A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of Baltimore tech entrepreneur Pava LaPere last September in what appeared to be a random attack that sent shockwaves through the city. Jason Billingsley, 33, opted for a guilty plea and was sentenced to life for the killing. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder in a separate arson and home invasion incident that occurred just before LaPere’s tragic death.
LaPere, known for founding a tech startup during her time at Johns Hopkins University and gaining recognition on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for social impact, was strangled, beaten, and sexually assaulted. She was praised for her dedication to community building and utilizing entrepreneurship for social change.
Prosecutors revealed during a bail review that Billingsley confessed to assaulting LaPere with a brick. He managed to enter her apartment building by luring her to the glass door, although there is no indication that the two were acquainted. LaPere’s body was discovered six days after Billingsley’s involvement in the home invasion, during which he posed as a maintenance worker to gain entry, held a woman and her boyfriend at gunpoint, sexually assaulted the woman, and set them on fire after restraining them with duct tape.
Billingsley, swiftly identified as a suspect in the home invasion, was being actively pursued by Baltimore police. However, authorities delayed informing the public as they did not perceive him as a perpetrator of “random” violence. LaPere’s parents filed a lawsuit against the property owner and management company for negligent hiring practices earlier this year.
Billingsley was released from prison in October 2022 after serving a reduced sentence for a 2013 rape due to accumulating good behavior credits. Following testimony from LaPere’s parents, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill this year to eliminate good behavior credits for individuals convicted of first-degree rape, effective from October 1.
