Pava Marie LaPere was a 26-year-old tech company CEO living in Baltimore, Maryland. A member of Forbes’ “30 under 30” list, LaPere was found dead on Monday in her luxury apartment, with the suspected killer in her case at large.
LaPere was the co-founder and CEO of EcoMap Technologies, the company which landed her on the exclusive 30 Under 30 list. She launched it out of her college dorm room when she was just 22, and its massive success led to her being named not just in Forbes, but also in Baltimore’s 40 Under 40 and Maryland’s 25 Under 25 lists for innovation.
Now she is dead, with her corpse found badly beaten in her Baltimore apartment. Police suspect and have issued an arrest warrant for 32-year-old local man, Jason Billingsley. Billingsley was released from prison less than a year ago despite having served only seven years of a 30-year sentence for rape and other violent crimes.
Once out, he allegedly went right back to his old ways. Billingsley is suspected in a knife and arson attack that left two people fighting for their lives, along with the horrific assault that left Ms. LaPere, who is not known to have had any relationship with Billingsley, dead.
Baltimore Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley issued a stark warning about Billingsley, saying, “This individual will kill and he will rape. He will do anything he can to cause harm. So, please be aware of your surroundings.”
Continuing, he encouraged Billingsley to turn himself in, saying “If you’re out there watching, hopefully you are, every single police officer in Baltimore City, the state of Maryland as well as the U.S. Marshals are looking for you. We will find you. So, I would ask you to turn yourself in to any officer, any police station, because we will take you into custody eventually, and then we will turn it over to the state’s attorney to prosecute you to the fullest. So, please turn yourself in.”
EcoMap, for its part, posted, “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,” the company wrote. “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.”
Continuing, it added, “As a team, and on behalf of our customers and the EcoMap community, we are devastated by this loss, and we pledge our unwavering support to the LaPere family as they navigate this heartbreaking period. We would also like to express our gratitude to the authorities and emergency services for their efforts and professionalism.”
Ms. LaPere had supported BLM on behalf of EcoMap, saying, “EcoMap Technologies stand against systemic racism, bigotry, and a police state that criminalizes Black bodies. We stand in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, now and always. We commit to being anti-racist in all aspects of what we do … We encourage all other startups to speak out and do the same.”
Featured image credit: Instagram and Baltimore Police Department
"*" indicates required fields