A Maryland man, aged 34, has been found guilty of first-degree murder in connection to the brutal killing of a popular elementary school teacher. The victim, Mariame Toure Sylla, 59, was attacked while taking a walk in a park and subsequently dismembered. The conviction of Harold Francis Landon III was largely influenced by a recorded jail call he made, which was presented as evidence in court.
In the call, Landon chillingly confessed, “I literally let the savage inside of me out.” This recording, along with photographs taken by a local business owner showing Landon disposing of what was later identified as part of Sylla’s dismembered body in a retention pond, were key pieces of evidence. Additional evidence included cellphone data and DNA, leading the jury to reach a verdict after approximately an hour of deliberation.
Sylla was last seen alive around 8 p.m. on July 29, 2023, in a park located in Greenbelt, a suburb of Washington, D.C. On August 1, 2023, just before 6:30 p.m., officers from the Prince George’s County Police Department discovered human remains in Clinton.
On the same day, Landon was apprehended on an unrelated assault charge. Following further investigation and the positive identification of Sylla’s remains, he was arrested for her murder about a month later. The attack was random, with no prior connection between Landon and Sylla.
While the exact cause of Sylla’s death was never officially determined, investigators believe she was strangled before her body was dismembered and scattered around the area. Not all of her remains were recovered. Detectives later found Sylla’s DNA on Landon’s boots, and cellphone data placed him in the vicinity at the time of the murder. Further evidence included parts of her dress and scarf found in Landon’s truck, and surveillance footage showing what appeared to be a body in a black bag in his vehicle.
Following the verdict, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy emphasized the importance of removing Landon from society. She stated, “He tried to dismember her body so that he could sever any evidence regarding his crime. But today, the jury sent a very strong verdict, and now he is severed from our community.”
Sylla, originally from the Ivory Coast, had moved to the United States about ten years prior to her murder. She was a second-grade teacher at Dora Kennedy French Immersion School. Despite the overwhelming evidence, Landon maintained his innocence, with his attorney dismissing the case as “pure speculation.” Landon’s sentencing is scheduled for October 17.