Baltimore police are conducting a manhunt in search of a convicted felon who is suspected of murdering a 26-year-old tech CEO who was found dead of "blunt-force trauma" on Sept. 25.
Law enforcement authorities have identified the victim as Pava LaPere, who had initially been the subject of a missing person's report prior to officials discovering her dead body inside her apartment. During a press conference on Tuesday, police said that they believe the suspect is 32-year-old Jason Dean Billingsley.
Baltimore Tech CEO Murder
The suspect is said to be behind the death of the tech CEO and officials have issued a warrant for first-degree murder, assault, and reckless endangerment. Police Commissioner Richard Worley also confirmed that law enforcement personnel were "actively working to apprehend Billingsley."
He noted that at the time, they believed that the suspect was armed and dangerous and he urged anyone who may have seen the suspect or knows him or where he is to contact police immediately. He also warned Baltimore residents to be on the lookout for the convicted felon, as per Yahoo News.
Worley also warned that Billingsley was the type of individual who would kill and rape others if he wanted to. The suspect had previous run-ins with law enforcement personnel, with the Baltimore Police Department citing arrests in 2009, 2011, and 2013 for multiple charges that include sex offenses, second-degree assault charges, and robbery.
The victim, LaPere, was the CEO and founder of EcoMap Technologies and she was able to earn a spot on Forbes's "30 Under 30" list this year. The website of the deceased's company said that EcoMap uses technology to "digitize ecosystems, ensuring anyone can easily access the information they need, so ecosystems can be as equitable, efficient, & effective as possible."
The company gave a statement to NBC affiliate WBAL of Baltimore where it confirmed the death of its CEO. It noted that the circumstances surrounding LaPere's death were deeply distressing and expressed its deepest condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones.
Manhunt for Billingsley
Law enforcement personnel also suspect Billingsley for a case that involves attempted murder, arson, and rape, which occurred on Sept. 19. They noted that the evidence gathered allowed them to connect the two cases, according to WBAL.
Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger added that there was an open arrest warrant for the suspect in the theft of a "handgun out of Baltimore County occurring within this past week." However, he did not provide details on the exact time or place of the handgun theft.
During the press conference, Worley also told Billingsley that every single police officer in Baltimore City, the state of Maryland, as well as the U.S. Marshals are looking for him. He warned the suspect that they would eventually find him and urged him to turn himself in.
On Wednesday, there were reports that Billingsley's mother texted her son and told him to surrender to law enforcement personnel. Scarlett Billingsley said that she told her son to turn himself in because she was worried that police would kill him if he continued to resist arrest, said CNN.
