Dateline NBC: “The Professor & The Poet”

Original Air Date: March 10, 2026
Length: ~88 minutes
Host: Lester Holt
Correspondent: Josh Mankiewicz

Episode Overview

“The Professor & The Poet” unravels the chilling true-crime case of Sue Marcum, a beloved accounting professor at American University, who was found brutally murdered in her Bethesda, Maryland home in 2010. The episode traces the investigation from an apparent burglary to the eventual international manhunt and capture of the prime suspect: Jorge Landeros—a former friend, yoga teacher, poet, and financial confidant of the victim. Through first-hand interviews, courtroom developments, and an exploration of Marcum’s life, this Dateline exposes the dangers of misplaced trust and charismatic manipulation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Crime & Initial Investigation

• Sue Marcum’s Body is Found

  • Sue's close friend Larry, unsettled by her missing a usual morning phone call, discovers her at the bottom of the stairs in her ransacked home ([04:35]).
  • Police respond to what initially appears to be a burglary gone wrong.
  • Sergeant Larry Haley notes: "They found Sue Marcum deceased at the bottom of her stairs." ([01:12])

• Scene Details & Early Theories

  • Items stolen: cell phone, laptops, TV—some left behind, possibly due to being spooked ([08:19]).
  • Notable evidence: two used shot glasses, signs of recent companionship.
  • Unusual clue: a Ray Ban logo chip placed inside Sue's mouth ([30:25]).
  • “No question. This is a murder.” – Lester Holt ([08:48])

• Community & Victim Background

  • Sue was a respected AU professor, lively, and deeply involved in her friends’ and students’ lives ([03:12]-[13:12]).
  • “She was the most successful, accomplished person at that time that I knew.” – Beverly Myers ([03:12])

2. The Burglary Theory Unravels

• Prime Suspect: DeAndrew Hamlin

  • Caught driving Sue’s stolen Jeep after a dramatic D.C. police chase ([18:25]).
  • Hamlin claims he found the Jeep abandoned, simply took it for a joyride ([21:14]).
  • Investigators find no forensic evidence linking Hamlin to the murder scene.
  • "He insisted he knew nothing about Sue Markham's murder, had never been to her house..." ([22:32])
  • “He was just kind of a hapless thief.” – Lester Holt ([23:23])

• DNA Evidence Unlocks a New Lead

  • DNA evidence from Sue’s body and crime scene is from an unknown male, ruling out Hamlin and local burglars ([28:06]).
  • “The DNA on Sue’s body was from a man, a man who was not DeAndrew Hamlin...” ([28:06])

3. Focus Shifts: Sue’s Secret Life & The ‘Poet’

• Re-examining Sue’s Relationships

  • Detective work pivots to Sue’s social circle, especially her “romantic interests” ([37:10]).
  • Documents with “Jorge Rueda Landeros” emerge from her personal papers ([39:00]).
  • Friends and family recall Jorge as a charismatic, philosophical, younger Spanish teacher and yoga instructor who displayed disturbing mood changes ([40:00]-[42:22]).
  • "She was over the moon... I never saw her talk about a man in the way she talked about him." – Beverly Myers ([40:20])

• Revelations of Financial Entanglements

  • Extensive emails reveal a financial and emotional partnership between Sue and Jorge, including opening an investment account that loses over $300,000 of Sue’s money ([48:03]).
  • Jorge is found to be the beneficiary of a $500,000 life insurance policy on Sue ([53:53]).
  • “We learned that the declared purpose of the policy was ... opening a joint yoga business together.” – Sgt. Haley ([54:01])

• Suspicions Solidify

  • Detectives debunk Jorge’s claims of working on Wall Street or having diplomatic ties ([55:51]).
  • Timeline analysis proves Jorge was in the U.S. days before Sue’s murder, with no record of his exit beforehand ([56:43]).

4. The Hunt for Jorge Landeros

• DNA Match and Fugitive Status

  • While in El Paso, Jorge freely provides a DNA swab—unaware he’s a suspect ([59:15]).
  • Forensic analysis confirms his DNA under Sue’s fingernails, on the murder weapon, and shot glasses ([59:54]).
  • Upon learning of the investigation, Jorge stops crossing the border and disappears into Mexico ([61:13]).

• Quotes of Note:

  • “He’s identified as the contributor of the DNA under Sue's fingernails, on the murder weapon, and on the shot glasses.” – Sgt. Haley ([59:54])
  • “After that, he never came back. He never crossed the border again.” – Beverly Myers ([61:13])

• Years on the Run

  • Jorge evades capture for nearly a decade, living under aliases, teaching yoga in Guadalajara ([66:34]).
  • Interviews with his then-partner, Rocio, recall similar manipulative behavior and financial exploitation ([67:01]-[70:36]).
  • “This can happen to anyone... If somebody shows you who they are, walk away.” – Rocio ([87:22])

5. Justice Served—Verdict & Reflections

• Tip Leads to Arrest

  • An anonymous tip with a current Facebook profile enables authorities to place Jorge under surveillance and arrest him in Mexico ([72:54]-[74:26]).

• Extradition, Interrogation & Trial

  • Landeros returns to the U.S. to stand trial for Sue Marcum’s murder in 2025 ([75:27]).
  • “We've been waiting a long time.” – Sgt. Haley, upon finally meeting Landeros ([76:45])
  • Landeros asserts his rights and does not confess ([77:33]).
  • Prosecutors cite love, financial exploitation, and the life insurance as probable motives ([80:39]-[81:07]).
  • The defense argues plausible alternative suspects, lack of premeditation, and normalcy of DNA from prior relationship ([82:47]-[84:31]).

• Verdict & Sentence

  • First Degree Murder: Not Guilty ([85:31]).
  • Second Degree Murder: Guilty ([85:59]).
  • Landeros is sentenced to 25 years in prison; eligible for parole in his 70s ([86:14]).

• Emotional Impact & Final Messages

  • “I started to cry. Oh, thank goodness. Just the relief that they would hold this person accountable.” – Beverly Myers ([86:07])
  • “If somebody shows you who they are, believe them.” – Lester Holt ([87:47])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sue’s Death Discovered: [04:35]
• Hamlin’s Capture with Sue’s Jeep: [18:25]
• DNA Turns Case Around: [28:06]
• Unveiling Sue’s Financial Entanglement: [48:03]
• Jorge Becomes Prime Suspect: [53:53]
• Jorge Provides DNA Swab: [59:15]
• Jorge Goes on the Run: [61:13]
• Rocio’s Story of Abuse and Manipulation: [67:01]
• Tip and Arrest in Mexico: [72:54]
• Extradition & Interrogation: [75:27] to [78:54]
• Trial & Verdict: [79:10] to [86:14]
• Final Reflections & Lessons: [87:22] to [88:31]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sue Marcum’s character:
  “She was the most successful, accomplished person at that time that I knew.” – Beverly Myers ([03:12])

• On the emotional impact:
  “It was so unnecessary, so senseless, so evil.” – Beverly Myers ([10:38])

• On the moment the case turned:
  “It was inconceivable to me that Sue would have had a drink with someone who had broken into her home. And the entire investigation shifted at that point.” – Sgt. Haley ([34:24])

• Jorge’s controlling narrative:
  “We told each other the story of our lives, and woven in those stories the little sweet drops of our deepest yearnings...” – E-mail from Jorge ([44:54])

• On heartbreak and warning:
  “Anyone can be manipulated... If somebody shows you who they are, walk away.” – Rocio ([87:22])

• On closure and justice:
  “Just the relief that they would hold this person accountable.” – Beverly Myers ([86:07])

• On memory and legacy:
  “We live, Sue, you know, because we don't want to forget her.” – Beverly Myers ([88:31])

Takeaways & Tone

This episode is as much a portrait of a vibrant life cut short as it is a procedural whodunnit. The tone is one of admiration, heartbreak, and caution—revealing how even the wisest can be deceived by charm and emotional manipulation. Through friends’ heartfelt memories, detectives’ tenacity, and the ultimate unmasking of a fugitive, Dateline reminds listeners: when someone shows you they are dangerous, believe them.

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