Suspect arrested in death of Baltimore tech CEO
Jason Billingsley, the suspect accused of killing beloved Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere, was taken into custody Wednesday night, authorities say.
Acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley at a news conference said Billingsley, a registered sex offender, was arrested without incident in Bowie, Maryland, about 20 miles southwest of Baltimore, around 11 p.m. He did not say whether Billingsley was armed at the time of his arrest, as police had earlier warned.
Worley said investigators believe LaPere, 26, was killed sometime Friday night. She was found dead from bluntforce trauma on Monday at her apartment complex hours after being reported missing. Worley said there was no forced entry into the building. He added that police don’t know if there were any connections between Billingsley and LaPere.
“The family has asked that we not release any details,” he said when asked to provide more information about LaPere’s death. “We’re going to respect their wishes.”
Baltimore State Attorney Ivan Bates said his office will seek the state’s harshest punishment for convicted criminals: Life without the possibility of parole. The Maryland state legislature in 2013 banned capital punishment.
“Our hope and goal is if this individual is found guilty in a court of law… this individual will never get out to see the light of day again,” Bates said.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said it’s “heartbreaking” that LaPere was killed by someone who “should not have been out on the streets in the first place.”
At the time police identified Billingsley as the prime suspect in LaPere’s killing on Tuesday, he was already the “number one priority” of the police department for his connection to a rape, attempted murder and arson case that occurred on Sept. 19 in Baltimore.
Worley said the rape and arson were targeted attacks that occurred where Billingsley worked, adding that the Baltimore Police Department did not send out a notice to the public about the rape because they had no evidence to believe he would commit a random attack.
Instead, flyers were sent to every officer in the Baltimore Police Department with a description of Billingsley and a manhunt involving multiple outside agencies ensued. Investigators tracked his phone, bank records, spoke with witnesses and listened to his jail calls.
Despite the extensive search, Billingsley managed to elude capture for a week. He added that Billingsley watched the initial police news conference announcing him as the prime suspect in LaPere’s killing, subsequently went into hiding and turned off all electronic devices that police were tracking.
“I don’t think we made a mistake in this case, I think our detectives made the same decision we make every single time based on the facts and circumstances that we have,” he said. “As soon as we realized he committed an act that seemed to be random ... we put the flyer out.”
The death of LaPere – the CEO of software startup EcoMap Technologies who received national recognition in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list – shocked many in the city, especially those in the tech community, where she strived for social change.
Sherrod Davis, LaPere’s friend and co-founder of EcoMap Technologies, spoke through tears at a vigil held Wednesday evening to honor the entrepreneur’s memory. Davis described LaPere’s dedication to building an inclusive and equitable ecosystem in Baltimore – a city she loved.
“Baltimore has truly lost one of its brightest lights, and one of its loudest advocates,” Davis said at the vigil.