Man Sentenced In Slaying, Dismemberment Of Beloved Teacher

GREENBELT, MD — The man who killed and dismembered a popular teacher in September 2023 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the death of Mariame Toure Sylla.

Harold Francis Landon III, 35, of University Park was convicted in June 2025 in Sylla's death.

In July 2023, Sylla, 59, was reported missing. She was found dead two months later and Landon was arrested in connection to her death. Sylla disappeared during one of her regular evening walks near her condo in Schrom Hills Park in Greenbelt on July 29, 2023.

She taught second grade at Dora Kennedy French Immersion School.

After her disappearance, both the police and community searched for her. On Aug. 1, 2023, that search came to an end when Prince George’s County Police confirmed that a woman’s partial remains found by a pond near Joint Base Andrews belonged to Sylla.

Her remains were found dismembered and her head decapitated in a manner consistent "with a machine cut such as a reciprocating saw."

On Aug. 31, 2023, investigators searched Landon's residence and recovered several power tools, including a reciprocating saw, which were seized for further analysis. Based on surveillance footage, phone records and witness information, police arrested Landon. Sylla and Landon did not know each other, though they lived near each other, WJLA previously reported.

A witness interviewed by police reported that on July 31, 2023, around 9:30 p.m., they saw a man in a white pick-up who was at the pond near where the body was found. The witness said the man was carrying something and appeared to dump it in the area where the body was found. The witness gave police a description of the man and they took pictures of him, court documents disclosed.

Surveillance video uncovered by police also showed the white pickup truck in a parking area next to the pond where the body was found, Patch previously reported. Investigators identified Landon as a suspect in the case.

Landon had already been arrested by the Greenbelt Police Department on Aug. 1, 2023, in an unrelated domestic violence case. Court documents stated that Landon tried to stab his ex-girlfriend and her friend. The two were able to get the knife away from Landon and flee.

The documents say Landon already had a protective order that forbade him from going near the woman. That happened the same day Sylla's body was found. Investigators say Landon's phone records also placed him at the pond on July 31, 2023, the day before Sylla's body was found.

“Ms. Sylla dedicated her life to shaping young minds and strengthening our county,” said State’s Attorney Tara H. Jackson. “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.”

Related:

• University Park Man Indicted In Greenbelt Teacher's Gruesome Death: Prosecutor
• Teacher Reported Missing, Police Search Park Where She Went For Walks
• Greenbelt Teacher Missing 9 Days, No Tie To Rachel Morin Case: Police
• Teacher Missing Nearly 3 Weeks, Son Arrested On Unrelated Charges
• Missing Greenbelt Teacher Found Dead, Man In Custody: Police
• Gruesome Details Of Teacher's Murder Disclosed In Court Documents
• Trial Continues In Gruesome Murder Of Beloved Teacher Mariame Toure Sylla