UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A Prince George’s County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of a respected Greenbelt teacher whose disappearance in 2023 led to a weeks-long search.
On Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, State’s Attorney Tara H. Jackson announced that 35-year-old Harold Francis Landon III, of University Park, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of 59-year-old Mariame Toure Sylla.
In September 2023, Landon murdered Sylla, a longtime educator at Dora Kennedy French Immersion School in Greenbelt, as she walked in Schrom Hills Park, authorities said.
“Ms. Sylla dedicated her life to shaping young minds and strengthening our County,” Jackson said. “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.”
Sylla was reported missing in late July 2023. On Aug. 1, 2023, patrol officers responded to the 7300 block of Old Alexandria Ferry Road in Clinton, where human remains were found. DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to Sylla.
Landon, who was already in custody on an unrelated assault charge, was identified as a suspect through investigative work by the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit and charged with first-degree murder. Police said there was no indication the suspect and victim were known to each other.
“Ms. Sylla was a beloved teacher and member of the Greenbelt community. Her murder is tragic,” Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz said following Landon’s arrest in 2023. “We hope the arrest of Landon provides some comfort to her family and all who knew and loved her.”
The investigation included assistance from the Greenbelt Police Department, the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, and multiple local law enforcement partners.
Landon’s sentencing brings closure to a case that deeply affected the Greenbelt community and the school where Sylla had spent years teaching.
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Landon, another piece of trash off the streets.