GREENBELT, MD – A Maryland man convicted of killing and dismembering a second-grade teacher has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing closure to a case that shocked the community more than two years ago.
Harold Landon III was convicted in June for the murder of Mariame Toure Sylla, a 59-year-old teacher at the Dora Kennedy French Immersion School in Greenbelt. Sylla disappeared on July 29, 2023, after going for her regular evening walk near her home.
On August 1, 2023, police were alerted to human remains discovered in a retention pond located 20 miles away in Clinton. The remains were identified through DNA testing as Sylla’s torso. Despite extensive searches, no other remains were ever recovered.
Landon was arrested and charged with murder after a witness photographed him in the area of the pond. The witness observed Landon dumping something into the water and then washing his hands in the pond.
During the trial, Landon’s defense attorneys argued that he did not recall the attack due to his drug use and pointed to his difficult childhood as mitigating factors. However, prosecutors strongly contested this narrative.
“This act was not caused by some type of rage based on substance abuse; it was premeditated. It was calculated before, during and after,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
Investigators found no connection between Landon and his victim. Sylla, originally from the Ivory Coast, was a respected educator who was nearing retirement at the time of her death.
The case deeply affected the Greenbelt community, where Sylla was known as a dedicated teacher who had touched the lives of countless students and families throughout her career.
