Jason Dean Billingsley is a Baltimore, Maryland, felon who is accused in the murder of rising tech CEO Pava LaPere.
Billingsley “was taken into custody in Bowie at approximately 11 p.m. on Sept. 27 by BPD’s Warrant Apprehension Task Force” and other agencies, Baltimore police announced in a news release.
“A warrant has been issued for the arrest of 32-year-old Jason Dean Billingsley, of Baltimore. He is wanted for 1st Degree Murder, Assault, Reckless Endangerment and related charges,” the Baltimore Police Department had previously announced on September 26, 2023.
“There is no way in hell that he should have been on the streets,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, speaking in a news conference.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Said Pava LaPere Died of Blunt-Force Trauma & Told Jason Billingsley, ‘We Will Find You’
Baltimore Police DepartmentJason Billingsley.
According to a police news release, on September 25, 2023, at approximately 11:34 a.m., “officers responded to an apartment complex in the 300 block of West Franklin Street to investigate a call for service.
“Upon arrival, officers observed a deceased 26-year-old female with signs of blunt-force trauma. The Medical Examiner’s Office responded and took possession of the victim’s body. Next of kin notification will be made by detectives,” they wrote.
An anonymous officer told DailyMail.com the injuries were “absolutely brutal – some of the worst I’ve seen.”
LaPere was murdered at her secured apartment building, Baltimore Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in the news conference.
LaPere was found within hours after she was reported missing, he said, adding that he would not say where she was found. According to WBAL-TV, court documents later revealed there was no forced entry and LaPere was found on the roof.
A security camera video showed LaPere in the lobby “when an unknown man came to the door and waved to her,” at which point she opened the door, talked to the man and they got into the elevator together, according to the television station. Later the man, believed by police to be Billingsley, was seen on the video “scrambling to find an exit,” WBAL-TV reported.
Asked whether Billingsley and LaPere knew each other, Worley said, “Not that we know.”
Worley urged Billingsley to turn himself in “if you’re out there watching, and I hope you are.”
“We will find you,” he added.
LaPere’s body was found partially clothed, according to the Baltimore Banner.
2. Jason Dean Billingsley, Who Has a Lengthy Criminal History, Was Released in an Attempted Rape Case in October 2022
Maryland CourtsJason Billingsley’s Maryland court history.
Scott said that Billingsley shouldn’t “have been on the streets in the first place.”
He had a 2011 violent crime conviction and served 14 years of a 30-year sentence, being paroled in October 2022, State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said in the news conference. One of the charges was for attempted rape, Bates said.
Maryland court records show that offense is a first-degree sex offense with threat of force.
“He was a repeat violent offender,” Bates said, adding that he believed the suspect was still in Baltimore.
Scott declared that he was frustrated because Billingsley should “still be in prison.”
According to Fox News, Billingsley was released on parole “under the previous administration of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.”
However, Latoya Gray, spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services, wrote Heavy in an email:
Billingsley was not paroled, but was released on mandatory supervision, which requires monitoring until the entire sentence initially imposed by the court has been satisfactorily completed. The Division of Parole and Probation supervised Billingsley and recorded his adherence to the court-ordered supervision terms, including treatment.
Billingsley is a Tier 3 sex offender, a lifetime registrant, and must re-register every three months. He last registered on 6/26. He failed to register again on 9/25, which resulted in the Baltimore Police Department issuing a warrant on 9/26 and listing as non-compliant on the Sex Offender Registry. The Baltimore City Police Department also issued a warrant in connection with the LaPere case on 9/26 and a warrant on 9/20 for attempted murder, rape, arson, and other charges.
“These cases impact people’s lives for eternity,” Scott said. He added, “The conviction should be the conviction” and said, “We are tired of talking about the same people committing the same crimes over and over again.”
Maryland court records show a lengthy criminal history for Billingsley that includes multiple charges of assault. He violated his probation in one of the earlier cases, according to CBS News.
According to NBC News, Billingsley “was arrested on the rape charge following allegations he forced a woman to perform oral sex on him at knife-point in 2013. Billingsley’s accuser told police he also struck her in the face and strangled her with both hands.”
3. Pava LaPere, Who Was From Arizona, Was Remembered for Her ‘Visionary Leadership’ at Her Company, EcoMap Technologies
LinkedInPava LaPere.
The Banner reported that LaPere was from Tucson, Arizona, but came to Baltimore to attend college at John Hopkins University.
She created EcoMap Technologies, a company with 30 people, telling the Banner that Baltimore was a city “with amazing, underlying assets that need to be awakened.”
LaPere was named among Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2023 in the social impact category, which wrote that EcoMap “curates data about all the organizations, resources, and other assets within any ecosystem — from a city’s tech community to an entire industry — and puts that information into free platforms that enable users to navigate them.”
According to EcoMap, “Pava’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity, amplifying ecosystems, and fortifying Baltimore’s tech community set her apart as an exceptional leader, and her boundless passion for EcoMap’s mission was foundational to our success.”
In a September 26 post on Facebook, EcoMap wrote, “It is with profound sadness and shock that EcoMap announces the tragic and untimely passing of our beloved founder and CEO, Pava LaPere. The news has shaken us all deeply. In the coming days, we will keep our community informed about the ways we will be honoring Pava’s enduring legacy. For now, we hope you join us in keeping her family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
LaPere wrote on LinkedIn, “EcoMap uses technology to automate the process of digitizing ecosystems, from entrepreneurial communities, to industry sectors, to corporate networks and beyond.”
4. The Acting Police Commissioner Says That Jason Billingsley ‘Will Kill & He Will Rape’
Jason Billingsley is listed as “non-compliant” on the sex offender registry. The convicted rapist was sentenced to 30 yrs, 16 suspended, 5 probation in 2015. This shows he was released in Oct. 2022. @FOXBaltimore
In the news conference, Baltimore police said that Billingsley was identified by the homicide unit, which had been working “aggressively.”
“This individual will kill and he will rape,” Worley said in the news conference.
Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott called LaPere a “young, talented, devoted Baltimorian.” He said he had gotten to know her over the years and said she was a person who would help anyone.
He described Billingsley as someone who is determined to cause harm to others.
Police warned that Billingsley was “considered armed and dangerous.”
“The Warrant Apprehension Task Force, alongside the U.S. Marshals’ Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) are actively attempting to apprehend this suspect,” they wrote.
“Please contact 911 if you come in contact with this individual or have any further information.”
5. Jason Billingsley Was Already Under Surveillance in an Earlier Rape Case
Baltimore Police DepartmentJason Dean Billingsley.
In a press release, Baltimore police wrote, “BPD can confirm that Billingsley is wanted in connection to an attempted murder, arson and rape that occurred on Sept. 19, 2023, in the 800 block of Edmondson Avenue.”
According to NBC News, Billingsley “was suspected of raping a woman days earlier and was already under surveillance.”
“As soon as we realized that there was a public safety [concern], we had the press conference,” Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley told NBC News. “The first incident on Edmondson Avenue was not a random act. Had it been a random act, we would have put out a flyer right away saying this individual was on the loose, committing random acts.”
According to DailyMail.com in an exclusive, Billingsley “may have struck days earlier in a knifepoint sex assault and arson attack that left two people fighting for their lives.”
In the news conference, Bates confirmed that they were looking at Billingsley for another case, but he was not specific.
In that incident, according to the outlet, the suspect sexually assaulted a woman and slashed “at her throat with a knife,” before committing an arson. A man and a woman were left in critical condition, DailyMail.com reported.
Police have not confirmed that Billingsley is suspected of that crime.