PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — Nearly two years after beloved teacher Mariame Toure Sylla disappeared during a walk in Greenbelt, the man accused of killing her is now on trial.
During opening statements, Prince George’s County Executive-elect Aisha Braveboy told jurors, “We can’t bring her back, but we can bring her justice.”
Sylla, 59, vanished on July 29, 2023. Police who searched her apartment found her purse and ID, but no sign of her. Three days later, her dismembered and decapitated body was discovered near a pond in Clinton.
Investigators tied 33-year-old Harold Landon III to the crime through cell phone data, which placed him near the pond the day before Sylla’s body was located. Landon was already in custody on unrelated domestic violence charges at the time. Authorities say Sylla’s DNA was later found on his boots.
Prosecutors also presented testimony from Sylla’s sister, who said Sylla moved to the U.S. in 2020 and became a well-liked teacher at Dora Kennedy French Immersion School. She last heard from her sister on the day she went missing.
A witness who had been walking his dog near the pond testified to seeing Landon in the area and provided photos of his vehicle.
Landon is charged with first- and second-degree murder, assault, and illegally disposing of a body. His attorney argued there is no clear evidence linking Landon directly to the victim or suggesting a motive, though acknowledged a motive is not legally required for a first-degree murder conviction.
If found guilty, Landon faces a life sentence.
