A Baltimore man pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder in the slaying of tech entrepreneur Pava LaPere, receiving a sentence of life in prison. LaPere, the 26-year-old founder of EcoMap Technologies, was bludgeoned and strangled during a home invasion last September. Baltimore Circuit Judge Robert Taylor said that Jason Billingsley, 33, would technically be eligible for parole after serving 40 years, but prosecutor Ivan Bates told reporters he does not expect Billingsley "will even be able to see the twinkle of light until he's done 60 years, which would put him at 93 years of age." Billingsley had pleaded guilty in another prosecution on Monday, the Baltimore Sun reports.
In that case, Billingsley admitted to two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Prosecutors said he had broken into a basement apartment three days before killing LaPere, raping a woman and setting her boyfriend on fire. After consulting those victims and both families, Bates said, his office sought a plea agreement with Billingsley to avoid holding traumatizing trials. "We wanted to have life sentences. We wanted to ensure that he would not see the light of day," Bates said. "We feel that this plea has done that."
Billingsley is a registered sex offender and convicted felon who was most recently released on parole in October 2022. He had served nine years in prison, and his release was made mandatory by a plea deal and his collection of "good time credits" during what was originally a 30-year term, per CBS News. The new trials led to debate about early release policies, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed the Pava LaPere Act, which prevents people convicted of first-degree rape and most violent sex crimes from those credits for good behavior that bring early release. The law takes effect Oct. 1. (More homicide stories.)
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