On Friday, October 17, 35-year-old Harold Landon III was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 59-year-old Mariame Toure Sylla, a Greenbelt resident and longtime teacher at Dora Kennedy French Immersion school.
Sylla disappeared during her regular evening walk in Schrom Hills Park on Saturday, July 29, 2023 (see the August 3, 2023, issue). A month-long search ensued, in which police were joined by her school community, who held vigils and canvassed neighborhoods. On September 1, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz announced remains found in a park in Clinton on August 1 had been identified as Sylla’s. Parts of her body had been left there on July 31, two days after she disappeared (see the September 7, 2023, issue). When Landon was charged with her murder, he was already in jail, having been arrested by Greenbelt police on unrelated domestic violence charges.
There’s no evidence that Landon knew Sylla, though they both lived close to Schrom Hills Park in 2023. His motive for killing her remains unknown. Her exact cause of death also remains unknown, but was likely strangulation, said the county’s deputy state’s attorney. Landon pleaded not guilty, and his defense argued he was on drugs at the time of the murder and consequently doesn’t remember it; his lawyer also said the death could have been an accident. Meanwhile, prosecutors argued Landon’s actions and the disposal of her body, some parts of which remain missing, were calculated. Landon also reportedly told family he “let the savage out,” during a call from jail.
On Friday, Landon’s lawyer, a public defender, filed a notice of intent to appeal. Sylla’s adult son, meanwhile, said his mother would never get to enjoy the retirement she had planned, and he still doesn’t have closure while parts of her body remain missing.
“Ms. Sylla dedicated her life to shaping young minds and strengthening our county,” said State’s Attorney Tara H. Jackson, following Landon’s sentencing. “Her tragic death underscores the profound and far-reaching consequences of violent acts. Our office remains committed to seeking justice for victims and their families, and to ensuring that the legacy of service exemplified by Ms. Sylla endures. We are grateful to the prosecutors and law enforcement professionals who worked tirelessly on this case, their dedication was instrumental in achieving justice for Ms. Sylla and her loved ones.”
The author has two children who attend Dora Kennedy French Immersion School, where Madame Sylla taught.
