BALTIMORE — The manhunt for an alleged killer has come to an end.
Jason Billingsley, 32, was wanted for the murder of Pava Marie LaPere, a young tech CEO from Baltimore.
He'd been on the run evading capture since September 20. The U.S. Marshall's Office took him into custody after 11pm Wednesday at a train station in Bowie. Police said they used phone tracking and surveillance techniques to locate him.
LaPere was found dead Monday morning, suffering from blunt force trauma to the head, on the rooftop of her Mount Vernon apartment building on W. Franklin Street.
She'd been reported missing a few hours before police discovered her body, but it's believed she was killed sometime between last Thursday and Friday night.
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Police said they used evidence from a September 19 rape and arson on Edmondson Avenue to link Billingsley to the murder. Charging documents for the September 19 case detail how Billingsley, who worked as a maintenance employee for the building, broke into a family's home, duct-taped and handcuffed a man and woman, raped the woman, slashed her throat, and then poured an unknown liquid onto the couple and set them on fire. A child was in the home at the time.
He was also suspected of stealing a gun out of Baltimore County on September 25.
Billingsley was already on parole and probation after being released from jail in October 2022 for a 2013 sexual assault.
He pleaded guilty to those crimes in 2015 and was ordered to serve 14 years behind bars.
Due to a state law allowing for the early release of inmates credited with good behavior, Billingsley ended up spending only about nine years in prison.
MORE: The violent criminal past of Pava LaPere's alleged killer
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates called the process a “systematic failure,” and said prosecutors would seek a life sentence without the chance of parole when trial begins.
“I think we need to see what we can learn from this and understand how the diminution credits work and how it’s letting some individuals that may not be fully rehabilitated back on the streets maybe a little more quickly than they should be," Bates said.
We reached out to the Governor's Office, Senate President, and House Speaker for their response to that. We only heard back from the Governor's office so far, which said, the administration is "committed to looking at all options with the state legislature to make Maryland’s communities safer."
LaPere's family said they're thankful to law enforcement for acting swiftly in getting Billingsley off the street.
"We appreciate the tireless efforts of the Baltimore Police Department, and their law enforcement partners, throughout the course of this investigation and apprehension of the suspect. We’re relieved to know he can no longer hurt other innocent victims. While this doesn’t change that Baltimore lost one of its most passionate, influential fans, our efforts remain focused on remembering and celebrating Pava Marie – her life, successes, and legacy.”
Investigators are still working to determine if there was a potential connection between LaPere and Billingsley. Detectives do know that she let Billingsley into her apartment complex.
However, charging documents suggest the Edmondson incident was targeted. Billingsley reportedly worked maintenance at the location and knew the victims.
"We know pretty much why he wanted that house on Edmondson Avenue and why he committed those acts," said Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley, while declining to provide further details.
Despite quickly being developed as a suspect in that case, Worley said there was no indication Billingsley was planning to commit another random act of violence, which is why police didn't alert the public about him until after he allegedly murdered LaPere. Worley said detectives wanted to protect the victims in the Edmondson case from potential retaliation.
“We didn’t think it would help us at the time. We didn’t want to tip our hand," said Worley. "Hindsight is always 2020. If I would have known that he was going to go and kill someone we would have put the flyer up, but we had no indication that he was committing random acts."
The day after LaPere was found, police held a press conference which they say led Billingsley to change up his hiding location.
"The devices we were tracking him on were disconnected and he started using other means to communicate."
Police declined to say what exactly led them to the train station in Bowie, saying it would "put people in jeopardy."
This story is continuing to develop and will be updated as more information becomes available.
