Current:Home > MarketsTech CEO Pava LaPere Found Dead at 26: Warrant Issued for Suspect's Arrest -FinTechWorld
Tech CEO Pava LaPere Found Dead at 26: Warrant Issued for Suspect's Arrest
Oliver James Montgomery View
Date:2025-04-11 00:50:15
Authorities are on the hunt for a suspect in connection to the murder of Pava LaPere.
The 26-year-old, who served as CEO of EcoMap Technologies and was featured on this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 list, was found dead in her Baltimore apartment with signs of blunt-force trauma on Sept. 25, police confirmed to NBC News.
During a press conference held the following day, authorities announced that they have issued an arrest warrant for Jason Dean Billingsley in connection to her case, stating that the 32-year-old is wanted for first-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment and additional charges.
"This individual will kill, and he will rape," Commissioner Richard Worley said during the press conference. "He will do anything he can to cause harm."
Worley also went on to issue a warning directly to the suspect.
"Every single police officer in Baltimore city and the state of Maryland, as well as the U.S. Marshalls are looking for you," he said. "We will find you, so I will ask you to turn yourself into any officer at a police station because we will take you into custody eventually."
Authorities also shared their belief that Billingsley is "probably armed and dangerous" at this time.
"We ask anyone who may have seen him, knows him or knows his whereabouts," Worley continued, "to contact police immediately by calling 911."
Billingsley was previously sentenced to 30 years in prison, with 16 years suspended, after he pleaded guilty to a first-degree sex offense in 2015, per NBC News, who cited court records. He had also pleaded guilty, according to the outlet, to first-degree assault in 2009 and second-degree assault in 2011.
Shortly after LaPere's passing, her company EcoMap Technologies reflected on their founder's legacy, noting that she "was not only the visionary force behind EcoMap, but was also a deeply compassionate and dedicated leader."
"Her untiring commitment to our company, to Baltimore, to amplifying the critical work of ecosystems across the country," their Sept. 26 statement shared to Facebook read, "and to building a deeply inclusive culture as a leader, friend and partner set a standard for leadership, and her legacy will live on through the work we continue to do."
E! News has reached out to the Baltimore Police Department for additional updates on this case and has not heard back. NBC News was unable to reach Billingsley's public defender for comment.
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (418)
Related
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Soccer fans flock to Old Trafford to pay tribute to Bobby Charlton following his death at age 86
- Little light, no beds, not enough anesthesia: A view from the ‘nightmare’ of Gaza’s hospitals
- Four decades after siblings were murdered in Arkansas, police identify a suspect: their father
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Supreme Court pauses limits on Biden administration's contact with social media firms, agrees to take up case
- Philadelphia Orchestra and musicians agree to 3-year labor deal with 15.8% salary increase
- Murdaugh family home goes on sale for $1.95 million: Photos show Moselle Estate House
- Trump's 'stop
- A funeral is set for a slain Detroit synagogue president as police continue to investigate a motive
Ranking
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Over 3,000 migrants have hit NYC shelter time limit, but about half have asked to stay, report says
- Dolly Parton's first-ever rock 'n' roll album addresses global issues: I didn't think of that as political
- Judge temporarily blocks Tennessee city from enforcing ban on drag performances on public property
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams fined for second outburst toward doctor, per report
- Michigan State shows Hitler’s image on videoboards in pregame quiz before loss to No. 2 Michigan
- Why we love the three generations of booksellers at Happy Medium Books Cafe
Recommendation
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
De Colombia p'al mundo: How Feid became Medellín's reggaeton 'ambassador'
Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler power Phillies to the brink of World Series with NLCS Game 5 win
Tanker truck carrying jet fuel strikes 2 cars on Pennsylvania Turnpike, killing 2, injuring 1
Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
Powell returns late interception 89 yards for TD, No. 5 Washington survives Arizona State 15-7
Reese Witherspoon Tears Up Saying She Felt Like She Broke a Year Ago
Biden to host first-of-its-kind Americas summit to address immigration struggles