Baltimore man accused of killing tech CEO pleads guilty to attempted murder in separate case
A man charged with killing Baltimore tech entrepreneur Pava LaPere last September has pleaded guilty to attempted murder counts in a separate arson and home invasion case just days earlier that left two people seriously injured
BALTIMORE — A man charged with killing Baltimore tech entrepreneur Pava LaPere last September pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of attempted murder in a separate arson and home invasion case that took place just days earlier.
Jason Billingsley, 33, entered the guilty plea instead of going to trial Monday morning. Officials said the plea agreement includes two life sentences to be served simultaneously.
Billingsley is scheduled to appear in court again Friday to face charges in LaPere’s killing, an apparently random attack in which she was raped and beaten to death on the rooftop of her downtown apartment building.
In the home invasion case, police say Billingsley gained entry to an apartment building by identifying himself as the building maintenance man. According to the arrest warrant, he pointed a gun at a woman inside and used duct tape to restrain her and her boyfriend. He then raped the woman several times and attacked her with a knife before setting both victims on fire, leaving them with serious burns, police wrote.
Officers found a backpack and other items in the bushes outside the house, including duct tape, a bleach container, gas can and lighter, the warrant says.
The victims in that case, April Hurley and Jonte Gilmore, filed a lawsuit earlier this year accusing the property owner and management company of engaging in negligent hiring practices.
Billingsley was released from prison in October 2022 after serving a shortened sentence for a 2013 rape because he earned good behavior
Read more on abcnews.go.com
