'SNL' writer’s sister vanished — now her boyfriend and rival face charges in deadly love triangle
Months before a " Saturday Night Live " writer's sister disappeared, court records showed a pattern of alleged stalking, threats, and domestic violence involving two suspects now charged with her death and disappearance.
Key points
- HORSE FARM OWNER GETS LIFE IN PRISON FOR BOYFRIEND'S MURDER AFTER CLAIMING SELF-DEFENSE "The individual(s) in possession of her phone used it to hide the fact she was gone, to ask for money, and to create a false narrative that she was going ‘off the grid,’" Fowlie wrote on Instagram in April.
- Brandon, who shared an apartment with Downer in Koreatown, told police that she had moved out months prior, leaving her belongings behind, including her car and beloved miniature pinscher named Rex.
- Before Downer disappeared, she and Brandon sought separate restraining orders against Markowski, accusing her, in part, of stalking and blackmail, court records showed.
'SNL' WRITER'S MISSING SISTER CASE LEADS HOMICIDE DETECTIVES TO JOSHUA TREE MONTHS AFTER FAMILY'S MURDER CLAIM Authorities learned of Downer’s disappearance in December 2025, when her ex-husband reported her missing, saying he had not heard from her in months.
Additional details
- In a September 2024 restraining order petition obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Downer accused Markowski of terrorizing her since December 2023.
- "She calls us n-----, threatens to beat me up, stole my spare key and copied it, threatens to break into my home," Downer claimed in her request.
- In September 2025, Brandon sought another protective order against Markowski, accusing her of hitting and kicking him when he tried to leave.
- TEACHER FOUND DEAD WITH THROAT SLIT; DETECTIVES SCRUTINIZE HUSBAND’S SHIFTING STORY The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division took over the investigation after Downer’s cellphone washed ashore at Santa Monica Beach.
- Alyce LaViolette, a licensed marriage and family therapist and domestic violence specialist not affiliated with the case, explained that courts usually examine specific details of each allegation rather than the number of complaints filed before deciding if a case proceeds.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
Advertisement
Every article behind this summary — 1 article from 1 outlet
Get stories like this in your inbox.
Subscribe — it's freeOne free email at 6am — your topics, deduplicated, five minutes. No account, no paywall.