The suspect in last week's brutal murder of a young Baltimore tech CEO was sentenced to a 30-year prison term in 2015, but he was released in 2022, not because of parole but because of a more lenient earned credit system for good behavior.
Jason Billingsley, 32, was brought into custody without incident late Wednesday in Bowie, Maryland, after being identified as the primary suspect in the murder of Pava LaPere, 26.
Jason Billingsley's Criminal Record
Per NY Post, police believe he convinced the founder of EcoMap Technologies to let him into her apartment building by claiming he lost his keys.
Billingsley, who pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and second-degree assault in 2009 and 2011, respectively, before serving time for the 2013 rape of a 25-year-old woman, applied for parole in 2020 and was denied, according to the Baltimore Banner.
David Blumberg, the longstanding head of the state parole commission, said he appealed the decision and was again denied parole.
By October 2022, he had earned enough "diminution credits" to be released from prison after serving approximately nine years and three months of a 14-year sentence.
In July 2013, the accused murderer was charged with a sex offense of the first degree and pleaded guilty in February 2015. His sentence, backdated to when he was first incarcerated after his arrest, called for a term of 30 years, but with 16 years of that term suspended.
By accruing enough diminution credits, he was able to leave the military even sooner than anticipated. The majority of states permit inmates to reduce their sentence for excellent behavior and labor program participation
The Justice Reinvestment Act, which was enacted in 2011 and adopted by many states, including Maryland, enables inmates to reduce their prison time by as much as fifty percent if they obtain these credits.
Many activists who advocated for and drafted the Justice Reinvestment Act are affiliated with organizations such as the Safety and Justice Action Fund, which campaigns for progressive district attorneys across the nation.
They are also affiliated with the Open Society Foundation of George Soros, which coined the phrase "justice reinvestment" in 2003 as part of a campaign for prison reform.
A state report from 2020 indicates that under the "diminution credit" system, inmates in Maryland can earn up to 30 days per month. Those serving time for violent crimes, narcotic offenses, or sexual offenses may receive up to 20 days per month.
They receive credit for work-related activities, education, and special initiatives, including academic programs and other work-related details.
However, even the 2020 report's author appeared to concede that the diminution credit system has some peculiarities.
Billingsley, who was released on mandatory supervision after completing a rape sentence less than a year ago, was already on the run when he was suspected of murdering LaPere, the CEO who was one of Forbes' "30 under 30" for social impact this year, police said last week.
A warrant was issued for Billingsley within hours of an attack on September 19 involving the "targeted" rape at gunpoint and arson of a woman and her companion.
According to CBS News, interim Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley stated that the 6-foot-4, 305-pound suspect knew the victims of the previous attack and had access to the apartment where the crime occurred.
Police began monitoring Billingsley's phone, financial transactions, and other potential leads on September 20; however, he evaded capture despite officers frequently coming within a few steps of his location.
LaPere was discovered battered to death on the roof of her Mount Vernon apartment building days into the search. Her body was discovered on Monday, six days after the initial assault, but detectives believe she was likely murdered on Friday.
Tech CEO Pava LaPere's Death
Meanwhile, LaPere is believed to have been murdered within a half-hour of her return home, as evidenced by the discovery of a brick, teeth, and buttons next to her corpse on the rooftop of her luxury Baltimore apartment.
New court documents seen by The Messenger indicate that Billingsley spent less than 36 minutes in her apartment building. According to the Baltimore Police Department report, surveillance footage captured LaPere's arrival at 10:32 p.m.
LaPere was then observed seated on a settee in the lobby, before Billingsley, 32, arrived and waved at her through the glass entrance before she let him in.
Billingsley reemerged at 11:08 p.m. "scramblin" for an exit after entering and entering an elevator together. Before leaving the building, Billingsley was captured on camera cleaning his right hand on his underpants, according to the police report.
After fleeing, law enforcement traced Billingsley to a train station approximately 30 miles from LaPere's apartment. The police report states that detectives located Billingsley with the assistance of a witness, who, according to police, will be identified at a later date and presented in court.
Police say LaPere was murdered on Friday night, but her body was not discovered until Monday morning, after someone reported her missing.
Earlier this week, police sources verified to DailyMail.com that LaPere's severely battered body was discovered on the roof of her apartment building.
The police report also revealed that she was discovered face-up and partially clothed, with blunt force injuries to her head, face, and body.
According to the report, the crime scene contained a brick, blood, buttons, trousers, three teeth, a broken hair clip, and a pair of red shoes that belonged to the victim.
It is unknown whether she was murdered prior to being deposited on the roof or whether she was murdered on the roof. The police have remained tight-lipped about the crime's specifics.
Billingsley is not believed to have known LaPere, who resided on the building's top floor. He is charged with first-degree murder, assault, and reckless endangerment in the death of LaPere, a 26-year-old emerging tech sensation.
