A Baltimore man, Jason Billingsley, was sentenced to three life sentences after pleading guilty to the 2023 murder of tech entrepreneur Pava LaPere. Billingsley had been released from prison early after a sexual assault conviction before he killed LaPere, raped another woman, and tried to kill her and her male friend. His crimes prompted changes in state law. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, receiving three life sentences, two of which are to be served consecutively.
LaPere was reported missing by co-workers on September 25, and her body was later found on the roof of her downtown Baltimore apartment building. Surveillance video showed her letting Billingsley into the building and on an elevator together. Billingsley restrained and sexually assaulted a woman named April Hurley, cutting her throat and setting her apartment on fire a week prior. Hurley and LaPere’s family expressed the lasting impact of the crimes on their lives, with Hurley living in constant fear and the LaPere family grieving for their lost loved one.
Billingsley had identified himself as a maintenance worker when he knocked on Hurley’s door and proceeded to attack her and her friend at gunpoint. He sexually assaulted Hurley before pouring accelerant on them and the apartment, setting it on fire. The LaPere family made a statement at a news conference following Billingsley’s guilty plea, expressing their pain and the void left by Pava’s murder. Pava, the CEO and co-founder of EcoMap Technologies, was a rising star in the tech industry and had been named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” for her social impact work.
Billingsley had been released early from prison in 2022 after a first-degree sexual assault conviction in 2013, receiving a 30-year sentence with most of it suspended. He was released five years early through diminution credits, which reward good behavior in prison. Maryland passed the Pava Marie LaPere Act in response to the case, eliminating diminution credits for those convicted of first-degree sex offenses. The LaPere family advocated for similar laws in other states to prevent offenders like Billingsley from being released early.
The State’s Attorney emphasized the severity of Billingsley’s crimes, stating that he should never see the light of day again. The guilty pleas and life sentences brought some measure of closure to Hurley, LaPere’s family, and the community affected by the heinous acts. Hurley spoke of the ongoing trauma and anxiety she faces as a result of the attack, while the LaPere family reflected on the impact of their daughter’s untimely death and the lasting void she left. The case has served as a catalyst for legislative change and a reminder of the need for justice and accountability in the face of senseless violence.
