A Baltimore man, Jason Billingsley, has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of Pava LaPere, a promising tech entrepreneur. LaPere, who founded a tech start-up from her room at Johns Hopkins University and was recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for social impact, was found dead on the rooftop of her apartment building in September 2023. Her death, caused by strangulation and blunt force trauma following a sexual assault, shocked the city. Billingsley also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder in a separate arson and home invasion case, which took place just days before LaPere’s death. He admitted to beating LaPere with a brick after gaining entry to her building. While there’s no evidence they knew each other, he lured her to the building’s glass door. LaPere’s death also sparked criticism of police for their response, as her body was discovered six days after the home invasion incident. Billingsley, released from prison in 2022 after serving a shortened sentence for a 2013 rape, was quickly identified as a suspect in both cases.
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