Convicted felon suspected of killing Baltimore tech CEO has been arrested, police say

CNN, WBFF

By Elizabeth Wolfe and Andy Rose, CNN

(CNN) — A convicted felon suspected of killing tech executive Pava LaPere in Baltimore this week has been arrested, ending a dayslong manhunt across the city, police said early Thursday.

Jason Dean Billingsley was wanted on first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the death of LaPere, the 26-year-old CEO of Baltimore-based startup EcoMap Technologies, according to the Baltimore Police Department.

Police did not immediately provide details about the arrest, but said more information would be announced in a news conference at 11 a.m. ET Thursday.

LaPere was reported missing Monday morning and was found dead hours later in a downtown Baltimore apartment building with apparent blunt force trauma to her head, police said. Officials had urged the public to come forward with any information on Billingsley’s whereabouts, but warned the suspect was likely armed and dangerous.

Billingsley, 32, is also a suspect in a separate case of attempted murder, rape and arson, which occurred last week about a mile from the building where LaPere’s body was discovered, police said Wednesday. The September 19 incident left a man and woman hospitalized in critical condition, though they were stable the next day, police told CNN.

Authorities have yet to detail the evidence against Billingsley in either case.

As the search for Billingsley was underway, Mayor Brandon Scott cautioned that the suspect should be considered “extremely dangerous.”

“This individual will kill, and he will rape. He will do anything he can to cause harm,” acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said Tuesday, citing Billingsley’s criminal record.

Billingsley was released from prison last October after serving about seven years for a first-degree sex offense, court records show. He had previously pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in 2009 and second-degree assault in 2011, according to the records.

Now, detectives are poring over the city’s cases since last October to determine whether Billingsley may be connected to any other incidents since he was released, police said Wednesday.

Report: Suspect’s mother asked him to surrender

NBC News reported Wednesday that Billingsley’s mother had texted her son and urged him to surrender.

“I told him to turn himself in because they’re going to kill him,” Scarlett Billingsley told NBC News.

The suspect’s mother said she doesn’t know whether her son knew LaPere, NBC reported. Scarlett Billingsley said her son came to her home for a few minutes on Monday and showed her a gun, which she believes he was trying to sell.

Investigators have found no indication that LaPere knew her killer, police commissioner Worley said Tuesday.

Since his release from prison last year, Billingsley has been registered as a sex offender in Maryland’s statewide database.

He was initially sentenced to 30 years in prison with 16 months already served for the 2015 sex offense conviction, court records show. His October 2022 release was not on parole but was instead “on mandatory supervision as required by statute” a spokesperson for Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services told The New York Times.

LaPere’s legacy will be felt ‘for years to come’

At a vigil for LaPere Wednesday evening, loved ones and colleagues remembered her as a rising tech entrepreneur who had a reputation for uplifting and connecting those in her Baltimore community.

Frank LaPere, the victim’s father, became tearful as he described his daughter growing up as “the definition of daddy’s little girl.”

The father described how he proudly watched as Pava tapped into her innate leadership ability and relentlessly pursued her goals.

Pava LaPere cofounded EcoMap at age 21 while she was still attending college at Johns Hopkins University, according to the company’s website. The startup, which sells artificial intelligence tools, has since grown to over 30 employees and announced nearly $8 million in financing this year.

LaPere’s accomplishments gained her a spot on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list earlier this year for social impact.

The father and daughter – both early risers – would talk early in the morning and exchange photos of their sunrises, her father recalled. Pava would get to work early because she was a “workaholic” like her father, Frank said.

LaPere’s dedication to supporting young entrepreneurs and building a tech community in Baltimore means she has left behind a legacy that won’t be easily forgotten, said Kory Bailey, who described LaPere as his friend and mentor.

“The impact of who she is, what she means to us and what she created in this world will be felt, it will be carried forward and it will be recognized for years to come,” said Bailey, who is the chief ecosystem and relationship officer at UpSurge Baltimore, a company that helps startups to develop.

LaPere’s father thanked the vigil attendees for supporting his daughter’s dreams.

“We’re going to take her away from Baltimore, but her presence will never leave here,” he said. “Thank you very, very much for loving our girl.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Sara Smart and Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.