Suspect in Tech CEO Pava LePere’s brutal murder ‘raped second woman and lit couple on fire’

Jason Billingsley was being hunted by police after the brutal death of EcoMap Technologies founder Pava LaPere in Mount Vernon, Baltimore – he has now been arrested

The chief suspect in the brutal murder of Tech CEO Pava LaPere has been arrested – as it’s revealed he is suspected of raping a second woman and lighting a couple on fire days before.

Jason Billingsley has thankfully been caught by police two days after the founder of EcoMap Technologies, Ms LaPere, 26, was beaten to death on the roof of her luxury apartment building on Monday night. Police had previously warned the public the suspect “will kill and he will rape” after revealing he had a history of criminal violence, including a sex offence, assault and robbery.

And authorities have told local news that police found Billingsley was also the suspect in a horrific case of rape and attempted murder that took place days before, on September 19. It is alleged he broke into a home and tied up a couple with duct tape and handcuffs before raping the woman, slitting her throat and pouring a flammable liquid on the pair and setting them on fire.

A source within the authorities made the claims to the Baltimore Banner, and said the couple and a child that was in the home at the time, were hospitalised with their injuries but all have survived. Billingsley, 32, was arrested in Bowie in Maryland at 11.10pm on Wednesday, two days after Ms LaPere was killed. WBFF reports he was tracked down to a train station by the US Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and state and local police.

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LaPere was the founder of EcoMap Technologies, having started the tech company at age 22 from her dorm room at John Hopkins University. She was reported missing on Monday before police found her on the roof of her home with blunt force injuries.

Billingsley and LaPere are not thought to have known each other and the attack is feared to have been random. Ms LaPere, who made it onto the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list, was found dead in her flat in Mount Vernon on Monday morning. Baltimore Police responded to a call at around 11.30am on September 25 where they discovered her body.

Police previously warned Billingsley was he is armed and dangerous and had a record involving attempted rape, with Acting Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Richard Worley saying at a press conference he was a suspect in at least one other investigation in Baltimore.

Billingsley was wanted for first-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment and additional charges. He was previously arrested in 2013, 2011 and 2009 for multiple charges including sexual offences, second-degree assault and robbery. Mr Worley said at the time: “We implore residents to be aware of your surroundings at all times. This individual will kill and he will rape. He will do anything he can to cause harm.”

Mayor Brandon Scott told reporters: “There is no way in hell he should have been out.”

Commissioner Worley said: “At this point, we believe he is probably armed and dangerous. We ask anyone who may have seen him, knows him or knows his whereabouts, to contact police immediately by calling 911.”

Billingsley’s arrest came hours after his mother, Scarlett, spoke to reporters and begged him to surrender. She told WJZ: “I told him that he needs to turn himself in, but I really don’t think he’s going to do that because he’s scared.”

Scarlett said she only found out her son was the suspect in Ms Lapere’s murder when his face appeared on TV and she says she “screamed” out loud, adding: “I cried. I can’t understand what happened that he would do something like that.”

Ms LaPere had been due to join a lineup of speakers as the featured speaker at the Ecosystem Builders Forum in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on October 2 – 3. Her company, EcoMap is listed as a sponsor for the event which includes a mix of workshops and interactive panel discussions.

Her eco company aimed to make ecosystems information accessible to everyone along with “powerful technology to digitise ecosystems”, according to their website. In the last 18 months, it had managed to raise $7 million in funding.

In a statement issued following their CEO’s death, EcoMap said: “The circumstances surrounding Pava’s death are deeply distressing, and our deepest condolences are with her family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly devastating time.

“Pava 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, 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.”

Pava’s apartment was in the former Congress Hotel, which had been renovated into apartments. One-bedroom flats in the building go for around $1,500 per month, according to the building’s management company Zahlco.

Pava also founded a nonprofit that helped support student entrepreneurs across Maryland, according to her LinkedIn page. She was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for social impact earlier this year.

On her LinkedIn profile, she described herself as a tech CEO “who believes in hyperlocal, ecosystem-based economic development to create a more equitable future for all communities.” She posted on Instagram about founding the startup from her college dorm room and watching it grow into a robust, successful venture.

“To be honest, running this company has been harder than I ever imagined,” she said in a video posted to social media in April by the nonprofit Baltimore Homecoming. “But it makes me feel so excited every single time we launch a new platform because we get to see the thousands of people who are using it to find the information that they need in their community.”