a restraining order on him” (pictured: Christina)
Kaylee Nicole Markowski, 34, was also arrested Thursday. The pair are accused of killing Christina, disposing of her body and covering up their involvement, according to the LAPD
In April, Christina’s brother, SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie, revealed that investigators had told his family she was ‘no longer alive,’ according to a post he shared on Instagram.
‘We have reason to believe that in the weeks before she went missing, her phone and social media were compromised,’ he wrote.
‘The individual(s) in possession of her phone used it to hide the fact that she was gone, to ask for money, and to create a false narrative that she was going ‘off the grid.’
The Daily Mail revealed in May that Christina had kept a largely hidden life as an adult actress and exotic dancer, while people who knew her said she had been struggling with her mental health in recent years.
The extent of her troubled relationship with Brandon also emerged, including a restraining order she filed against his ex-girlfriend, accusing the woman of stalking and harassing her.
After going weeks without hearing from Christina, Ryan ultimately called police to request a welfare check.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘It just doesn’t make any sense why she would leave without telling anyone. That’s not like her. We just want to know what happened because none of it makes any sense.’
Ryan and Christina had married in 2015 in their hometown of Woburn, Massachusetts. Christina later worked as an exotic dancer at a local gentlemen’s club, performing under the name ‘Chavon Taylor,’ after leaving the adult entertainment industry.
The Daily Mail revealed in May that Christina had kept a largely hidden life as an adult actress and exotic dancer
In April, Christina’s brother, SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie (both pictured), revealed that investigators had told his family she was ‘no longer alive’
Although the investigation remains ongoing and police have not established a clear motive, Ryan told the Daily Mail he was glad authorities were ‘dealing with it and figuring it all out’ (pictured: Christina)
They separated in November 2023, citing ‘irreconcilable differences,’ according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, but their breakup was amicable.
Ryan and Christina married in 2015 in their hometown of Woburn, Massachusetts, not too far from where she danced at a local gentlemen’s club after giving up a career in adult entertainment. She went by the name ‘Chavon Taylor.’
The couple, who remained on good terms, separated in November 2023, citing ‘irreconcilable differences,’ according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail.