Mariame Sylla // 529

Summary

Summary of "Going West: True Crime" Episode 529 – Mariam Sylla

Podcast Information:

• Title: Going West: True Crime
• Host/Author: Dark West Productions (Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman)
• Episode: Mariam Sylla // 529
• Release Date: August 15, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 529 of Going West: True Crime, hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman delve into the harrowing case of Mariam Toure Sila, a beloved teacher whose mysterious disappearance and brutal murder shocked her community in Greenbelt, Maryland. The episode, released on August 15, 2025, provides a comprehensive overview of the case, community response, investigation, and eventual trial of the perpetrator.

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Background on Mariam Toure Sila

Mariam Toure Sila was a 59-year-old educator born on September 17, 1963, in the Ivory Coast. She moved to the United States in the early 2000s to teach at Prince George's County public schools in Maryland. Fluent in English and French, Mariam was highly regarded at the Dora Kennedy French Immersion School, where she taught second grade for over a decade. Described as kind, quiet, and deeply committed to her students, Mariam was affectionately known as "Madame Selah" by her pupils.

Daphne (08:13): "All teachers have a really important role in children's lives. But she was particularly warm and a mentor to many of the kids."

Despite her love for her life in the States, Mariam often felt homesick and hoped to retire back to the Ivory Coast, where her family still resided. Her personal life was marked by devotion to her faith and community, making her sudden disappearance even more perplexing to those who knew her.

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Disappearance and Immediate Response

On the evening of July 29, 2023, Mariam embarked on her routine "prayer walk" in Schrom Hills Park, near her home in Greenbelt. She was meticulous about her schedule, never missing a day. However, that night, Mariam did not return.

Daphne (04:06): "She was last reported seen July 29 heading out for an evening walk in Greenbelt's Schrom Hills park, across the street from her home."

Concern quickly spread among friends, family, and the community. Mariam's sister, Fatih, flew in from the Ivory Coast to advocate for her sister's safe return, addressing vigils and urging anyone with information to come forward.

As days passed without any updates, Mariam's co-workers, students, and concerned parents mobilized to distribute flyers and canvass the area, desperate for answers. Mariam’s phone, social media, and bank accounts remained inactive since the night she vanished, indicating that something was terribly wrong.

Heath (12:33): "That's just the type of person that Miriam was. She really like you said she really enjoyed having structure in her life."

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Discovery of Remains and Arrest of Suspect

Two weeks after Mariam's disappearance, a shocking development emerged. On August 1, 2023, authorities discovered dismembered human remains in a retention pond within Clinton, Maryland, approximately 20 miles south of Greenbelt. The remains included a female torso with missing limbs and no head, making immediate identification impossible.

Heath (14:34): "Her remains now in a press conference that was held on September 1, 2023."

Simultaneously, Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz announced the arrest of 33-year-old Harold Landon III from University Park, Maryland, on unrelated domestic violence charges. Landon was taken into custody for attempting to stab his ex-girlfriend and her friend, disturbing evidence of his violent tendencies.

Daphne (36:00): "It was incredibly important that we find Ms. Cela's murderer. And we found him."

Despite the timing seeming coincidental, it was later revealed that Landon was indeed the perpetrator behind Mariam's murder. A crucial 911 call from a local business owner reported seeing a man dump a large item in the retention pond—the very same park where Mariam's partially decomposed body was later found.

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Investigation and Evidence

The investigation against Landon unraveled a series of disturbing actions:

1. Surveillance Footage and Witness Testimony:

   • A business owner captured Landon’s white Chevrolet pickup truck dumping an unidentified object in the retention pond on July 31, 2023.
   • Additional cell phone records placed both Mariam and Landon in Schrom Park on the night of her disappearance.

2. Physical Evidence:

   • Remnants of Mariam's clothing were found in Landon’s truck, including pieces of her dress and headscarf.
   • DNA evidence linked Mariam to Landon through a pair of his boots, collected from his home.

3. Confession Attempts:

   • Landon attempted to use his family's phones to obscure his location, indicating premeditation to evade capture.
   • Surveillance later revealed the use of his mother's phone to contact his brother, sowing further doubt until incriminating evidence emerged.

Heath (27:09): "I mean, I would find it strange, you know, if anybody was dumping a large item into any pond."

Despite the fragmented state of Mariam's remains, leading investigators concluded that Landon had brutally murdered and dismembered her, possibly over a span of days, intending to hide her body effectively.

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The Trial

The trial commenced in June 2025, presided over by Prosecutor Aisha Braveboy. Despite Landon's attempts to push for bail, his history of violence and the severity of the charges led to his denial.

Daphne (39:51): "It's such bullshit. But on top of that, Harold and his family have stayed pretty silent and very much out of the spotlight."

During the trial, the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence, including DNA matches and the gruesome state of Mariam's remains. Landon’s defense, led by Richard Rydelich, claimed that Mariam's death was a tragic accident or a result of a hit-and-run, a claim widely discredited by the presented evidence.

A pivotal moment came when the jury was shown graphic photos of the dismembered body, reinforcing the brutality of the crime and dismantling the defense's arguments.

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Verdict and Community Impact

On June 17, 2025, after only 90 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Harold Landon III guilty of first-degree murder.

Fatih, Mariam's Sister (50:49): "Now he is severed from our community."

Prosecutor Braveboy emphasized the importance of justice for Mariam, highlighting the community's relentless search and the devastation wrought by the crime. The verdict brought a measure of closure to Mariam's family, friends, and the broader community, though the complete remains of Mariam are still missing, leaving lingering sorrow and unanswered questions.

Mariam's funeral was held at her local mosque, attended by numerous community members seeking to honor her memory and find solace in their collective grief.

Conclusion

The tragic case of Mariam Toure Sila underscores the fragility of life and the profound impact one individual can have on their community. Through persistent efforts from her loved ones and the unwavering dedication of law enforcement, justice was ultimately served. However, the loss and trauma inflicted by such an act leave lasting scars on all who were touched by Mariam's life.

Heath (53:24): "Thank you guys so much for tuning into this episode. Remember, we have true crime Trivia on our TikTok done by Heath."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Daphne (04:06): "She was last reported seen July 29 heading out for an evening walk in Greenbelt's Schrom Hills park, across the street from her home."
• Daphne (08:13): "All teachers have a really important role in children's lives. But she was particularly warm and a mentor to many of the kids."
• Heath (14:34): "Her remains now in a press conference that was held on September 1, 2023."
• Daphne (36:00): "It was incredibly important that we find Ms. Cela's murderer. And we found him."
• Heath (27:09): "I mean, I would find it strange, you know, if anybody was dumping a large item into any pond."
• Fatih, Mariam's Sister (50:49): "Now he is severed from our community."
• Heath (53:24): "Thank you guys so much for tuning into this episode. Remember, we have true crime Trivia on our TikTok done by Heath."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Going West: True Crime delivers a compelling narrative of loss, community resilience, and the pursuit of justice. Through detailed recounting and thoughtful analysis, Daphne and Heath provide listeners with an in-depth understanding of the Mariam Toure Sila case, honoring her memory and highlighting the importance of vigilance and compassion in the face of tragedy.

Transcript

[Heath]

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[Heath]

What is going on? True crime fans, I'm your host he.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host, Daphne.

[Heath]

And you're listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Hello everybody. Hope you're doing well today. I was looking for newer cases recently and I couldn't believe how little attention this one has gotten. Especially because of how important this woman was to her community and just how gruesome and shocking the case itself was so big. Thank you to everybody for tuning into this one.

[Heath]

Yes, this case happened only two years ago, but the trial just commenced two months ago, meaning that there is a very recent update in this story. So, as always, check out our socials for photos and posts on this case and every other case that we cover. We are on TikTok at GoingWest podcast. We're on Instagram @goingwest podcast and we're also on Facebook.

[Daphne]

Heath has been making these really fun like TikTok trivia videos just. Or like you already put them everywhere. You put them on Instagram too, but they're. Sorry. True crime trivia videos. What? Am I okay?

[Heath]

Yeah, you're good. You're good. Yeah, no, I've been making some true crime trivia content for YouTube. TikTok been throwing them on Instagram. So if you're interested in that as well, go check those out.

[Daphne]

It's fun. You know, he makes it super fun. He gets some really good questions. So go give us a follow. Thank you for tuning in. And without further ado.

[Heath]

All right, guys, this is episode 529 of going west. So let's get into it.

[Mariam's Sister]

SA.

[Daphne]

Someone knows where she is.

[Police Chief Malik Aziz]

Those words tonight came from Greenbelt's police chief.

[Daphne]

He was talking about the mysterious disappearance of Mariam Torre Sela.

[Police Chief Malik Aziz]

She teaches at a French emergence school in Prince George's County. She has not been seen since July 29th.

[Mariam's Sister]

Mariam is missing. We are all concerned. We love her. We need her. Please, Mariam, come back.

[Daphne]

She was last reported seen July 29 heading out for an evening walk in Greenbelt's Schrom Hills park, across the street from her home. Just before 5 o' clock today, we learned the heartbreaking news that Cilla had been found dead. And tonight, with a suspect behind bars, police and the community are asking why.

[Heath]

Police report finding a dismembered body near this industrial area. Breaking news tonight, a verdict has been reached in the trial of Harold Landon.

[Daphne]

Third.

[Mariam's Sister]

It'S not about Mariam today because we are Muslim. For me, she is already with God, but it's about other people who have a responsibility to not let this guy outside and because he can kill somebody else.

[Daphne]

Miriam Chu Ray Sila was born on September 17, 1963 in Ivory coast, which of course is a small West African country sandwiched between Liberia and Ghana. There she was raised devoutly Muslim and was deeply connected to her faith throughout her life, though very little information has been made public about her upbringing or her personal life. She was described in the trial for her murder as a cherished mother, teacher, sister and beloved member of the community. Fluent in English and French, Miriam moved to the States to teach about two decades ago, so in the early 2000s. And she started out in Prince George's county public schools in Prince George County, Maryland, which is just east of downtown Washington, D.C. that's where today's story takes place, just outside of D.C. so she first worked at the Robert Goddard Montessori school, but after a year, she moved to the nearby Dora Kennedy French Immersion school, where she happily taught for over a decade. And that is where she was working at the time of her murder. And there Miriam taught second grade. She was adored by kids, parents and fellow teachers alike. I mean, I know it's kind of typical in murder cases or missing persons cases. You know, there's kind of that joke that it's like, oh, she lit up a room. But really, everybody had the most amazing things to say about this woman. She was so inspiring. Kids loved her. She was just such a great teacher. She cared so much about what she did.

[Heath]

Yeah. It's not just the talking point. This woman was just loved by everybody.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And this is what her principal had to say. James Spence, quote, she was passionate about teaching French and maintaining high standards for students. We will miss her caring personality, beautiful smile and helpful spirit. And Miriam loved her school right back. So she again was there for over a decade. And she made her home in Greenbelt, Maryland, which is about 40 minutes northeast of Washington, D.C. and just a little more on her personality. She was described as kind and quiet. She was a student favorite at her school. Like one former student said of her quote, she is one of the best teachers I ever knew. She was really kind to all of us. And a parent whose child was a student of Miriam said, quote, all teachers have a really important role in children's lives. But she was particularly warm and a mentor to many of the kids. Shout out good teachers. You know, Absolutely.

[Heath]

We love a good teacher.

[Daphne]

We really do. And because she was so loved, she wasn't often called Miss Sila around school. A lot of kids called her Madame Selah. It was like a loving nickname that everybody had for her. Now, Miriam did have times where she felt homesick and longed to move back to the Ivory Coast. That's where her entire family was. And she also actually still owned a home there. So although she loved her life in the States, she was hoping that retirement was on the horizon for her, which I think really makes this story extra devastating.

[Heath]

Now, on the Evening of Saturday, July 29, 2023, 59 year old Miriam was taking an evening walk, which she did every single night, referring to it as a prayer walk before her sunset prayers. And she adhered to a really regimented schedule with this. Like, she was never known to miss her walk or her prayers. Miriam walked for about 30, 45 minutes every evening, but always returned home before it got dark. She chose Schrom Hills park that night, which was located near her home in Greenbelt. But that day she didn't make it back. She was last seen strolling along Hanover Parkway, the street that Schrom Parkway is located on, at about 8pm so when people in her life realized that she was missing Miriam's community, including friends, neighbors, the families from her school, as well as fellow teachers mobilized right away. And with her family being so far away, back on the Ivory coast, they still stepped in to act as her advocate from afar, because everybody knew that this was very out of character for Miriam to just disappear. Like her sister, Fatih even flew to the United States to act as Miriam's spokeswoman to try and find out answers in her sudden vanishing. So, fresh off the plane a few days after Miriam went missing, Fati rushed to a vigil for Miriam to address a crowd of concerned citizens and also the media. And through tears, she told them, miriam is missing. We're all concerned. I would like Miriam to come back. We love her. We need her. Please, Miriam, come back. And then standing next to Fatih was the Ivory coast ambassador to the United States. And he told the crowd an appeal to the Ivorian community and also the African community. And all those who knew Miriam, her friends, her neighbors, every single person who may have had some relevant information. This is a very painful moment for her family, her friends, for her school, and we would be really grateful to any single person who could be of help.

[Daphne]

And this is July, you know, so obviously school is out for summer. But the community was still finding out about the case, especially as days passed. So a bunch of Miriam's co workers, students, and many concerned parents whose kids attended Dora Kennedy rallied together to get the word out about her disappearance. They passed out flyers, they placed them up all around town, and they'd even stop people on the street to ask if anybody had seen her, because at this point, of course, they had no idea the horrors that Miriam had already faced. And it would be weeks until they would find out. Her phone records, social media accounts, and bank accounts were all quiet since the night that she disappeared. So it felt clear that something happened. She would have no reason to just go completely dark like that. I mean, authorities even checked her passport records to see if maybe she had taken an unannounced trip or maybe had gone home at a moment's notice. But nothing came up. And those who knew Miriam best said that this was simply not the way that she operated. She was organized, she was responsible, and she thoroughly enjoyed her structure. I mean, Heath even told us about the prayer walks that she would take every single day. She never missed one. Like, she had a very regimented schedule. Even in the summer when she was off, she. She knew what she was doing. She didn't fly off the seat of her pants like that.

[Heath]

Yeah, exactly. That's just the type of person that Miriam was. She really like you said she really enjoyed having structure in her life.

[Daphne]

And more to kind of harp on that a little bit more. John Enos, who was a fellow teacher of hers at Dora Kennedy, also shot this possibility down saying, quote, absolutely not. No, I'm not surprised that she took a walk that evening, as she did that religiously, but there, I guess literally religiously, but there was nothing that would make me suggest that she would just decide to wander away and disappear like that. Now, around the same time as her disappearance, there were two bodies found in St. George's county that were unidentified, but they couldn't yet confirm if either of the remains could be linked to Miriam. So they kind of held tight on that as they investigated further. And authorities did announce, though, that they were investigating a link between Miriam's vanishing and those remains to kind of give the public an idea of what could be going on.

[Heath]

Yeah, they're concerned they found two bodies. They're wondering if they're connected, if there's possibly a serial killer in the city.

[Daphne]

And that's why they kind of wanted to put the public at ease a little bit to say, we do have a possible lead. We might already have her remains. We don't know. But of course they can't say that because they themselves don't know and don't want to put it out there that she is deceased if she's not. But one of those bodies was indeed Miriam's because her actual remains were discovered in Clinton, Maryland, which is a census designated place over 20 miles or 32 kilometers south of Greenbelt. So a little bit closer to Washington, D.C. but it would be weeks before the remains were confirmed to belong to Miriam and before authorities would announce the confirmation of her identity. And as you guys will see, that is due to the horrific state of.

[Heath]

Her remains now in a press conference that was held on September 1, 2023. So one month after her disappearance, Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz held a press conference in which he announced that on August 1st of 2023, so right after she went missing that same week, before her remains were even confirmed to be hers, that a 33 year old man named Harold Landon III from nearby University Park, Maryland, which is about 15 minutes away from Greenbelt, had been arrested for the brutal murder of Miriam Toure Sila. Police Chief Aziz confirmed to the public detectives discovered that he was in the park at the same time as the abduction and later identified through his vehicle through DNA evidence. The remains were identified as missing teacher Ms. Cela. Ms. Sela was a much beloved teacher And a member of our community. A valued member of our community. Her murder is tragic. We hope the arrest of Landen provides some comfort to her family and. And all who knew and loved her. So for one month, the public was none the wiser than an arrest had even been made in her case. And now everybody's just curious about a motive or anything that could have somewhat explained why this unknown man, Harold Landon iii, would kill Miriam. Did he know her? Was it random? And what even happened here? When asked by the press about why this may have occurred, Police Chief Azeez admitted, we don't have any motive. Our detectives. You heard me mention earlier about the. The hard work that these detectives do. They're putting the pieces together. You know, you hear this term it's a fluid investigation. It's an active investigation. Those are meaningful words. They're putting together the pieces of a puzzle to try and find out. I will say this, though. Motives in these cases, even if it exists, in no way would bring any resolve to a family for whatever reason. It's senseless. It doesn't make any. The type of violence is depraved, and it wouldn't make any difference to me. It's just. It's disturbing. I just think we have a person who decided to go out and commit a horrific crime.

[Daphne]

Miriam's sister was present for every step of the process, speaking to reporters, attorneys, and law enforcement. And as Fatih sat beside the chief of police for that press conference, Prosecutor Aisha Braveboy addressed her in front of the crowd, saying to Ms. Toure, Our heart goes out to you. There are no words to express how we feel. I have a sister myself, and I can't imagine losing a sister in this way. That bond that we have is special. And to lose a sibling in this horrific way, it's unimaginable. So we will do everything in our power to get justice for you, for your sister, for your entire family, for our teachers, for our schools, and our entire community. After the press conference, Fatih told the press, I come in America to say I'm looking for my sister. And everyone helped me. Everyone. The school, the police, the mosque. I found my sister. I found her. Now I can bury her, and I can pray for her. So this is what we are all doing for each other. And she added, sadly, that the loss of Miriam was a particularly brutal blow to her family, given that she was quiet, kind. She was a rule follower. She had never in her life done anything illegal or morally questionable. And you know, of course, as well, again, she came to this country. And she made such a positive impact. I can't imagine what that was like for her family to be in a different country and to know that somebody here killed her when she was just minding her own business and being a great person. And then of course, they still really don't have answers. They don't know why exactly this happened. So let's dive back into Miriam's final moments and what the investigation uncovered. On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, three days after 59 year old Miriam disappeared from Schrom park during a Saturday evening walk, police responded to an urgent call at the 7300 block of Old Alexandria Ferry Road, which is the sprawling grounds of a park and a golf course which backs onto Joint Base Andrews, which is a US military facility. So obviously this is like large pieces of land, not a lot of people around at night. Around 6:30pm Officers approached cautiously because discarded on the rocks surrounding a pond on the park property were what appeared to be human remains. The park was shut down by police and cordoned off with caution tape. But those who were out looking for her had no way of knowing if this action was taken to search for Miriam's remains or not. But what detectives recovered on the rocks shocked them. A female torso which was decapitated at the collar and missing its neck and head. The torso was also missing its arms and its legs were cut off at the knees. Now, they knew that the body belonged to a black woman, but she was absent of any particular identifiers like tattoos, obviously because she was nude. She didn't have any clothes or a wallet or anything like that in pockets. But her remains, which turned out to be Miriam, were then taken to the office of the chief medical examiner in Baltimore, Maryland for an autopsy which was performed the next day. So yeah, remember they had these remains and they couldn't say that they were hers because it's not like they could make a positive ID even with her face because they don't have her head. And that's also why it took so long to confirm that it was her and why it wasn't a month until police explained the confirmation along with the arrest of Harold.

[Heath]

Yeah, and obviously this is very, very hard for investigators because they don't have all of Miriam's remains. They only have a portion of her remains.

[Daphne]

And then that makes more detective work as well because they, of course this is urgent now they have to go figure out where the rest of this person is. And they don't even know if it's Miriam, so they don't really know where to start. You know, it's not like they know that she was at this park, which they of course do. But because they don't know that it's Miriam, they don't have anywhere else to go to figure out where the other remains are. And as we know, of course, a lot of times in cases like this, the remains are put in a dumpster somewhere, but they don't even know where to go. So this is really tough. And here's what the autopsy revealed. Miriam's body had been severed with a quote machine cut, such as a reciprocating saw.

[Heath]

I mean, that right there is just horrifying.

[Daphne]

Yeah, because that has to be done somewhere private, Right, Exactly. So it would take two weeks before the remains were confirmed to belong to Miriam. But unbeknownst even to investigators, her killer was already in custody. This is an ad by BetterHelp. With the Internet and information overload about mental health and wellness, it can be a struggle to know what's true and what actions to even take these days.

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[Heath]

So we already explained that Harold was arrested on August 1, which happens to be the day that her remains were found. Now, even after his arrest, police didn't know that he was responsible for Miriam's murder. And we are gonna get here. Sorry, we're gonna get into that here in a minute. First, let's go more into that 911 call. Now, the 911 call was placed by a local business owner whose business happened to be adjacent to the retention pond in that park in which Miriam was found. This anonymous witness told police that on the evening of July 31, 2023, so two days after Miriam disappeared, around 9:30pm he noticed a man drive up in a white Chevrolet pickup truck and park near that pond. Now, this business owner, who was working late that evening and stepped out for a cigarette, saw this man dump a large item into the retention pond, which he had pulled from the back of.

[Daphne]

His truck and for those who don't know, a retention pond is like a pond designed to hold stormwater runoff, which helps prevent flooding and improves water quality. So, obviously, this is not the place where anybody should or would usually be dumping anything, especially a large object.

[Heath]

I mean, I would find it strange, you know, if anybody was dumping a large item into any pond. But it's especially sketchy here because this is taking place at night. It's almost like this person is purposefully trying to hide something.

[Daphne]

Exactly.

[Heath]

And this business owner knows that. So he's watching this mysterious man dump something and then watches him lean down and rinse his hands off in the pond water. According to the witness's statement, a short time later, the vehicle's lights turned off and proceeded on the grass down to the pond area, where the witness described seeing the male removing and carrying an item from the interior of the truck. The vehicle then returned to the parking lot near the entrance and stopped for a short period of time. And again, because it seems like he knew something was wrong with what he was seeing. This business owner actually snapped a couple of pictures of this occurring, including catching the make and model of this truck that the man had been driving.

[Daphne]

Love this guy. He is all of us.

[Heath]

Yeah, it's. It's so awesome when something like this happens, when somebody actually pays attention to their surroundings, because you never know what somebody's up to. And obviously, he was creeped out enough to report this to the police.

[Daphne]

I mean, it just goes to show you how weird of an event this really was that he's looking at it like something's not right here. I'm going to take some pictures just in case. And then it turned out to be, like, super valuable because.

[Heath]

Well, later, when these photos were shown in an interview with police, Harold Landon would admit that the car featured in the picture was his truck, though he would not own up to what he had been doing with it in that park that night. And then Harold's cell phone records would also confirm that he was in the vicinity of both Schrom park, which is where Miriam was taken on July 29, and the pond in Clay Clinton, which is where he dumped her body two days later on July 31, which also.

[Daphne]

Two days later, like, that's a really eerie thought as well, because if we know that he abducted her and murdered her two nights before that, like, 48 hours before that, essentially.

[Heath]

Yeah. What was he doing with her during those two days?

[Daphne]

Yeah, that's a long time.

[Heath]

Well, also, Miriam's cell phone records also placed her near 33 year old Harold in Schrom park around the same time that she's believed to have disappeared. So this tells us that they did run into each other. They did cross paths because their respective records first intersected at the Schram Hills Recreation center at around 7pm on July 29th.

[Daphne]

And we know that she was last seen at 8 o'. Clock. So did he see her at 7 and then follow her around and decide to do something?

[Heath]

It's very, very possible. Well, two different witnesses also identified Harold from the pictures provided by the business owner. So Harold is certainly our guy here. And back to this business owner because the next day that business owner walked by the pond to observe the situation to see if he could find anything strange. And that's when he saw what he believed were human remains confirming his suspicions about what this mysterious driver of this white pickup truck had been doing the evening prior. So he's like, I'm gonna go back to that site because I just didn't feel right about it.

[Daphne]

And he was so close. It was kind of perfect for him to be able to do that. Like, oh, might as well go check and see if anything weird happened. I cannot imagine what he thought when he saw that. Because it wasn't just a body that on its own is already horrific. This is a woman's nude torso.

[Heath]

Yeah. And I imagine that this guy was thinking, hey, I'm going to go back to this pond, it's probably nothing. And was hoping that he would come upon, you know, some trash or something that this guy was dumping. And in fact it was human remains.

[Daphne]

Literally the last thing you want to find.

[Heath]

Well, the witness then passed these pictures over to the police when they responded to his 911 call.

[Daphne]

Harold Landen spent about three days covering his tracks, disposing of evidence and scattering Mariam's body around the area. Because before Harold visited that retention pond, he was captured on surveillance footage leaving Greenbelt and driving towards his mom's house, which was nearby. In the bed of his truck was a black garbage bag wrapped tightly around something that looked suspicious, suspiciously, honestly, like a body.

[Heath]

That's because it was and it's freaking.

[Daphne]

On camera, you know, and this would have been before she was dismembered. So it's just horrific to think about the fact that that is Miriam. Now Harold was also spotted as a or at a gas station wearing the same shirt that he was later seen dumping the body in. So he is not changing clothes either.

[Heath]

Basically just caught red handed here.

[Daphne]

And disturbingly, he is believed to have enlisted the help of his family, Though whether or not they were aware of what he had done is unknown, because he's going to use his family's help for multiple things here. And we don't know if he was explicit about, hey, I need to use this for this, or, you know what I mean? Like, maybe he just said, oh, can I borrow that? You know?

[Heath]

Yeah. It's possible that he lied to his family. I mean, he's probably not gonna tell them the truth.

[Daphne]

Well, we're gonna touch on this a little bit later, actually, but also to explain what he used of his families on July 31. So the same day that he was captured from that business owner dumping her torso in the pond in Clinton, Maryland, Harold used his mom's phone in Lusby, Maryland. So over an hour away, near the shores of Chesapeake Bay.

[Heath]

And I'm assuming that he's probably doing this to kind of throw off the trail, right?

[Daphne]

Well, yeah, it's kind of weird because he. He used his mom's phone to call his brother, who also lived in Lusby, by the way. And he'd apparently destroyed his cell phone at this point, so that, of course, his location services could not be tracked. So he's thinking that using his family's phones and their house and whatever else are gonna kind of help keep him off the hook. But since police were onto him, you know, they're checking everything. They're finding all this out, which is why we have this information today, because also later, a search warrant was executed at his brother's house. And this would be a really big moment. So remember, he used his mom's phone to call his brother. We can only assume that he said, either told his brother what happened, or at the very least, said, said, I need to come over and use your power tools. Because when a search warrant was executed at his brother's house, a cadaver dog was marched through the property, and that's when the dog alerted to a back shed on the property that included tools and power tools, but specifically a saw, a red electric saw, which was found inside and then removed from. From the shed.

[Heath]

Yes. This was a reciprocal saw. Yeah.

[Daphne]

So this is what is believed to be what Harold used to dissect Miriam's body. So that's what I'm saying. Like, if he used his mom's phone to call the brother so the police wouldn't know that he called the brother because he knows that he needs to use the brother's tools to do his dirty deeds. I mean, it's wild.

[Heath]

And this guy probably thought he was Being so clever and so sneaky.

[Daphne]

Yeah, exactly. And this dog was also brought to the park where she went missing. And they alerted to the presence of decomposition in the park as well, in the exact vicinity that the cell phone location data of Miriam and Harold intersected, as though she was killed right there in the park. Prosecutor Aisha Brave Boy announced that their cell phones had, quote, tracked the same path on the night of her murder. And on top of all this, stuffed under the lining of the bed of Harold's truck, the lining of the bed were pieces of Miriam's dress and headscarf. Authorities searched inside Miriam's home. You know, there was no evidence of a struggle. They did not believe that they went back to her house, but of course they're going to search. And there was no indication that her assailant had been there. But they mostly wanted to remove DNA from a few different items, including her toothbrush and her hairbrush, which really helped. It helped prove that her DNA was even found mixed in with Harold's on a pair of his boots, which were also removed from the home. So let's get to the crazy part about how Harold was arrested because like Heath indicated to us, it was not originally because of Miriam. The timing couldn't be weirder. On August 1, 2023, the very same day that Miriam's body was found, Harold was arrested on charges unrelated to her murder. Allegedly, he was taken into custody on domestic violence charges after stalking and attempting to steal stab his ex girlfriend who he shared a two year old daughter with. According to court documents, Harold attempted to stab both his ex girlfriend and her friend. But thankfully they were able to wrestle the knife away from him and get away. Harold already had a protective order against him, by the way, to keep him away from her. So this was not a good sign that he was acting out and he was arrested.

[Heath]

So this kind of brings us back to a possible motive of, you know, if he's pissed off at women in his life, he's mad at his ex girlfriend, he attempted to stab her. You know, is it possible that that night that he accosted Miriam, he was just out for blood? He was mad, he wanted to take it out on a female. And we are going to talk about that a little bit more when we talk about the trial.

[Daphne]

But yeah, I like where you're going. I mean, this guy is a horrible.

[Heath]

Pussy and he's also just a massive piece of shit.

[Daphne]

True.

[Heath]

Well, as we know, Miriam's remains were so destroyed that it took authorities two weeks to determine her identity. And although A cause of death is difficult to ascertain when body parts are missing. Since, you know, they only had her torso. The medical examiner believed that she may have initially been strangled. The autopsy also revealed bruises in her groin and abdomen, which she sustained when she was still alive.

[Daphne]

Maybe that was his way of kind of getting her guard down, you know, punching her first.

[Heath]

Yeah, it's very possible that that was his attempt to kind of be able to overpower her right now. Although Harold was being held on separate charges, he was officially charged with the murder of Miriam Toure Sela while in custody. But I will say, unfortunately, little has been made public about Miriam and. And even less has come out about Harold. But we dug, you know, and found about as much as we possibly could here because weirdly, the trial, which happened in June of this year, so 2025, has done little to bring this case to light, as many details of the court case have been kept quiet.

[Daphne]

And that's not usually the case. But I feel like when stories don't really pick up in the media, we often don't get a lot of details. Whereas, you know, bigger cases like Sade Robinson, we had, like, video Testimony all over YouTube, like, long ones of that whole trial for Maxwell Anderson this year. You think about the Idaho Four case, etc. There are videos and documentation, but there wasn't a lot that came out on this trial. Sadly.

[Heath]

Yeah. I mean, it is such bullshit. But on top of that, Harold and his family have stayed pretty silent and very much out of the spotlight, likely to keep from further implicating him. But despite this, a mountain of evidence was stacked against Prince George County's only suspect. It was believed that he came upon Miriam in Schrom park by happenstance and then strangled her, then spent the next three days destroying evidence. Though nobody can be sure of what exactly went through his head when he made the snap decision to abduct and murder her. Police announced that they did not believe that the pair had any prior link before he attacked Miriam. They maintained that he most likely did not know her and that he came upon her in the park that night and made the decision to commit a violent act on pure impulse. And honestly, we could speculate more on this, but we really just don't know much about Harold at all, like his. His job or his life, other than that he was 33 when he killed her, that he lived in University Park, Maryland, so just a town over from where Miriam lived in Greenbelt. And we also know about his prior charges of domestic violence, of course, and that the Restraining order that was put against him was issued in May of 2023. So only two months before he tried to stab his girlfriend and before he killed Miriam.

[Daphne]

I found him on white pages. He has the same exact name and age. Harold Francis Landon Jr. It says he's in his 30s. I know this is him just based on everything else that we found, but it says that he presently lives in Quincy, Florida. Other addresses listed are in Lexington, North Carolina and Upper Marlboro, Maryland, which is right by where he lived when he committed this crime. So I wonder then if he hadn't been back in Maryland very long, you know, long enough for this to update, or he didn't register a new address, or it just didn't update, which sometimes happens. Or maybe he wasn't even living in Maryland. I wonder if he was staying with family. Like we don't have this information, but yeah, we know that he had history in Florida and North Carolina, but that's really all I can find. We're gonna highlight something about a North Carolina charge via the prosecutor in a little bit, but no socials, he doesn't have a LinkedIn, no. Nothing that can tell us more about his history, which I think would just be good to know because this guy is clearly violent. And I wouldn't be surprised if Miriam wasn't the first person he killed in his 33 years.

[Heath]

I mean. Yeah, like typically when we see people dismember bodies, it feels like maybe that's not the first time that they've done, done that, that they've killed a person, you know? Yeah, because it feels like he kind of had it down to. Well, not really, I guess, but.

[Daphne]

Well, honestly, kind of. Because I think, like, do you think if the business owner didn't see that happen that he would have been caught? Like, I don't know.

[Heath]

I don't know, but. And maybe through DNA or something like.

[Daphne]

That and through, through surveillance from. Because they did see his truck, so maybe he, they would have been able to track the truck through surveillance from other areas, you know, it's definitely possible.

[Heath]

Well, the other strange thing here is that we really don't know. We don't know the true motive here. So it's like, right. If you don't have a motive, it almost feels like your mind can go to that place of, well, did he do something like this in Florida? Did he do something like this in North Carolina? Is it possible? Because we just don't know where his mind is at.

[Daphne]

I friggin wonder. And really quick going back to whether or not his family knew what he had done. So after Harold's arrest, he could be heard on a phone call from jail telling an unnamed woman not to cooperate with detectives and not to divulge where his truck was. So I already said that they searched his truck. That's where he found. Or that's where police found parts of her dress and Miriam's head scarf. But he was trying to tell somebody not to talk to them, not to say where his truck was. So we can only wonder if that was his mom or a friend or a sibling or something, because it was somebody. And we already know that he utilized his family to try to get away with this crime anyway. Well, meanwhile, at Miriam's school, her students really struggled with this confusing and sudden loss. Of course, she was killed during the summer break, but the. The students would have been back in school only a few weeks later, in late August. So Dora Kennedy offered up psychologists and counselors to help the kids cope. Miriam's funeral was held at her local Turkish mosque, where many showed up to support her memory. The trial against Harold Landon began in June of this year, 2025, like Heath told us. And initially, his attorney wanted to push for bail, but he obviously was denied based on multiple charges stacked against him. This is. Everybody knows that this guy is violent. He should not be out.

[Heath]

Why would they even try for bail? Like, he tried to stab two girls, and he's implicated in the murder and dismemberment of another female. Like, come on, though.

[Daphne]

This guy is, like, he's ruthless. His. His defense attorney is. He tries for so much stuff. It's actually insane. But the trial was pushed, it was delayed multiple times. And prosecutor Aisha Braveboy took on the responsibility of prosecuting the case herself. And ahead of the trial, she announced, quote, Ms. Cela was a cherished teacher, sister, mother, and friend. The community's relentless search for her after her disappearance is a testament to that. In her opening statements, she implored the jury, quote, who would do something like this to such a beautiful woman? And then she played a tape of Harold telling someone on a phone call from behind bars, quote, I literally let the savage inside of me out.

[Heath]

Jeez, it's almost like this guy's proud of it.

[Daphne]

And I. I wanted to kind of touch on what you had said, Heath, about him having anger, because I think that, quote, says a lot. I literally let the savage inside of me out. Like, he has this urge or this anger, this violence that he seemed to like to exercise on multiple occasions that we know of, which is why I Would almost be shocked if he didn't hurt any more people.

[Heath]

Well, let's talk a little bit about his public defender. So Harold's public defender, Richard Rydelich, or as I like to call him, Richard Ride a dick, because he is definitely a dick. Rider, maintained that whatever may have happened to Miriam was now, quote, pure speculation and leaned toward her death being a tragic accident.

[Daphne]

How the hell does that explain her dismemberment, her missing body parts and the evidence of hers on Harold's things like, that's an insane statement.

[Heath]

Just fuck off, Dick. And it's just ridiculous because Richard maintained that there was not enough evidence to prove that his client was responsible, nor was there a motive or even a confirmed cause of death. Just completely ignoring everything that police had said.

[Daphne]

And you expect to win, like, just because there's not a clear motive. People kill all the time just to kill. He literally said, I let the savage inside of me out. Like that. Again, I think tells us that. That it was just rage. It wasn't. It wasn't Miriam.

[Heath]

Well, again, Richard suggested that Miriam's death could have been an accident and that perhaps someone who may or may not have been his client struck her in a hit and run accident as she was walking near the park on the night of her murder. Which obviously, like you're saying, Daphne, does not explain the clear dismemberment that was done by a mechanical tool, like a saw.

[Daphne]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Heath]

Well, luckily, the jury was shown multiple photos of the brutal violence taken against Miriam. But instead of that being used to paint the scene and show a very important piece of evidence to the jury, Richard Rydedick described this as a manipulation tactic against his client, describing it as an emotional stampede.

[Daphne]

That's like, has he never done a trial before? Like, that's literally standard practice.

[Heath]

The guy's an idiot. So he pleaded with the jury, quote, a fair trial is not a trial ruled by inflamed passions. But Aisha argued that Harold was a ticking time bomb, stating, Mr. Lannan has a history of abusing women. In 2019, he had a previous conviction for assaulting a woman in North Carolina. And in that case, there were allegations of strangulation. Now, because he has chosen not to cooperate or admit any fault, Harold's motive, if there was any, remains a mystery to this day. So it seems as if Miriam was likely just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Daphne]

I mean, clearly he was going through things with his ex, the mother of his child, who rightfully put a restraining order on him two months Earlier. And maybe he took that anger out on a random woman, that is Miriam, before then going to try to stab his girlfriend and her friend or his ex girlfriend. Excuse me. He was clearly enraged during this period of time. Maybe he was gonna go on a rampage. Maybe he wanted to kill his ex girlfriend. Like, if he was trying to stab her, what's up with that?

[Heath]

I mean, it's very, very possible that had he not been caught for either of these two crimes, he might be on the loose trying to kill another.

[Daphne]

Woman wouldn't be shocked. So as Miriam's anxious friends and family awaited the jury's verdict, Fatih, remember, her sister told a news outlet, quote, it's about other people to protect each other and to have a responsibility, collective responsibility, to not let this guy outside because he can kill somebody else. But thankfully, Harold Landon was. Does it sound like I said Harold? Sorry. Harold Landon was found guilty of first degree murder on June 17, 2025, after the jury deliberated for just 90 minutes to reach this conclusion. After the verdict, Aisha stated, quote, it was incredibly important that we find Ms. Cela's murderer. And we found him. 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.

[Heath]

Damn. I love that quote. I love that she put. Now he is severed from our community.

[Daphne]

I love it, too. And something else I read, because obviously we don't for sure know how she was killed. There has been a lot of speculation that she was strangled. And as we know, for the North Carolina charge, there was believed to be strangulation in that. Obviously, we know that he tried to stab his ex girlfriend, apparently, For. Apparently he had a firearm previously. And for the restraining order. Sorry. That was placed on him in May of 2023. He was supposed to have his firearms taken from him, and that didn't happen. So there's so many. It's like there's so many different modes of murder that he kind of has in his tool belt, if that makes sense. So I do think it would make sense again, because the dogs noted decomposition in the park if he maybe did strangle Miriam. But, yeah, it feels so obvious and so clear that he did it. And he is just a horrible, horrible piece of.

[Heath]

Yeah. And he's the type of guy that's definitely not gonna admit to any guilt. Like, he's definitely not gonna tell investigators what he did because he's a puss. Yeah, he is a loser.

[Daphne]

While standing alongside the Prosecutors Fati told the press that she was satisfied with the ruling and she maintained that a guilty verdict was what she and her family had been praying for, that she felt justice had been served. I mean this poor freaking family, especially with so many of them back in Ivory coast. Not, I mean a lot of them were present for this trial but just not feeling like they were really could understand what happened to their loved one and it having happened so far away, especially because to this day, the remainder of Miriam's body is still missing. Harold's sentencing hearing is set to take place in October and he is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison. Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Heath]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to Going West. I'm so glad that justice was served in this case. And just her poor family again having to deal with the fact that they're amazing and bright and loving family member was taken from them by some piece.

[Daphne]

Of shit and she was so close to turning 60. So she was just a short few years away from retirement where she would have moved back home to Ivory Coast.

[Heath]

Yeah, she was almost out of there, honestly.

[Daphne]

Well, thank you guys so much for tuning into this episode. Remember, we have true crime Trivia on our TikTok done by Heath. It's also over on our Instagram and YouTube shorts. And then if you want to see photos from this case and every other case we cover, check out our Instagram goingwestpodcast and we are also on Facebook.

[Heath]

Check it out. We will see you guys on Tuesday. So for everybody out there in the.

[Daphne]

World, don't be a stranger.

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[Mariam's Sister]

Possibility means you have a chance.

[Heath]

Passion opens the door to all possible.

[Daphne]

When I feel like anything's possible, I feel kind of giddy. I want to be an astronaut, an artist, be an actress to visit another country.

[Heath]

All I need is a backpack and a pair of shoes and I'll find.

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[Daphne]

I set my mind to.

[Heath]

I've never felt like more things are possible than right now.

[Mariam's Sister]

In the right shoes, anything's possible.

[Daphne]

DSW countless shoes at bragworthy prices. Imagine the possibilities.