A 34-year-old Maryland resident, Harold Francis Landon III, has been convicted of first-degree murder in relation to the gruesome slaying of a beloved elementary school teacher. Mariame Toure Sylla, 59, was assaulted while strolling in a park and subsequently mutilated. Landon’s conviction was significantly influenced by a recorded jailhouse phone call he made, which was introduced as evidence during the trial.
In the chilling phone call, Landon confessed, “I literally let the savage inside of me out.” This recording, coupled with photographs taken by a local business owner that depicted Landon discarding what was later identified as part of Sylla’s mutilated body in a retention pond, served as crucial evidence. The jury also considered additional evidence such as cellphone data and DNA, leading them to a verdict after roughly an hour of deliberation.
Sylla was last seen alive around 8 p.m. on July 29, 2023, in a park in Greenbelt, a suburb of Washington, D.C. A few days later, 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 detained 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.
Although the exact cause of Sylla’s death was never officially determined, investigators believe she was strangled before her body was mutilated and scattered around the area. Not all of her remains were recovered. Detectives later discovered Sylla’s DNA on Landon’s boots, and cellphone data placed him in the vicinity at the time of the murder. Additional 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 underscored 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.