On Monday, September 25, the 26-year-old CEO and founder of EcoMap Technologies, Pava LaPere, was found dead around 11:30 a.m. in a Baltimore apartment, exhibiting signs of blunt force trauma.
An arrest warrant has been issued for 32-year-old Jason Billingsley, charging him with first-degree murder and other offenses related to LaPere’s death. He is considered “armed and dangerous.”
According to officials, Billingsley, a repeat violent offender from Baltimore, should not have been free. In 2015, he was sentenced to 30 years for a first-degree sex offense but had 16 years suspended. Despite being classified as a tier-3 sex offender, requiring a lifetime registration, he was released last October.
Billingsley’s criminal history is extensive. Apart from the 2015 conviction, he pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in 2009 and second-degree assault in 2011. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley issued a stern warning, stating that Billingsley was extremely dangerous and capable of committing severe harm, and urged him to surrender. The police are also investigating potential links between Billingsley and other unsolved cases.
Mayor Brandon Scott voiced his frustration over the situation, stating Billingsley should not have been released. He emphasized that when the police do their job and secure convictions, they should be upheld to ensure the community’s safety. “We are tired of talking about the same people committing the same kind of crimes repeatedly,” Mayor Scott added.
LaPere’s firm, EcoMap Technologies, is renowned for using technology to digitize ecosystems, aiming for equity, efficiency, and effectiveness. The family remembered her as “driven, creative, hard-working,” while her company described her as a “compassionate and visionary leader.”
Her accomplishments earned her a spot on Forbes’s “30 under 30” list.
As the search for Billingsley continues, Commissioner Worley pleaded with him to cease running, assuring him that every officer in Baltimore and the state of Maryland, including U.S. marshals, are on the lookout. “We will find you,” he said.
